What Is a Builder Warranty?
When you buy a new construction home, your builder provides a warranty that covers defects in workmanship, materials, and systems. Unlike a manufacturer's warranty on an appliance, a builder warranty is a legal commitment tied to your specific home — and it has hard deadlines.
Understanding the structure of your warranty is the single most important thing you can do to protect your investment.
The Three Standard Warranty Periods
Most major homebuilders in the United States follow a tiered warranty structure:
Year 1 — Workmanship and Materials
The first year covers defects in workmanship and materials. This includes cosmetic issues like paint, drywall cracks, flooring gaps, and improperly hung doors. This is the most comprehensive period — and the one most homeowners fail to fully utilize before it expires.
Year 2 — Mechanical Systems
The second year typically covers your home's major mechanical systems: plumbing, electrical, heating, and air conditioning. A system failure during this period is the builder's responsibility to repair.
Year 10 — Structural Defects
The ten-year structural warranty covers major defects in load-bearing components: foundation, framing, roof structure. These are the most serious and expensive defects, and while they're rare, documentation from earlier years is critical if you ever need to make a structural claim.
What Is NOT Covered
Builder warranties typically exclude:
The Critical 11-Month Inspection
One of the most valuable things you can do as a new homeowner is schedule a professional home inspection at the 11-month mark — while you're still within the first-year warranty period. This gives you time to document and submit any remaining defects before the most comprehensive coverage expires.
Many homeowners skip this step and deeply regret it.
How Builders Try to Run Out Your Clock
Warranty delays are a documented pattern. A builder might:
Every day of delay is a day closer to your warranty expiring. This is why timestamped documentation matters so much.
Start Documenting Now
The moment you close on your home, begin documenting. Take photos of every room, every system, every exterior surface. Date everything. Keep a written log.
If you find a defect, submit it in writing immediately — not by phone call. A written record with a timestamp is your most powerful tool.
Oluso exists to make this easy. Every claim you file gets a timestamp, a unique email thread with your builder, and a permanent record that can't be disputed.
Your warranty clock is running. Start your documentation today.