Your first year in a Houston new build, done right.
A brand-new home comes with something a resale never does: a builder warranty with a clock on it. Use it well and your first year sets the home up for the next twenty. Here’s how the warranty works, the one walkthrough you can’t skip, and what “settling” really means on Gulf Coast clay.
Buying new construction is a different kind of homeownership than buying a resale. The systems are fresh, nothing’s worn out yet, and you’ve got warranty coverage backing the whole thing — but that coverage runs on a calendar, and the most expensive mistakes happen when owners don’t use it before it expires. The good news: the first-year playbook for a new build is short and very doable. Here’s the version I give my clients the week they close.
How the builder warranty works
Most Texas builders back a new home with what’s known as a 1-2-10 warranty. It’s three layers of coverage, each on its own timeline:
- 1 year — workmanship & materials. Paint, drywall, trim, cabinets, flooring, fixtures — the cosmetic and finish items that show up once you actually live in the home.
- 2 years — distribution systems. The wiring, plumbing, and HVAC components that make the house run. If a circuit fails or a pipe leaks from how it was installed, this is the window.
- 10 years — major structural. The foundation and load-bearing frame — beams, trusses, framing connections.
One important nuance: Texas hasn’t had a state-mandated builder warranty since 2009, so your coverage is contractual — it comes from the builder, often through a third-party warranty company, and typically follows the performance standards published by the Texas Association of Builders. Translation: read your actual warranty document. Know what’s covered, what the deadlines are, and exactly how to file a claim, before you need to.
The 11-month walkthrough (don’t skip this)
If you do one thing with this page, do this. Around month 11 — before your one-year workmanship coverage expires — walk the entire house and build a written punch list. Every sticking door, every drywall crack, every nail pop, every spot of caulk or paint that isn’t right. Then submit it to the builder in writing, with time to spare before the year is up.
Why month 11 and not month 12? Because you want the list documented and delivered while you’re still inside the window, not racing the clock. Plenty of owners pay a home inspector a couple hundred dollars to do this walkthrough with them — it’s cheap insurance, and a good inspector catches things you’d never think to look for. Issues you raise inside year one are the builder’s problem. The same issue raised in month 13 is usually yours.
What “settling” really means
A new home settles, and the first year is when it does most of it. Hairline drywall cracks — especially above doors and windows — small nail pops, and little gaps in trim or caulk are all normal, and they’re exactly what your one-year walkthrough is built to catch. Don’t panic over them; just write them down.
What’s not routine settling, and deserves a closer look: cracks wider than about an eighth of an inch, stair-step cracks in exterior brick, doors and windows that suddenly won’t latch, or floors that feel like they’re sloping. On Houston’s clay soil those can point to foundation movement rather than cosmetic settling — and that’s the kind of thing you want eyes on while you’re still inside your structural coverage.
Water your foundation from day one
This is the most Houston piece of new-build ownership, and the one builders rarely emphasize. Our expansive clay soil swells when it’s wet and shrinks when it’s dry, and that movement is hard on a foundation — including a brand-new one. The fix is cheap and boring: water the soil around your slab consistently during dry stretches so it doesn’t pull away from the foundation. Start the habit your first summer, before any problem shows up. I cover the how and the why in detail in my Houston foundation guide — new build or not, it applies to you.
Breaking in your home’s systems
Everything’s new, which is great — and also means nothing’s been tested by real life yet. A few first-year habits:
- HVAC: change the filter on schedule from the start (your AC will run most of the year here), and keep the builder’s maintenance recommendations — skipping them can affect your warranty.
- Tankless water heater: if your build has one, it needs periodic flushing to stay efficient; note the interval now.
- Irrigation: learn your sprinkler controller and run a full test cycle early — new-install zones sometimes have a head that was never aimed right.
- Grading & drainage: after the first few big rains, watch where water goes. New lots settle, and you want runoff moving away from the slab.
Once you’re past year one, your home joins the same rhythm as every other house in town — that’s what the Houston home maintenance checklist is for, season by season.
What builders don’t always tell you
- Keep every document. Warranty booklet, appliance manuals, paint colors, the name of every subcontractor. You’ll want them.
- Register your appliances and systems for their individual manufacturer warranties — those are separate from the builder’s coverage and often longer.
- Your lot is part of the deal. New-construction yards are often thin sod over construction fill; drainage and landscaping are usually on you, not the builder.
- The model home isn’t your home. Upgrades and finishes vary — confirm what’s actually in your contract.
New build vs. resale
Still weighing new construction against a resale?
The first-year care is only one piece. If you’re deciding which way to go — or thinking about your next move — I lay out the real trade-offs here, no pressure:
Frequently asked questions
What does a 1-2-10 builder warranty cover in Texas?
One year of workmanship and materials (paint, drywall, trim, cabinets, flooring), two years on distribution systems (wiring, plumbing, HVAC), and ten years on major structural elements (foundation and frame). Since 2009 Texas has had no state-mandated warranty, so coverage is contractual — usually through the builder or a third-party warranty company, following the Texas Association of Builders performance standards. Read your own warranty document for the specifics.
When should I do my builder warranty walkthrough?
Around month 11, before your one-year workmanship coverage ends. Walk the whole house, write a punch list of everything that isn’t right, and submit it to the builder in writing with time to spare. Many owners hire an inspector to do it with them — cheap insurance for the most valuable deadline you’ve got.
Are cracks in a new house normal?
Hairline drywall cracks, nail pops, and small trim gaps are normal first-year settling — document them for your walkthrough. Cracks wider than about an eighth of an inch, stair-step cracks in brick, doors that won’t latch, or sloping floors aren’t routine and deserve a look, especially on Houston’s clay. When in doubt, raise it before year one ends.
New construction · Greater Houston
Buying new construction, or just moved into one?
New builds have their own playbook — from reading the warranty to negotiating with a builder’s contract. I’ve helped a lot of clients through it, and I’m glad to share what I know whether or not you’re buying with me. No pressure.
