Time Limits for Lawsuits Against Builders

Originally Posted By: gromicko
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(June 2, 2004) – A new law limits the time period during which the buyer of a new home can sue a builder because of faulty workmanship. In Minnesota, home builders are required to provide at least a one-year warranty on a house.


Under the old law, homeowners could bring a lawsuit against a builder at any time after the warranty expired. Builders said it was hard to settle claims and obtain reasonably priced insurance because of the open-ended nature of their liability. The new law (H.F. 730) gives homeowners a 10-year period in which to discover a problem and file suit against the builder.

"This is a fair law," says James Vagle, director of government affairs at the Builders Association of Minnesota. "It provides clarity to builders and homeowners so they can resolve disputes."

NACHI successfully got a similar but much better 2-year limit law passed in PA in 2002 to protect home inspectors.