New home construction is big business in Texas. According to a report issued by Texas A&M University, from 2000 through 2007 over 1,000,000 new homes were built in the State of Texas. In the year 2007 alone, it has been estimated that on average 10,000 new homes were built each month in Texas.
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While no home is perfect, even a newly-constructed home, many of the problems that homeowners encounter during the new home construction process occur with surprising regularity. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders and the American Society of Home Inspectors, the most common problems associated with new home construction fall into a few identifiable categories: roofing, ventilation, flashing, grading and site drainage, and building code violations.
Roofing
Improper roofing is a common area of defects in new home construction and can result in substantial losses due to water intrusion and leakage. Thirty-two percent of inspectors surveyed found that inadequate nailing kept roofing from meeting manufacturer's specifications. Absent or missing felt, exposed nails, and absence of a drip edge are among the other roofing problems continually found by inspectors. Inspectors also routinely encounter design problems, such as roof valleys that dead-end at walls, and improper roof slope. Any of these items can result in substantial losses due to water intrusion and leakage and drastically decrease a home's resale value.
Flashing
Another often-cited area of defects in new home construction is flashing, which includes the metal strips used to keep water from penetrating into one surface from another. Inadequate or missing flashing is most often found near chimneys, as well on other areas of roofs, wood decks, windows and doors. Ninety-two percent of the inspectors surveyed in the National Association of Home Builders and the American Society of Home Inspectors Survey stated that improper installation was the most common cause of flashing problems.
Drainage
Grading and site drainage problems, which can lead to foundation problems, are also routinely reported by new home inspectors. These defects typically consist of a builder constructing a home in a way that surface water to drains toward the home, instead of away from the home's foundation.
Ventilation
Additionally, ventilation problems, which can lead to mold and other moisture related problems, are a typical source of new home defects. These problems are typically found in the attic, roof, kitchen, and bathroom areas of a home and usually consist of improper exhaust fan venting, improperly sized ducts, and blocked ducting.
Codes
Many newly-constructed homes also contain building code violations. Inspectors surveyed in the National Association of Home Builders and the American Society of Home Inspectors Survey cited violations of building codes as a common problem with new home construction. The most common building code violations involve ungrounded electrical outlets, loose wiring, chimney flues too close to a combustible material, inadequate flashing, and inadequately installed water heater relief valve pipes. Any one of these defects could pose a serious risk to the safety of a home and its occupants.
Disputes Involving Sellers, Developers, Builders, or Contractors
Constructing a new home is a major investment, both financially and in the time it takes to progress along each step of the construction process. New home construction also contains one additional major investment - the trust placed in the developer, contractor, and builder. When the new home construction process breaks down at any phase, the new home construction attorneys at CPT can help.
