We’ve been getting quite a few 1 year warranty new home builder inspections here in southwest Florida. We’ve been using the standard presale home inspection template from Spectora. Does anyone have a template we could use specifically for 1 year builder warranty new home inspections? Or any advice on how to adjust the presale inspection template to better reflect the 1 year builder warranty inspection?
I use a pre-inspection agreement that does not contain the term “pre-sale”. Therefore, I am able to use it for 1 yr warranty, pre-listing etc. I use the same SoP and reporting template for all the above.
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Here in Florida these were a staple for me and since I knew exactly when it was permitted I also knew what version of the code applied… so this was the one inspection report where cited chapter & verse of the code were I to find defects which applied. Back then all of the major developers belonged to the NAHB which used the Residential Construction Performance Guidelines book which I also cited letting them also know that I knew the standards they were expected to meet. I treated these jobs more like construction inspections as opposed to SOP home inspections so I had to design my own report template. Most of the time my clients were attempting to get the builder back in to perform some kind of repair and was looking for someone who could help them in their endeavor.
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Then you Brian!
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That makes sense, thank you Joseph!
I use Spectora as well.
My recommendation is to simply duplicate your presale template and rename it to your 11th Month Warranty Template (or whatever you’d like) and then take the time to go through it line by line and setting by setting to remove wording geared towards buyers and change it to be tailored to homeowners. This way the template has the same feel and setup as the presale one you already use all the time and you don’t have two totally different templates to forage through for comments or recommendations.
When you’re viewing your template in Spectora, at the top of the screen next to the link for Template Center you’ll see the three vertical dots, click this and select ‘Template Settings’. You can then change things like your report header text and display options to make it more suited for a warranty inspection.
For example, I modified wording in my presale template header text where I mention getting repairs done before closing or during the inspection period to just state that I recommend repairs are done by a licensed Arizona contractor.
From there, just review each section of the template to tweak it for a warranty inspection instead of a buyer inspection. It might take some time, but I’m sure it’ll take less time than borrowing someone else’s template to totally re-do to fit your narratives and report style.
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Daniel that is very helpful. Can I ask, did you do the exact same inspection for both types of report, over time? Or did you develop a better process that made it more efficient and useful for you and the customer?
I do the same inspection since Arizona requires a home inspection to include certain things regardless of what type of inspection it is. Like I mentioned earlier, though, even though the reports look the same, the wording in headers or informational sections is tailored to the client type.
I follow the same routine and look at the same things, and the reports are very similar. The only differences in my process is in my discussions with my clients. For warranty inspections I start by asking if there are any particular concerns they have that prompted them to call a home inspector. This way if there’s something that they’re worried about I can spend a little extra time looking at it, and I also get a heads up that there’s something about the home that’s bothering them that I need to make sure I address. Usually, it ends up being a normal condition and I’m able to calm their concerns. If it’s something that’s definitely a concern, I get more pics than normal and write it up appropriately.
I also spend time during the review discussing the process with them on contacting their builder, what’s typically covered in their warranty, and what to expect from the builder’s inspector. I find most of this info on builder’s websites and share what I learn from others’ experiences. For example, a friend of mine bought a brand new DR Horton home three years ago, and the builder’s inspector is just now getting around to scheduling the 1-year inspections.
I also go over maintenance suggestions a bit more with them and explain how they can preserve value in their home by keeping a good maintenance schedule, and I point out on my walkthrough what’s normal and what to look out for.
These 11th Month Warranty inspections are much better for referrals than a buyer’s inspection because often times they’re in new neighborhoods with a lot of new homes and word of mouth spreads pretty quickly. So I do my best to treat these clients like gold.
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Yes I understand. Thank you very much this has been very helpful!
Another question I forgot to ask, in that case, do you price the builder warranty inspection same as the presale inspection?
As most have said i use the same template i would use for a pre sale inspection. The wording is changed slightly for the introduction to convey the 11 month warranty aspect of the inspection, but that is all. Pricing is the same also.