What Is an 11-Month Builder Warranty Inspection?
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- What Is an 11-Month Builder Warranty Inspection?
An 11 month warranty inspection is a full home inspection of a new home performed in the eleventh month of ownership, before the typical one-year builder workmanship warranty expires. The inspector documents defects that have appeared as the home settled through a year of North Texas weather, and you submit the report to the builder for repair under warranty.
Why an 11 month warranty inspection happens in month 11
Many builders provide a workmanship warranty on a new home that runs for the first year, alongside longer coverage for certain systems and the structure. Terms vary by builder, so read your own warranty documents, but the one-year mark is the common cutoff for the broadest coverage. After that date, many of the items the builder would have fixed for free become your expense.
Month eleven is the practical deadline. It leaves time to inspect the home, organize the findings, submit them to the builder’s warranty department, and have the request on record before the anniversary. Waiting until the last week of month twelve risks a scheduling problem turning into a missed deadline.
That timing is the whole reason The Smart Inspector offers this as a dedicated service: inspect in month eleven so the repairs land on the builder’s side of the ledger rather than yours.
What a year of North Texas does to a new home
A new home at closing has never been through a full cycle of seasons. By month eleven it has, and North Texas puts a house through more than most places.
Much of the Metroplex sits on expansive clay soil that swells when it rains and shrinks when it dries. A new slab and the soil beneath it go through that cycle for the first time during your first year, and the result shows up as drywall cracks at corners of doors and windows, doors that no longer latch, gaps at trim, and sometimes cracks in brick or at the slab edge. Some of this is ordinary settling. Some of it is not, and the inspector’s job is to tell the difference.
The HVAC system has now run through a full summer. Ductwork that was marginally sealed has been pushing cooled air into the attic for months, condensate lines have had a chance to clog, and any undersized return becomes obvious. The roof has been through at least one spring storm season, and hail can loosen shingles or dent vents and flashing on a roof that was perfect at closing. Plumbing connections that were barely snug have had a year of pressure and thermal movement to start weeping.
What the inspector documents
The 11 month warranty inspection is a full TREC-scope home inspection, the same one a buyer of the home would receive, performed by a TREC-licensed Professional Inspector. Our inspectors bring the same picky attention to a one-year-old house that they bring to a fifty-year-old one, with particular focus on what a year of use tends to reveal.
- Foundation and structure: cracks in drywall, brick and slab, doors and windows out of square, separation at trim and caulk joints
- Roof covering, flashing and penetrations, checked from the roof where safe and from inside the attic, including storm and hail damage
- Attic insulation coverage and depth, ventilation, and any moisture staining on the roof deck
- HVAC operation in heating and cooling modes, duct connections, condensate drainage and return-air performance
- Plumbing: every fixture, supply and drain connections, water heater, evidence of leaks under sinks and at the slab, exterior hose bibs
- Electrical: outlets tested, GFCI and AFCI protection, panel condition, fixtures and switches
- Windows and doors: operation, seals, weatherstripping, and moisture at sills
- Grading, drainage and landscaping settlement that now directs water toward the foundation
- Appliances, garage door safety features, and any sprinkler system if added as an add-on
Every finding is photographed and explained in a same-day web report on the TREC form, and the inspector walks you through it at the house. The report is organized so the warranty department can act on it item by item.
Thermal imaging for insulation and moisture
Thermal imaging earns its place on an 11 month warranty inspection. Missing or thin insulation is one of the most common new-construction defects, and after a year of energy bills you may already suspect it. On the infrared camera, uninsulated bays and thin spots show up as clear temperature patterns on ceilings and exterior walls, which gives the builder a specific location to fix rather than a general complaint.
Moisture is the other target. A slow leak at a plumbing fitting, a window that was not flashed correctly, or a roof penetration that opened up in a storm may not have stained a ceiling yet, but the evaporating moisture cools the surface and the camera sees the difference. Finding that in month eleven, while it is the builder’s responsibility, is very different from finding it in year three.
Included: The Smart Inspector performs complimentary thermal imaging on every inspection, and the infrared images go into your report next to the standard photos so the builder can see exactly where the problem is.
How to submit the report to your builder
- Read your warranty documents first. Find the workmanship warranty end date, the claim procedure, and whether claims must be submitted in writing or through a portal. Builders differ.
