11-Month Warranty Inspection in Forest City, NC
If you bought a newly built home in Forest City, Alexander Mills, or elsewhere in Rutherford County, your builder’s warranty likely covers the first year — and once it expires, any defects that surface afterward become your responsibility, not the builder’s. An 11-month warranty inspection is an independent review of your home, timed to give you documentation of any issues while the builder is still obligated to address them.
What Is an 11-Month Warranty Inspection?
Most builder warranties cover a new home for its first year, with a window for the homeowner to report defects before that coverage ends. An 11-month inspection is scheduled near the end of that first year — close enough to your move-in date that you’ve lived in the home through a season or more, but early enough that you still have time to report findings and request repairs before the warranty closes out. Waiting until the warranty has already expired means any issues found afterward are yours to pay for.
Why Timing Matters
A year of living in a home reveals things a walkthrough at closing can’t — how the HVAC performs across a full heating and cooling season, whether doors and windows have settled out of alignment, whether drywall seams have cracked, or whether drainage around the foundation is working the way it should. Scheduling your inspection with real time to spare before the one-year mark gives you room to document issues, get them in front of your builder, and follow up if repairs are needed — rather than discovering something the week the warranty runs out.
What’s Covered
An 11-month warranty inspection covers the same major systems as a standard full home inspection — roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows and doors, and interior/exterior components — with particular attention to how the home has settled and performed since move-in.
Common First-Year Issues Worth Documenting
Issues that tend to show up after a home has been lived in for a year, but not necessarily at closing, include:
- Drywall cracks or nail pops from normal settling
- Doors or windows that no longer close or seal properly
- Grading or drainage issues that appear after a season of rain
- HVAC performance issues that only show up across a full heating or cooling season
- Caulking or sealant that has shrunk, cracked, or pulled away
An inspection can’t guarantee any specific finding — every home is different — but documenting these kinds of issues while your builder’s warranty is still active is the whole point of scheduling around the 11-month mark rather than after it closes.
If your builder agrees to make repairs, our Repair Verification & Re-Inspection service can confirm the work was actually completed.
What You’ll Receive
Like every inspection we perform, you’ll get a detailed, easy-to-read report delivered within 24 hours — something you can hand directly to your builder as documentation, not just a list of vague concerns.
For Real Estate Agents: Referring an 11-Month Inspection
If you sold a new construction home to a client roughly a year ago, a friendly check-in about their builder warranty deadline is a low-effort way to stay useful after closing — and referring them to an independent inspector before that warranty expires protects your client and reflects well on you as their agent. See our real estate agent partnership page for how we work with agents on referrals like this.
Serving Forest City, Alexander Mills & Rutherford County
Whether your new construction home is in Forest City, Alexander Mills, or elsewhere in Rutherford County, scheduling works the same way. For current pricing, visit our Pricing page, or see our New Construction Inspection page if your home hasn’t closed yet and you’re looking for a pre-closing or final walkthrough inspection instead.
Schedule Your 11-Month Inspection
If your builder’s warranty is approaching its one-year mark, don’t wait until the deadline is close to act. Reach out through our Contact page or call (828) 220-5758 to schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called an “11-month” inspection instead of a 12-month inspection?
Scheduling a month early leaves you time to get the report, submit findings to your builder, and follow up before the one-year warranty actually closes — rather than reporting an issue on the last possible day.
What if my warranty is about to expire and I haven’t scheduled yet?
Reach out as soon as possible — an inspection completed before your warranty closes is still worth scheduling even if you’re closer to month 11 or 12 than you’d planned.
Is this the same as the inspection I should get before closing on a new build?
No. A pre-closing or final walkthrough inspection happens before or at closing. An 11-month warranty inspection happens after you’ve lived in the home for close to a year. See our New Construction Inspection page for the pre-closing option.
Do I need to be present for the inspection?
It’s not required, but being there gives you a chance to point out anything you’ve noticed living in the home and ask questions in real time.
What do I do with the report once I have it?
Submit it to your builder as documentation of the issues found, following whatever warranty claim process they have in place, while your coverage is still active.
How much does an 11-month warranty inspection cost?
Cost depends on the home’s size and condition. See our Pricing page for a current starting-point estimate.