Experienced, Dedicated, Professional.

Texas Trial Lawyers

Facts about construction defects

On Behalf of | Aug 12, 2021 | Construction Defects

If you own a home in Texas, it may be the most expensive purchase you’ve ever made. It’s understandable that you want everything to be perfect, or at least up to the standard you paid for. A construction defect in your home can create an expensive problem and a huge hassle.

Patent defects

A patent defect is a defect in construction that is visible immediately or after an inspection. You may have known about small patent defects when you purchased your home but decided to buy the home anyway.

Latent defects

Latent defects are defects in the construction that can’t be observed right away in a simple inspection. These hidden problems can create a huge expense for homeowners when they become apparent later on. Some examples of latent construction defects include:

  • Foundation issues
  • Framing issues
  • Faulty electrical wiring

The defect may be a design or a workmanship issue

Determining whether a construction defect was caused by faulty design or poor workmanship is an important part of establishing liability. For example, a construction crew that did everything right according to the architect’s building plans may not be liable for defects. In that case, the defect was built into the house because of a faulty design.

Sometimes buildings are planned perfectly but executed poorly. If a construction company cut corners or made some mistakes while building a foundation, the construction defect was caused by poor workmanship.

Who is at fault?

Construction defects can be incredibly expensive to correct, especially when they involve a problem with the foundation of a house. If you are pursuing compensation for construction defects, it’s vital that you determine who was at fault and establish liability.

A contractor or other building professional would be liable for a construction defect if they did not follow the construction contract. The building professional is required to perform work according to the accepted standard of care for their profession.