What should I check in my house before the builder's warranty runs out?
Walk the whole house a month or two before the first anniversary, since Virginia's implied new-home warranty runs one year from the date title transferred or you took possession, whichever came first, and five years for foundation defects. Check drywall, doors, windows, floors, trim, caulk, plumbing, heating and cooling, grading and drainage, list every defect with photos, and send the builder written notice with a receipt.
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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Find your dates
Look up the date title transferred and the date you moved in, take the earlier one, and mark the first anniversary on a calendar.[1]
Step 2: Read the written warranty
Read the builder's own warranty booklet for what it covers, how long, and how it wants claims sent.
Step 3: Book the walk-through early
Do the check two months before the anniversary so there is time for a second look and for written notice.
Step 4: Check walls and ceilings
In good light, look for nail pops, joint cracks, cracks running from door and window corners, and ceiling stains.
Step 5: Work every door and window
Open, close, latch and lock each one, and note any that stick, rub, swing on their own or let in drafts.
Step 6: Walk the floors
Listen for new squeaks, look for gaps, lifted seams and cracked tile, and note any spot that feels soft or slopes.
Step 7: Look at trim, cabinets and caulk
Note open miter joints, trim pulling away, cabinet doors out of line, and gaps in caulk at tubs, showers and counters.
Step 8: Check the plumbing
Run each faucet, drain each fixture, look under every sink, and check around toilet bases and the water heater for water.
Step 9: Check heating and cooling
Note rooms that run hot or cold and supply registers with weak airflow, and look at any ducts you can see in the basement or attic.[4]
Step 10: Walk the outside
Look for soil that has settled against the foundation, downspouts that empty next to the wall, and siding, trim or caulk that has opened up.[3]
Step 11: Look at the foundation and basement
Look at exposed foundation walls, the slab and the crawlspace for cracks, damp spots, standing water or white mineral deposits.
Step 12: Write one line per defect
Write each item as room, exact spot, what is wrong and when you first saw it, with a photo number.
Step 13: Send written notice with a receipt
Send the list to the builder by certified mail or another method that gives you a receipt, and keep a copy.[1]
Do one thorough, room-by-room check of the whole house about two months before the first anniversary of closing or move-in, list every defect with a photo, and send the list to the builder in writing with a receipt. The check covers the things that move as a new house settles (drywall, doors, windows, floors and trim), the systems (plumbing, heating and cooling), and the outside (grading, downspouts, siding and caulk).
Know your dates first
Virginia law implies a warranty in the sale of every new home. For a builder in the business, it promises the house is sufficiently free from structural defects, constructed in a workmanlike manner, and fit for habitation.[1] The statute sets the clock: "The warranty shall extend for a period of one year from the date of transfer of record title or the vendee's taking possession, whichever occurs first".[1] The warranty against structural defects in the foundation runs for five years from the same start date.[1]
Three details matter here. First, the statute's definition of a new dwelling "does not include a condominium or condominium units,"[1] so condo owners rely on the builder's written warranty. Second, the statutory warranty sits alongside the builder's own: "Such warranties are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other express or implied warranties pertaining to the dwelling or its materials or fixtures."[1] Third, a contract can waive or limit it in conspicuous capital letters, so read the purchase contract as well as the warranty booklet.[1]
Inside: what settling looks like
Most first-year defects come from the frame drying and shrinking. The USDA's Forest Products Laboratory lists them: "The most common signs of excessive shrinkage are cracks in plastered walls, truss rise, open joints, and nail pops in dry-wall construction; distortion of door openings; uneven floors; and loosening of joints and fastenings."[2] Use that sentence as your inside checklist. For why it happens, see why new houses have so many punch-list items.
Walls and ceilings. Look in raking light, with a lamp or the sun across the surface, for nail pops, joint cracks, cracks running from the corners of doors and windows, and gaps where walls meet ceilings.
Doors and windows. Each should open and close without rubbing, latch without a push, and lock. A door that swings open or shut on its own, or a gap that has grown along the top of a door, is worth listing.
Floors. New squeaks, gaps between boards, lifted seams in vinyl, cracked tile or grout, and any spot that feels soft or slopes.
Trim, cabinets and caulk. Open miter joints, baseboard pulling away from the wall, cabinet doors out of line, and gaps in the caulk at tubs, showers, sinks and counters.
Systems
Plumbing. Run every faucet hot and cold, drain every sink and tub, flush every toilet, and look under each sink and around toilet bases for water or stains. Look around the water heater for drips, without touching its controls.
Heating and cooling. ENERGY STAR lists "Hot and cold rooms; uneven temperature between rooms" among the common problems that point to ducts or insulation.[4] For ducts you can see in a basement, crawlspace or attic, its advice is: "Look for cracks, kinks, loose air supply boots or missing insulation".[4] Note any room that never quite reaches the thermostat setting and any register with weak airflow.
