Specialty inspection
Your 11-Month Warranty Inspection in Phoenix, Arizona
An 11-month warranty inspection is a complete inspection of your new-build home, timed for the final weeks of your builder's one-year warranty so covered defects get documented before that window closes for good. Our team inspects the home top to bottom and gives you a written report you can hand straight to your builder as a warranty claim. After a Phoenix year of extreme heat, soil movement, and monsoon storms, most new homes reveal issues they never showed on move-in day.
Why it matters
The stakes for the buyer
Builder warranties do not renew. Most new-home warranties cover workmanship and finish for only the first year, and once that date passes, repairs that were the builder's responsibility become yours to pay for. A settling slab, a leaking window flashing, or an HVAC system that never cooled correctly can cost thousands out of pocket after month twelve. An independent inspection near month eleven gives you a documented, prioritized list while the builder is still on the hook, plus enough buffer to submit the claim before the deadline.
What the inspection covers
What our team looks at
Foundation and slab movement
We look for settling cracks, uneven floors, and separation that tend to show up after a year on Arizona's expansive soils.
Drywall, nail pops, and interior finish
We catalog cracks at corners and above doors, popped fasteners, and finish flaws that first-year settling commonly produces.
Stucco and exterior cladding
We check stucco, trim, and sealant for the hairline cracking and separation typical of Phoenix heat cycling and soil shift.
Roof, flashing, and attic
We inspect tile, underlayment, penetrations, and flashing for installation defects and early leaks before monsoon season exposes them.
HVAC performance and cooling
We verify the system is heating and cooling as it should, since an undersized or poorly installed unit struggles most through its first desert summer.
Plumbing and water intrusion
We run fixtures and check under sinks, at the water heater, and around windows and doors for leaks, drips, and grading that pushes water toward the home.
Doors, windows, and operation
We test operation, seals, and weatherstripping on doors and windows that often bind or gap once framing has settled.
How it works
On the day
The inspection follows the same thorough process as any full home inspection, adapted to what a new-build home reveals after a year of use. Your inspector examines the structure, roof, exterior, attic, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and interior finishes, operating systems and fixtures along the way and documenting anything that appears to be a workmanship or material defect. You receive a written report organized so you can transfer the findings directly onto your builder's warranty claim form. The visit is best scheduled around month eleven, which leaves time to review the report and file before the one-year warranty expires.
My inspection was very thorough, the warranties and 5yr roof protection plan are awesome, also Bob was super professional and friendly. This is my first home, but I shared the report with my parents who have owned multiple homes and they were very impressed. I highly recommend AZ Home Inspection Services, especially for first time homeowners!
Straight about scope
What this covers, and what it does not
- This is a visual, non-invasive inspection. Our team does not open walls, remove finishes, or dismantle systems, so concealed defects may not be visible.
- We do not file the warranty claim or negotiate with your builder for you. The report gives you the documentation; submitting it to the builder is your step.
- An 11-month warranty inspection is not a code-compliance or municipal inspection, and it does not replace the builder's own quality checks or any inspection required by your city or lender.
- We do not guarantee the builder will approve or complete every repair. What is covered is defined by your warranty agreement, not by our report.
- This inspection is not a warranty or an insurance policy on the home. It documents conditions on the day of the visit and does not cover issues that arise later.
Questions
Common questions
When should I schedule my warranty inspection?
Schedule it around month eleven of your builder's one-year warranty. That timing, which is why it is called an 11-month warranty inspection, leaves enough buffer to review the report and submit your claim before the twelve-month coverage deadline passes.
Do I really need an inspection if my home is brand new?
Yes, because a new home reveals its first-year defects only after it has been lived in. Settling, seasonal heat, and the first monsoon season surface cracks, leaks, and system problems that were invisible at closing, and catching them now means the builder pays for the repairs instead of you.
What happens to problems found after the warranty expires?
They usually become your financial responsibility. Once the one-year workmanship warranty ends, repairs that would have been covered are typically out of pocket, which is why an independent inspection before the deadline can save you from paying for the builder's oversights.
Add 1-Year Warranty to your inspection
Tell us about the property and what prompted the concern, and you get a quote back. Residential inspections start at $285.