Should You Get an 11-Month Warranty Inspection? Pros and Cons
Scheduling a professional home inspection before your warranty expires can help identify hidden issues that may be covered, saving you significant repair costs.
When you purchase a house with a home warranty attached, you can breathe easier knowing that many key systems, components, and appliances are covered if a repair or replacement is needed. Many of these home warranties last 12 months. But here’s a frustrating thought: What if a covered item breaks down shortly after the warranty expires?
One strategy to safeguard against this “Murphy’s law” scenario is to pay for a professional home inspection prior to the warranty ending – even as late as month 11. However, is getting an 11-month warranty inspection worth it? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this tactic? And would it be better to have your home inspected even earlier after moving in?
How Home Warranties Work
A 12-month home warranty serves as a backup plan of sorts for unanticipated repairs. It’s often included, at no charge to the buyer, on new construction properties by the homebuilder or by the home seller on existing homes.
These warranties usually cover defects in workmanship, faulty materials, or malfunctions pertaining to structural elements, such as the home’s foundation or framing, as well as major components and systems like electrical, plumbing, and HVAC – items that can be more costly to fix if they break down. Some built-in appliances may also be covered.
If a covered item or system stops functioning due to circumstances like unexpected defects – but not normal wear and tear, which is not covered – you can file a claim with the warranty provider. If it’s a new construction home and the homebuilder is backing the warranty, they will likely repair or resolve the problem themselves.
If it’s a home warranty backed by a third-party provider, that company will usually send a contractor from its network to perform the labor or permit you to choose from an approved contractor/service provider list; the warranty provider usually ends up paying the contractor directly, or they will reimburse you for any covered costs you pay out-of-pocket.
“However, home warranties may not cover some appliances, cosmetic issues like nail pops or paint chips, or damage from neglect such as mold from unaddressed leaks,” Zev Freidus, president of CFC Real Estate, notes. “Other exclusions may apply, too. In South Florida, for example, warranties may exclude hurricane-related damage unless directly tied to construction flaws.”
A home warranty may require you to first pay a predetermined deductible, such as $50 to $100 or more per service call. The warranty may also include a repair cost cap, which is the maximum amount the warranty provider will pay for a single or multiple repairs during the warranty period.
Case in point: If the warranty covers up to $1,000 for a fix and the bill surpasses that amount, you have to pay the difference out-of-pocket. These can be per incident caps or be applied as a total annual limit. Be aware, too, that your warranty may include an arbitration clause, which requires any disputes to be resolved not through court but via arbitration, which is intended to be a faster and less expensive strategy but that can limit your flexibility to pursue litigation against the warranty provider.
It’s always best to carefully review your warranty’s fine print to learn exactly what’s covered and what’s not.
Why Getting Your Home Inspected Before Your Warranty Expires Is Smart
Having your home professionally inspected before your warranty expires – which means around the 11-month mark – could be a wise strategy. That’s because if there are hidden defects or problems waiting to emerge, you still have time to get them fixed under warranty before you’re on the hook for repairs yourself.
“A lot of issues, like slow leaks or a failing HVAC unit, don’t always show obvious signs right away,” says Martin Boonzayer, CEO of The Trusted Home Buyer. “An inspector can catch these problems before they become major, giving you a chance to file a claim before your coverage runs out. The inspection may be a small upfront cost, but it could save you thousands down the line.”
Steven Glick, director of mortgage sales for HomeAbroad, cites a homeowner client in Texas who benefited from this approach.
“They scheduled a home inspection at 11 months and discovered that the roof shingles weren’t properly sealed. The repair cost was $7,000. Fortunately, the builder fixed it under warranty, but if they had skipped inspection, they would’ve had to pay for it out-of-pocket later,” he says.
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"[My client] scheduled a home inspection at 11 months and discovered that the roof shingles weren’t properly sealed. The repair cost was $7,000. Fortunately, the builder fixed it under warranty."
Pros of Getting Your Home Inspected
There are several benefits to pursuing this 11-month warranty inspection strategy – among them, you’ll:
Weed out covered problems. Having your home professionally inspected can identify latent issues and hidden flaws that are eligible for fixes under your home warranty – enabling you to file needed claims before warranty expiration.
Save money. It’s a lot cheaper to pay for an expert home inspection, coupled with the service call deductible on the needed repair/replacement, than it probably would be to pay for the fix or new item out-of-pocket.
Nip problems in the bud early. The inspection could reveal a problem that is guaranteed to soon or eventually worsen and lead to greater expense and disruption if you don’t resolve it now. Think of it as valuable insurance against a ticking time bomb you haven’t yet identified.
Enjoy better peace of mind. An expert inspection that thoroughly reviews all of your home’s major systems and components, but reveals no problems, can help you better sleep at night knowing your home is in good shape.
Have extra leverage if necessary. Let’s say the inspector discovers issues that aren’t covered by your warranty but that could be caused by inferior workmanship or builder negligence. In this case, you’ll have better legal standing in court or when negotiating with the liable party.
Cons of Getting Your Home Inspected
On the downside, a professional home inspection may come with drawbacks.
It could be costly. “The primary drawback is the expense. If no issues are found, the average $300 to $500 fee for a professional inspection could lead to regret,” adds Freidus. Learn more about how much home inspections cost with our guide.
Builder may try to skirt responsibility. The inspector may uncover defects that your warranty clearly indicates it won’t cover or that your warranty provider disputes and refuses to cover. “Some builders or warranty providers may push back on your claim, arguing that the issue stems from homeowner misuse,” cautions Freidus. “For example, one of my client’s warranty claims for cracked drywall was denied when the builder blamed it on furniture movement, not framing defects.”
You could run out of time. If you wait until one month before warranty expiration to have your home inspected, that doesn’t leave much time to file a claim. Indeed, this 11-month warranty inspection tactic cuts it close. “Keep in mind that some warranty companies have slow claim processes and could require multiple assessments,” says Boonzaayer.
It could be time-consuming. Finding an inspector you trust and can afford, as well as having the inspection performed and waiting for their report, will take time and effort, as will the scheduling and coordinating of repairs in your home.
It could provide a false sense of confidence. Your inspection could reveal minor problems that only require small repairs. Yet you could feel motivated to file claims for issues that aren’t immediate priorities; that could lead to unneeded claims and extra out-of-pocket costs (including any deductibles you’ll pay).
Should You Wait Until Month 11?
Again, choosing to have an inspection done one month before the warranty becomes invalid is risky. That’s why you might want to schedule an inspection much earlier.
“I would consider doing the inspection between months six to nine. That way, if a big problem is found, you’ll have more time to go through the warranty process without feeling rushed."
“I would consider doing the inspection between months six to nine. That way, if a big problem is found, you’ll have more time to go through the warranty process without feeling rushed,” adds Boonzaayer. “On the other hand, some problems take time to develop – so inspecting too early could mean you miss something that would have been caught later.”
Glick is a fan of waiting until month 11.
“It’s not a bad idea to start paying attention to potential problems around month nine or 10, but scheduling the official inspection at month 11 is ideal,” he says. “This gives you the full year to experience your home through all the seasons so that any major issues – like shifting foundations, HVAC inefficiencies, or plumbing problems – are more likely to be visible. By month 11, your house has been through temperature changes, humidity shifts, and general settling. That’s when cracks might start showing, leaks may appear, and systems could begin malfunctioning.”
