Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Sep 28, 2014 12:55 am hi all we have recently discovered we have around 10 cracked tiles in our roof,one which cause some water damage in heavy rain last week,we contacted builder and they are saying not their responsibility after handover,but since we've had no one on our roof and haven't had hail to damage them who is at fault can anyone inform us? thanks Re: cracked roof tiles 4 months after handover 2Sep 28, 2014 10:04 am Was this the first heavy rain you've had since handover? That's when you normally find your first leak. I'm sure you didn't get up on the roof at handover to check for cracked tiles. It's the builders responsibility to rectify the water damage and the cracked tiles given nobody else has been up there since. They were most likely cracked by one or several of the builders tradies clomping around on the roof after or during installation. Completed a knock down and rebuild in northern Melbourne. Handover completed 27/09/2013 and now moved in. Re: cracked roof tiles 4 months after handover 4Sep 28, 2014 1:22 pm It IS their problem after handover. You are covered for defects. What warranty period do you have? 3 months? 6 months? It is unreasonable to expect that 4 months after handover your roof leaks and the builder NOT be liable. You may not have noticed the leak previously (it can leak into the roof space and dry up without penetrating the ceiling) and it could be worth looking for evidence of old dried water stains to support a claim that it has always been leaking. The only problem you have is proving you did not cause the damage to the tiles yourselves. If you can show it has been leaking for some time then you have more ammunition. Regardless I'd be sticking to my guns and stating that this is a building defect and that they are obliged to rectify the tiles and damage to your property as per current building legislation. To try and back out of liability after four months of occupation is a stretch.... Completed a knock down and rebuild in northern Melbourne. Handover completed 27/09/2013 and now moved in. Re: cracked roof tiles 4 months after handover 5Sep 28, 2014 1:29 pm wildways hi thanks for that,we have said this and they are saying not their problem after handover,its the second big rain ,but this one came from a different direction Roof leaks can be difficult to find, cracked tiles or not and as you mention this one is a result of rain from different direction. This is why I do thermal imaging scan at pre final inspection, it will show any ceiling insulation gaps and also damp ceilings from roof leaks if any. You can see thermal images of roof leaks detected on my blogs. I probably would have found this one before you knew you had it. Did you have your inspector for a pre final and if so why isn't he helping you with the builder? Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: cracked roof tiles 4 months after handover 6Sep 28, 2014 7:00 pm hi building expert no we didn't use a building inspector,its our first build and made only a few mistakes,would of presumed something like this was covered by warranty. when roof was laid we could see all the cracked tiles ( light getting in ) and informed supervisor who said that was normal and all would be fixed ,which most were after ceiling was put up so i never thought to check again. we did sign form on handover saying roof was fine but never went into attic to check ( good faith in builder ) but after leak i went up and have spotted at least 8-10 more cracked tiles Re: cracked roof tiles 4 months after handover 8Sep 29, 2014 9:19 am You are covered under builder's warranty for defects and cracked tiles are defects, however you are not covered against builder who is trying to ignore you, bluff, fob you off or intimidate. I would recommend you have your home professionally inspected because there may be other defects that you are not aware off and get your inspector to support you in your dealing with the builder. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: cracked roof tiles 4 months after handover 9Sep 29, 2014 2:12 pm wildways hi thanks for that,we have said this and they are saying not their problem after handover You are getting the usual builder fob-off, they think you will roll over and go away. start making written demands for rectification, keep all reocrds of phone calls and letters, contact the state based Builders board and make a complaint if the builder does nothing. Meanwhile get the leak patched up temporarily with silicone or something? Re: cracked roof tiles 4 months after handover 10Oct 06, 2014 10:03 pm Ask the builder if a roof inspection was completed by the supplier prior to handover. I used to order these and identified to us straight away if they witnessed any damage tiles, incomplete flashings etc. it was a handy report that would be kept on file just in case. You have to appreciate that you wouldn't be the first client coming back months after with a water leak - I've heard heaps of times about careless antenna installers cracking tiles and not saying a thing. I suppose if you can show that there is nothing additional on your roof post handover, the builder could re look at this for you? It's not everyday you jump on your roof! Keep persisting!! This certainly doesn't look good. I would be engaging with an independent inspector to have a look at this. 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