11th Month Warranty Inspection

Footprints Property Inspections helps you find what your builder still owes you with an 11-month builder's warranty inspection, with every item documented and ready to submit before your warranty runs out. Serving new homes across Summit, Medina, and the surrounding counties.

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11th Month Warranty Inspection
InterNACHI Certified Master InspectorASHI Certified Inspector

Catching builder shortcuts before your warranty expires

Your builder's warranty is the one window where fixing a construction mistake is their bill, not yours. Once it closes, a roof leak or a missing run of attic insulation becomes your problem to pay for. In Northeast Ohio new builds, the items we find most often after the first year are drainage and grading problems, foundation cracks from freeze-thaw pressure, HVAC shortcomings that weren't obvious during warmer months at closing, missing attic insulation, and exhaust fans that don't vent outside.

Footprints inspects your home in its 11th month the same way we would inspect a home you were about to buy: roof, attic, foundation, structure, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, and the exterior, top to bottom. You end up with one complete list while the builder is still responsible for it.

What a full year of Northeast Ohio weather reveals

At closing, your house had never been through a winter here. By month eleven it has. Heavy snow melt, spring rain, and a high water table give every new home in this area a real test, and the first year is when weak spots show up: backfill settling next to the foundation and tipping water toward it, gutters and downspouts that overflow, flashing that lets water in around a window or a deck.

A full heating season also dries out new framing lumber, which is often when nail pops and small drywall cracks appear. The 11th month inspection is timed to look at your home after it has lived through all of that, not before.

When the builder swears everything is up to code

It is a common worry. You raise a concern and hear that the house passed every inspection. Passing code means the home met minimum standards at specific points during construction. It does not mean every shingle was fastened correctly, every bathroom fan vents outside, or every piece of trim was finished.

The city's inspector checks code. Your inspector looks at the quality of the work too. Footprints is hired by you and works independently of your builder, so the report reflects what we actually find in your home, not what keeps a builder relationship comfortable. Every 11-month inspection is led by an InterNACHI Certified Master Inspector who is also ASHI certified, with more than 13 years of inspecting homes across Northeast Ohio.

A repair list your builder can act on

"Some things seem off" is easy for a warranty department to set aside. A specific, photographed list is much harder to ignore. Your report arrives within 24 hours, with photos and notes showing where each issue is and what it looks like.

If you are home when the inspection wraps up, your inspector walks you through the safety and defective items in person, so you know which ones to push hardest on. Then you send the report to your builder as your warranty request, in writing, with the evidence attached.

Hiring an inspector before the 1-year warranty is up

Most new home builder warranties follow a 1-2-10 structure: one year on workmanship, two years on mechanical systems, and ten years on structural. The first window is the shortest and covers the most, which is why the 11th month matters. Timing is everything with this inspection. Here is how it works. First, check your closing paperwork for the date your workmanship warranty ends and how your builder wants requests submitted. Then book your inspection for around month ten or eleven, which leaves room to send the list and for the builder to schedule repairs before the deadline.

Footprints inspects the home, reviews the key findings with you on site if you are there, and delivers the full report within 24 hours. Waiting until the last week puts you up against the calendar. Booking early keeps the leverage on your side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an 11th month warranty inspection worth it on a brand new home?

For most new homeowners, yes. A new home has had a year of settling, weather, and daily use, and builder mistakes that were hidden at closing often show up by now. Anything found while your warranty is active is generally the builder's to repair. Once it expires, the same repair is usually yours. One inspection that produces a documented list is a small cost compared with paying for a roof leak or a drainage problem out of pocket later.

When should I schedule my 11th month inspection?

Aim for month ten or early in month eleven. That gives you time to receive the report, send it to your builder, and have the builder respond before your warranty ends. Check your closing documents for the exact end date and any rules about how warranty requests must be submitted. Footprints delivers the report within 24 hours of the inspection, so the inspection itself will not eat into your window.

I had an inspection before closing. Do I still need an 11th month inspection?

They catch different things. An inspection before closing sees a home no one has lived in yet. By month eleven, your house has been through a Northeast Ohio winter and spring, the framing has dried out, and the soil around the foundation has settled. Problems with drainage, roof flashing, drywall cracking, and doors that no longer close right tend to show up in that first year, after the earlier inspection could have seen them.

What if my builder says an item meets code and won't fix it?

It happens. Some items are code issues and others are workmanship, and your warranty paperwork spells out what the builder covers. What your Footprints report gives you is a photographed, specific description of each item and where it is, so you are discussing a documented condition rather than a general complaint. That puts you in a much stronger position, whatever the builder decides.

Do I need to be home during the inspection?

You do not have to be, but it helps. When you are there at the end, your inspector walks you through the safety and defective items in person, shows you where they are, and answers your questions while you are standing in front of them. If you cannot make it, you still receive the full written report with photos within 24 hours, and Footprints follows up afterward to answer any questions.

Is an inspection still worth it if my one-year warranty already ended?

Often, yes. Most builder warranties follow a 1-2-10 structure, so workmanship coverage ends at one year, but mechanical systems are typically covered for two and structural items for ten. An inspection after month twelve can still document items that fall under those longer windows. Check your warranty paperwork for what's covered and how to submit, and book as soon as you can, because the next deadline is still running.

Service Areas

  • Summit County (Akron, Copley, Fairlawn, Bath)
  • Medina County (Medina, Wadsworth, Brunswick)
  • Portage County (Kent, Ravenna, Streetsboro)
  • Stark County (Canton, North Canton, Green)
  • Cuyahoga, Lorain, and Geauga Counties

Business Hours

Mon - Sun 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Warranty Ending Soon?

We typically respond within one business day.

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(330) 760-2245
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