Your new Austin home's first-year checklist

Document from day one

Warranty claims live or die on documentation and dates, so photograph everything and email rather than call.

• Photograph cracks with a date and a reference object for scale.
• Keep a running list rather than reporting items one at a time.
• Submit the list well before the one-year mark, not on the last day.

What actually shows up in year one

Austin's wet-dry swing accelerates normal settling, so the first summer reveals most of it.

• Nail pops and drywall seam cracks, especially above doors.
• Caulk separating at baseboards, tubs and countertops.
• Doors that no longer latch as framing dries.
• Grout hairlines in showers and tile floors.
• HVAC rooms that never reach setpoint, which is a balancing issue.
• Grading that settled and now slopes toward the slab.

The items your builder will not remind you of

Warranty covers defects, not maintenance. Filters, water heater flushing, gutter clearing and foundation watering all start in year one and belong to you from the first month.

Questions we get

How long is a builder warranty in Texas?

Typically one year on workmanship, two years on systems, and ten years on major structural items, though the exact terms are in your contract and vary by builder.

Should I get an independent one-year inspection?

Yes. A few hundred dollars for an inspector who does not work for the builder routinely surfaces items that would otherwise become your expense in month thirteen.

Do new homes need foundation watering?

They do, and often more than established homes, because the landscaping has not matured and the backfilled soil around a new slab is still settling.

Keep reading

• Foundation watering in Austin clay soil · Foundation
• Drainage and grading after an Austin storm · Exterior
• Maintenance records and your Austin home's value · Selling