builder's responsibility or duty?

[tigtig]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? DC

I understand builders need to build/renovate homes to code. My question is if the builder has some kind of responsibility/duty to avoid damages to homes if they should have and would have known the issues while building the place?

For example, we all know high humidity is bad for a home, so if they know a home will have high humidity because of the location, shouldn't they take into considerations when building the home by adding recommended (but not required) barriers or other measures to ensure the humidity will stay low?

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? DC

I understand builders need to build/renovate homes to code. My question is if the builder has some kind of responsibility/duty to avoid damages to homes if they should have and would have known the issues while building the place?

For example, we all know high humidity is bad for a home, so if they know a home will have high humidity because of the location, shouldn't they take into considerations when building the home by adding recommended (but not required) barriers or other measures to ensure the humidity will stay low?

**A: what exactly are you talking about? Interior controlled environment via HVAC system, exterior building component such as housewrap under the siding**************.....?

 

[FarmerJ]

One of the things about working overnights in group homes is that one sees a tremendous amount of television shows and one in particular often addressed post construction issues and newer home builders, SOME times just bad work is the problem when there is damages related to moisture in a home and some times the other problem can be just poorly written codes or state & local housing codes that are set to barest minimum instead of a higher standard. If your complaint is along that line of things then its a political issue because politics are going to be the avenue for changing codes. As to legal issues , if you have found a condition in your newer home where you think the builder did bad work or could have done something different if its a very obvious thing or can prove that a builder did not follow a code I suspect you should have alot of so called proofs and then go see a real estate attorney or a atty who has experiance in construction problems. Last question do any of your neighbors have the same problem as you are ?

 

[tranquility]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? DC

I understand builders need to build/renovate homes to code. My question is if the builder has some kind of responsibility/duty to avoid damages to homes if they should have and would have known the issues while building the place?

For example, we all know high humidity is bad for a home, so if they know a home will have high humidity because of the location, shouldn't they take into considerations when building the home by adding recommended (but not required) barriers or other measures to ensure the humidity will stay low?

That's part of what you pay for and why you select the proper contractor/developer. My brother-in-law is an electrician in Oregon. I know many in the construction business in California. After spending some time touring new and remodel construction with each, they build houses quite differently in both places. Things I never saw before are common in construction up there. The moisture issue is just one of the differences. But, in both cases, the code is the key. Failure to meet the local building code is a huge problem and one would hope it addresses most of the issue. Sometimes it doesn't. Most Southern California houses don't need a fan to the outside in every room, heck, I've got a fan to the attic in my shower. In Oregon? I don't know if the code covers that, but it certainly seems something the more experienced do there--the vent to the outside. Vapor barrier are more important and a LOT more time is spent on the exact moisture content of the subfloor before things are put on top.

But, legally, the code is the key. With a knowledgeable contractor, the contract will add things his experience tells him are needed as well.