I would tell them to get a 11 month anniversary inspection and check it then. If it’s still an issue they should be able to go back on the builder as everything including the lawn and grade is normally covered under the 12 month warranty.
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Excellent! Inspectors should do this since it can cost a lot later to correct. I write it up all the way to the street if it blocks drainage. Then on the side I make sure to explain, not in the report, it can be expensive to correct and the Builder most likely will not unless you point it out to them now.
Can’t say about your area but the only thing Builders here cover in their actual warranty for the first year is grading and drainage deficiencies. Even that typically only extends out 5’ from the home even though our grading schemes here cover the entire lot because of their small sizes. Loss of sod is typically pushed back on the homeowner as improper maintenance or wear and tear or not even covered under the warranty in any form.
If a proper final grade of the soil has been established, grass or sod cannot affect the drainage around the home.
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Have you ever seen sod that wasn’t properly rolled in? Have you ever seen sod that has been totally trampled to death? Can you see below sod to determine what is there and how it might affect the grading later? Do you inspect homes built on highly expansive soils?
Watch out! The all righteous MB police will accuse you of giving “a wink & a nod” then question if you do that on every inspection.
Ahh, F 'em.
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I find improper drainage between the homes on almost every new construction I inspect. Grade of the swale between the homes is never continuous to the designed drainage system (storm drains at street). There is always a low area to hold water.
I recommend the client to review the designed site plan drainage for the lot. The builder usually can’t or doesn’t want to produce this document so the often just regrade.
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Grading/drainage caused by improper foundation elevation is super common. Foundation doesn’t stick high enough out of the ground so when the right clearance to the siding is created it results in reverse grade. I regularly tell people the AHJs are good at fire/life/safety, but don’t care so much if no one’s going to die.
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Don’t you mean all the “High and Mighty Landscapers” that install sod, and question our abilities because we likely don’t install sod for a living?!
They’re just another category of dumbass contractor that provide us with another source of revenue from their frequent f*ck-ups!!
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Yep on the response!
I’ve pissed off plenty of Builders doing it on all inspections.
I can’t recall the last home that had at least one side or rear swale (rear yard) that was not hosed. Plenty of that winds up being poor sod application.
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I absolutely call out negative grade and I also blame the builder for their laziness, even for Sod. I don’t care if it’s SOP. My buyer wants to know.
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Thanks to those of you that responded with serious thoughtful answers.
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Nice gloves! 
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Nice catch on the debris under the sod Bert!
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This is an interesting thread. Here in FL most of the builders put down what they call Bahia, but it is really pasture grass. The closest (and cheapest) “sod farm” here is just miles of cow pasture they’ve started harvesting grass from.
There is absolutely zero interest by the sod farm to lay it down properly either. Most contracts with builders also have exclusions on the landscaping. There is no warranty or guarantee.
Biggest thing is grade as many have said. But if the local town code enforcement has approved the grading report from the surveyors final inspection, then no builder is going to do anything more to correct anything.
A neighbor just down the road spent $5k to replace their lawn. The house was only built 2 years ago. Other new homes haven’t replaced their lawns and they still look terrible.
Builders have found a loophole they can exploit to save money here. And it seems there’s nothing the homeowner can do about it other than repair it themselves. As long as this remains a low inventory market… there is no reason to change.
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