32. Customer Service

Congratulations!! You are moving into your home and it is an exciting time. There is one subject that needs some conversation - Your Warranty. Most homebuilders give some form of a warranty on their product, your state may require builders to have a warranty and dictate the minimum standard that they have to abide by. In general this should be a part of your conversation prior to contract, but most of us get wrapped up in the purchase and this conversation does not take place until around the end of the process. No matter, your contract documents and your closing doc's should have your warranty information included. During the homebuilding process you should ask for a copy of your builder’s customer service policies and procedures so you can review them prior to closing.

Your home, for warranty purposes is broken down into three categories. Each homebuilder has their own name but generally it is - One - Two - Ten Year Warranty. Each one corresponds to the warranty. The One Year covers those things that you can see, cabinets, flooring, drywall, faucets and light fixtures to name a few. These items you can touch and see. The Two Year covers the systems in the home; these are the plumbing pipes behind the drywall, the electrical wiring behind the drywall, your A/C duct work to name a few. You electrical plugs and outlets are generally considered one year - the P-traps under the sinks are considered on year. The last is structural warranty - this is your foundation, your framing and any thing that was engineered and should be covered for a period of Ten Year. This is a simple way of determining what is covered and for how long. Some places, things like insulation can be in the One Year or the Two Year category. Items like drainage might have a 30 day coverage or first major rain, trees are covered for 3 to 6 months depending on the tree, sod 30 days, and some items might not be covered by your homebuilder at all, like custom blinds or upgraded low voltage items. It is important to read and understand your warranty. You also need to understand how to file for service. Some homebuilders will take service request over the phone and some will not unless it is an emergency. Some might require you to fax or email them your request. What ever your homebuilder's requirement, you should always have a record of all of your service requests. Even if your homebuilder will take a service request over the phone you need to follow up with a written request by mail or fax. Never sign a service request for work that is not 100% completed.  Make sure that when something is fixed your warranty for that item should be expended. This is to ensure that an inferior item was not used and will continue to need repair. When you have your buyer introduction keep all of your manuals because the manufacturers have warranties that could be for as long as five years. No matter how great your homebuilder isand the great name brand product he uses in your home there is always a chance that your home or an item in your home will need customer service. Never do service verbally, and always make sure there is a written policy on what is covered and how to get service. Some states will dictate this for your homebuilder and make it a requirement for them to maintain their license.  Service is important, but hopefully you will have little or none.