- Book the inspection in month ten or early in month eleven. That leaves time for the inspection, the report and the builder’s response before the deadline. You can select 1-Year Builder Warranty as the inspection type when you book online.
- Attend the walkthrough. The inspector reviews every finding with you at the house so you understand what is a warranty item, what is normal settling, and what is homeowner maintenance.
- Submit the report in full, the way the warranty requires. Our web report is easy to forward. Include the photos and thermal images; they make the location and severity of each item clear and reduce back-and-forth.
- Keep a dated copy. Save the submission confirmation and the report together. The submission date, not the repair date, is what usually matters for coverage.
- Follow up on the repairs. Once the builder has completed the work, a re-inspection confirms each item was actually corrected.
What the 1-year warranty report looks like
The Smart Inspector publishes a sample 1-Year Warranty Inspection report on the Sample Inspections page. It is worth reading before you book, both to see what the inspection covers and to show your builder’s warranty department the format they will receive. Our page on what a good home inspection report looks like explains how to read it.
Is it worth it if the house seems fine?
This is the most common hesitation, and it is understandable. The house is new, nothing obvious is wrong, and an 11 month warranty inspection costs money. The answer is that the problems worth finding in month eleven are, almost by definition, the ones you cannot see. Insulation gaps in the attic, a duct that has separated above a closet, a slow leak inside a wall, flashing that lifted in a storm: none of these announce themselves until the damage is done, and by then the warranty may have expired.
Consider: the same defect costs the builder a warranty repair in month eleven and costs you a contractor in month thirteen. The inspection is what moves it from the second column to the first.
There is also value in the record itself. A dated, photographed report from month eleven shows the condition of the home at the end of the warranty period, which is useful if a dispute comes up later about when a problem started.
Booking an 11 month warranty inspection in DFW
The Smart Inspector performs 11-month builder warranty inspections throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, from the new-build corridors of Celina, Prosper, Frisco and McKinney to communities across Tarrant, Dallas, Ellis and Johnson counties. Every inspection is performed by a TREC-licensed Professional Inspector, includes complimentary thermal imaging, and comes with a same-day report and an in-person walkthrough.
Pricing depends on the home’s square footage and any add-ons, such as a sprinkler inspection at +$50 or a pool inspection at +$100. Use the Get a Quote form for a number, book online and select the 1-Year Builder Warranty option, or call (817) 842-0330. If you also skipped the final inspection at closing, our overview of whether new construction homes need an inspection explains how the three inspection points fit together.
Frequently asked questions
Is an 11-month warranty inspection the same as a 1-year warranty inspection?
Yes. The names refer to the same service. It is called an 11-month inspection because that is when it should happen, and a 1-year or one-year warranty inspection because that is the warranty it is timed to. On our booking form the option is listed as 1-Year Builder Warranty Inspection, and the sample report is titled 1-Year Warranty Inspection.
What if my builder's warranty is longer or shorter than one year?
Read your warranty documents and schedule the inspection about a month before the workmanship coverage ends, whatever that date is. One year is common for workmanship, but builders often provide longer coverage for major systems and the structure, and some terms differ. If you are unsure, call the builder's warranty department and ask for the end date in writing before you book.
Will the builder fix everything the 11-month inspection finds?
The builder is responsible for items covered by the warranty terms, which typically include defects in workmanship and materials but exclude normal wear, homeowner maintenance and cosmetic settling within stated tolerances. Our inspector tells you during the walkthrough which findings are likely warranty items and which are maintenance, so you can submit a focused list and know what to expect.
Should I be home for the 11-month warranty inspection?
It helps. You know the house now, so you can point out the door that sticks in summer or the room that never cools, and the inspector can explain each finding on the spot. If you cannot attend, the inspector reviews the report with you by phone the same day. Either way, make sure the attic access and all utilities are available.
Can I add a sewer scope or sprinkler check to the 11-month inspection?
Yes. Add-ons can be booked on the same visit: sprinkler inspection at +$50, sewer scope at +$300, pool inspection at +$100, and others listed on the booking form. On a new home, the sprinkler inspection is often worth it, since heads that spray the siding or the foundation are a common installation issue and are usually a warranty item.
Ready to schedule? Every inspection includes complimentary thermal imaging, a same-day report and an in-person walkthrough.