Home builders try to avoid lawsuits
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Daryl Schoenherr carefully runs his finger along the edge of the frame of a shower seat in a house that Cambridge Homes is constructing. “Shower seats are a huge problem,” Schoenherr says as he checks the angle of the seat. If it’s off, water might not drain properly, becoming a possible breeding ground for mold. And if the shower is on a second story, the leak could drip into the ceiling and become a bullet point in a construction-defect lawsuit against the developing Cambridge subdivision near Minnewawa and Teague avenues in Clovis. Fortunately, the pitch is fine and Schoenherr makes a notation in his laptop computer. Then the field coordinator for Quality Built, a third-party inspector hired by home builders, continues through the house that is in the framing stage. He measures the spaces between nails, the moisture barriers on the windows and makes sure places where water can penetrate are properly sealed. It is all part of an effort by Valley home builders to stay competitive and reduce the likelihood of being sued. Construction-defect lawsuits have become common in the central San Joaquin Valley and California over the past several years. In 2002, insurance companies paid an estimated $22 billion in construction-defect claims nationwide, much of which is passed on to consumers in the form of higher housing prices. Cambridge is just one of the builders using independent inspectors. Granville, The McCaffrey Group and Wathen-Castanos are among the others. McCaffrey uses three independent inspectors, including Quality Built and Environments for Living, which tests air flow inside each house and predicts heating and cooling expenses. Many developers claim construction-defect lawsuits are just a way for some attorneys to get rich. The vast majority of complaints are settled before trial, and the builders’ insurance companies usually pay the tab Source : accessmylibrary.com |