Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 10, 2014 10:43 am Hey guys I am getting some builders quotes to build a single story house I have seen some have 7 year and some 25 and some 30 year Is it always safest to go with 30 year? Or is it a bit overkill? if nothing happens after 7 years am I right or can things still move after 7 years? Re: Structural Warranties 2Sep 10, 2014 11:53 am Devil is always in the detail. Normally the warranties beyond 6 or 7 years are only available to the intial client, it is not transferable to new owners if you sell or if it gets inherited by your kids etc. The builder still has to be in business but I think the 6 or 7 year ones are covered by Home Owners Warranty Insurance in case the builder is no longer around, I don't believe the longer period ones are covered under HOW. You have to maintain the house as outlined in the builders docs and if you miss one the complete warranty is gone. I'm sure there'd be more conditions as well - you just need to see if you will be able to meet your end to make use of it should you need. Basically when you get down to the terms and conditions of those longer warranties I'm not convinced they are much more than a marketing excercise. http://camdenbuild.blogspot.com.au/ by invite only please pm me Re: Structural Warranties 3Sep 10, 2014 12:05 pm ah ok thanks Ill be most likely renting the property out after that 7 year period anyway but Ill still own it so I guess the warranty is still there for me So what about.. if nothing has happened to the house after 7 years, is that generally a long enough time to assume the house will be fine after 25 years? Re: Structural Warranties 5Sep 10, 2014 5:14 pm Anything being offered longer than the statutory 6 year structural warranty is purely a sales gimmick. I guess if your the sort of person who always pays for the extended warranty when buying whitegoods or the like then the promise of a 25-30 year builders warranty might be for you. Re: Structural Warranties 7Sep 17, 2014 6:35 am I'm the second owner of my present house, it is past the 7 year period and Metricon have been helpful - we had slab movement, they advised on stabilising it, and fixed the cracked plaster and repainted that area. That said, it was a low cost fix for them. But still - my only cost was the landscaping change needed, which was an owner responsibility regardless. So one might get some benefit from the longer warranty, but it wouldn't factor in my decision on a builder. Land settled May '14. Building the PD Hoffman39: 5/11=site start, 13/11=slab pour, 26/11=frame complete, 10/12=roof on, 12/12=bricking started. Blog: http://jyndeira.net/blog/ Re: Structural Warranties 8Sep 17, 2014 7:20 am Seeing how difficult it is to get justice for owners whose homes have failed from slab heave (under warranty) (as B STAR pointed out) I think it would be nearly impossible (and financially prohibitive due to legal costs) to get anything done past statutory warranty (under extended contract warranty). The obvious impediment would be: why would builder carry out structural repairs(say 20 years on) if the cause of the problem is failure in building maintenance? You can bet that disclaimers and exclusions in extended warranty will put a paid to that. I agree with robbie55 and mgilla it's just marketing gimmick however if it gives you warm fuzz, other things being equal, go for it. 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: Structural Warranties 9Sep 17, 2014 2:50 pm Hi Drekko, Trusses can have issues in the longer term based on serviceability (a strange term) and long-term creep. But basically trusses with one or more of the bracing requirements voided and/or out of plumb (common), can continue to distort in time. Forces such as freak winds, light snow (hope that does not apply to you), heat, extra loads of equipment that were not designed for or passed by the engineer's eye can help cause this creeping. But an inspector who analyses the plumbness of the trusses and bracing requirements from within the roof space and looks along the tiles from the ridge could allay your fears during the warranty period and then it would not matter if you had just the normal 6.5 years warranty. (Many inspectors do not get into or on roofs so ask before you employ is my advice). But if the price does not differ what the heck as B-E says Leonardo_23 Assuming you've modelled the TB8, TB10, TB12, TB2 & J1 joists/LVLs there, it appears as per drawing to me. There maybe should be an additional J1 between TB10 and T12 if… 3 27648 interesting situation what happened after builder issued final invoice? did you list as defect or not does the building surveyor have any responsibility? ie. issuing… 13 39203 |