Outside
Soil backfilled around a new foundation can settle after you move in. Northern Virginia's soil and water conservation district advises: "Land around your house should slope away from foundation walls."[3] It adds: "Ideally, a 5% grade should be maintained for a distance of ten feet around your home."[3] Look for low spots and soil sitting against the siding, downspouts that empty next to the wall, and splash blocks that have sunk. The district also says: "Inspect the outside of the gutters and downspouts for streaks or watermarks and look for erosion along the drip line."[3]
Walk the walls for siding that has buckled or opened, trim and caulk joints that have pulled apart, and cracks in the walks, driveway and stoop. Look at the roof from the ground only.
Foundation, basement and crawlspace. Look at exposed foundation walls and the slab for cracks, damp spots and white mineral deposits, and in a crawlspace, if you can see in safely from the access, for standing water or wet insulation.
A second set of eyes
An inspector will see things in the attic, crawlspace and systems that are easy to skip. Virginia issues a new residential structure endorsement to home inspectors who complete a training module based on the International Residential Code part of the Uniform Statewide Building Code,[5] and when such an inspector inspects a new house, the report shows the inspector's licence number followed by "NRS".[6]
Sending the claim
The Board for Contractors' advice for any contractor problem is to "address all problems or complaints directly to your contractor in writing,"[8] and the statute is specific. Before you can sue over a defect, written notice must reach the builder by certified mail, commercial overnight delivery or the U.S. Postal Service with a receipt, or by hand delivery with a receipt kept.[1] The builder then has "a reasonable period of time, not to exceed six months, to cure the defect" that the notice describes.[1] The statute also says: "Any action for its breach shall be brought within two years after the breach thereof."[1] If the builder is a licensed contractor, its Board's prohibited acts include "Failure to honor the terms and conditions of a warranty."[7] For how the deadlines apply to your house, ask a real estate attorney.
Stop and call a pro if
- Water is coming in: through the foundation, around a window, from the roof or from a plumbing line.
- Cracks in the foundation or slab are new or growing, several doors on one floor stick at once, or floors slope.
- You smell gas, or an outlet, switch or breaker is warm, buzzing or scorched.
- The heating or cooling system runs constantly without keeping up, or a fuel-burning appliance smells or shows soot.
After the warranty
What the builder does not cover becomes ordinary upkeep; see the yearly home maintenance checklist and how to make a punch list. You can find handyman businesses around Blacksburg or read the other handyman answers. When you are ready, describe what is left once and local businesses quote it.
Common questions
- How long is a builder's warranty in Virginia?
- Virginia law implies a warranty on a new home for one year from the date title transferred or you took possession, whichever came first, and five years for structural defects in the foundation. Your builder's written warranty may add coverage on top of that, so read both.
- Does Virginia's new-home warranty cover condos?
- No. The statute's definition of a new dwelling does not include a condominium or condominium units. A condo buyer should look to the builder's written warranty and the purchase contract.
- Is an email to the builder enough notice?
- For the statute's warranty claim, Virginia requires written notice sent by certified mail, commercial overnight delivery or the Postal Service with a receipt, or hand delivered with a receipt kept. Email the builder's warranty desk too if it asks for that, but keep the receipted letter.
- Should I hire a home inspector before the warranty ends?
- It is often worth it, because an inspector looks at the attic, crawlspace and systems that are easy to skip. For a new house, look for an inspector whose report shows the NRS designation for new residential structures.
- What if the builder will not fix warranty items?
- Put the request in writing and keep copies. If the builder is a licensed contractor, failing to honor a warranty is a prohibited act under the Board for Contractors' rules, and you can file a written complaint with the Board. For a claim under the statute, talk to a real estate attorney about the deadlines.
- Should I fix small items myself before the warranty visit?
- Usually not. Leave cracks, nail pops and sticking doors as they are until the builder has seen them, so there is no question what was there. Touch up what remains once the warranty work is done.
Sources
- [1] Va. Code § 55.1-357, Implied warranties on new homes, Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [2] Wood Handbook, Chapter 13: Drying and Control of Moisture Content and Dimensional Changes (FPL-GTR-190), Forest Products Laboratory, USDA Forest Service. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [3] Gutters and Downspouts: Wetness or Erosion Problems, Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Fairfax County. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [4] Identify the Problems You Want to Fix, ENERGY STAR, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [5] Va. Code § 54.1-517.2, Requirements for licensure (Home Inspectors), Code of Virginia, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [6] 18VAC15-40-130, Home inspection report, Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [7] 18VAC50-22-260, Filing of charges; prohibited acts (Board for Contractors Regulations), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [8] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor (2017), Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
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