Found Defects in Your New Home? Document Everything Now
To document new construction defects, photograph every visible issue: cracked tile, gaps, uneven floors, plumbing leaks: during your walkthrough and again at each warranty deadline. Your phone records the capture time, location and device details. When you certify a snap, DigiCert timestamps its digital fingerprint. Anyone can check the certified record at verify.getsnapproof.com to see whether the file matches its fingerprint.
Your builder's warranty has a deadline. Don't miss it.
5 min read
Document every defect with location and detail
Why New Construction Defects Need Immediate Documentation
Builders expect most homeowners to miss defects until it's too late. Warranty periods are short: typically one year for workmanship, two years for systems, and ten for structural. Once that window closes, you're paying out of pocket. Documentation from day one protects you.
What to Look For and Document
✓Foundation: cracks, uneven settling, water intrusion
✓Framing: uneven walls, doors that don't close properly, squeaky floors
For every defect: photograph with wide context and close-up detail, certify each photo so it has an independent timestamp, document your report to the builder (email is best: creates a paper trail), and photograph their repairs (or lack thereof). A chronological timeline of defects and builder responses is your most powerful tool.
The Builder Pushback
Builders will say it's "normal settling," "cosmetic only," or "not covered." Dated photos showing when defects appeared, how they changed, and that you reported them on time help answer these claims.
FAQ
Move-in day. Do a thorough walkthrough and photograph everything: both good condition and any defects you notice.
Yes, especially before the one-year warranty expires. But your own timestamped documentation supplements the inspection.
Your dated timeline of reported defects and the builder's responses can help a construction defect attorney review the situation.
