Every client asks me about the warranty at some point, usually right after we talk about price and before we get into finishes. It's a fair question. A custom home is the biggest purchase most families make, and you want to know what happens if something goes wrong after you move in. I build the warranty conversation into our construction process from the first meeting, not as an afterthought tacked onto a closing packet. Here is exactly what my warranty covers, what it doesn't, and what Texas law does and doesn't do to back it up.
What Does a Texas New Home Warranty Actually Cover?
In Texas, what a warranty covers is whatever the builder puts in the contract, because there is no statewide program that sets the terms for you. On every home I build, that means three tiers in writing: one year of workmanship coverage on things like trim, paint, and finish carpentry, two years of coverage on the systems that make the house function, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, and ten years of structural coverage on the foundation and framing. This is the same 1-2-10 structure used by national third-party structural warranty administrators, and I back mine personally rather than handing it off to an insurer I don't control.
Is a Home Warranty Required by Law in Texas?
No. Texas used to run a mandatory new home warranty and builder registration program through the Texas Residential Construction Commission, but the legislature abolished that agency in 2009 after it drew criticism for favoring builders over homeowners, and the state never replaced it with another warranty mandate. What that means for you is simple: a verbal promise is not a warranty. If it isn't written into your contract with specific timeframes and specific coverage, it doesn't exist.
That puts more weight on the contract than most buyers realize going in. Nothing stops a builder from offering six months instead of a year, or leaving structural coverage out entirely and hoping you don't notice until it's too late to negotiate. I've met plenty of families who assumed every builder in North Texas offers roughly the same warranty terms, the way most states require. They don't. This is one of the questions I cover in detail in my post on questions to ask a custom home builder before you sign, because a builder who gets vague about warranty terms before the contract is signed usually stays vague after.
What's the Difference Between Workmanship, Systems, and Structural Coverage?
Each tier covers a different category of problem, and the timeframe shrinks as the risk of something going wrong does too. A nail pop or a sticking door is a workmanship issue you'd notice fast, so that coverage runs one year. A circuit that trips intermittently or a condensation line that backs up might not show up right away, so systems coverage runs two years. A foundation issue in Parker County clay can take years to reveal itself, which is why structural coverage runs ten.
| Coverage tier | Typical length | What it covers | Example issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workmanship | 1 year | Trim, drywall, paint, doors, cabinetry, finish details | A cabinet door that won't close flush |
| Systems | 2 years | Plumbing, electrical, HVAC distribution | An HVAC line that leaks at a joint |
| Structural | 10 years | Foundation, load-bearing framing | A foundation crack beyond normal tolerance |
What Isn't Covered Under a Typical New Home Warranty?
A builder's warranty covers construction defects, not everything that can happen to a house. Normal wear and tear, cosmetic settling cracks within tolerance, storm or weather damage, and anything caused by the homeowner skipping routine maintenance all fall outside it. Appliances are their own category entirely. The range, the water heater, and the HVAC condenser each carry a manufacturer's warranty from the company that made them, completely separate from mine. I walk through this distinction with every client at closing so nobody is surprised when a dishwasher issue in year two turns out to be a call to the manufacturer, not to me.
Site conditions matter here too, especially in Parker County. Expansive clay moves with moisture, and a homeowner who lets the yard grade slope back toward the foundation, or who skips gutter maintenance for a few seasons, can create the exact kind of moisture problem that a structural warranty is designed to exclude. Maintaining the drainage and grading we install at closing isn't busywork, it's what keeps the warranty doing its job for the full ten years instead of getting disputed in year four over a maintenance issue dressed up as a construction defect.
How Does Texas Law Back Up a Builder's Warranty Promise?
Even without a state warranty mandate, Texas law gives you real leverage. The Residential Construction Liability Act, Chapter 27 of the Texas Property Code, lays out a required process for construction defect disputes: you send the builder written notice of the defect, the builder gets a chance to inspect and offer a repair, and only after that process plays out can either side take the dispute further. It's not a warranty itself, it's the legal framework that makes a written warranty enforceable and gives both sides a structured path to fix a real problem instead of going straight to a lawsuit. That's on top of the separate, long-standing legal principle in Texas that a builder owes an implied warranty of good workmanship on new construction, regardless of what the contract says.
How Do You Make a Warranty Claim After You Move In?
Call or email with specifics: what the issue is, where it is, and when you noticed it. On a workmanship item, I try to get eyes on it within a week and get the repair scheduled from there. A systems issue usually means getting the original trade back out, electrician, plumber, or HVAC contractor, under the same warranty. A structural claim takes longer because it typically starts with an engineer's inspection to confirm the cause before any repair work begins, since you want to fix what's actually wrong, not just patch the symptom. On every home I've delivered, which typically lands within two weeks of the target completion date, the warranty terms go into the closing packet in writing, so there's never a question of what you agreed to or who to call.
What Should You Do Next?
Ask any builder you're considering to show you their actual warranty language before you sign anything, not a verbal summary. Compare the timeframes against what I've laid out here: one year workmanship, two years systems, ten years structural, in writing, backed by the person actually building your home. That structure is part of every custom luxury home I build, and it doesn't change based on budget or lot size. If you want to see how it reads in an actual contract, or you're further along and ready to talk specifics, browse our completed homes or call me directly at (817) 736-6323 to set up a free consultation.
Thirty years and more than a hundred homes in, I can tell you the warranty conversation is one I'd rather have in detail before the contract than in a hurry after a problem shows up. A builder who's comfortable walking you through exactly what's covered, in writing, before you sign is one worth trusting with the biggest purchase you'll make.
