Realty Times November 7, 2002

New Home Imperfections Demand Quality Follow-Up
by Broderick Perkins

The new home construction industry is plagued with class action suits targeting everything from plumbing to exterior finishes.

Multi-million dollar court judgments against insurers over moisture and mold related claims, often stemming from inadequate construction, is prompting the insurance industry to exit markets, raise premiums, reduce coverage for certain types of claims and refuse to renew policies.

In California, lawsuits over building defects scared off insurers and so decimated the multifamily housing construction industry the state was forced to pass a new law effective in 2003 that regulates how defect claims must proceed.

And swelling grass roots movements are brandishing a Homeowners Bill of Rights that effectively says "We are mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore."

Why not simply build it right?

While not making excuses for the building industry, Portland, ME-based Criterium Engineers, a company of home and building inspectors who are licensed engineers, says building the perfect home simply isn't possible.

The human condition of imperfection, the unpredictability of Mother Nature and the unsettled nature of the Earth upon which homes are built make the perfect new home the real American Dream.

While some builders are beginning to increase the odds of building a better home by joining the prefabrication industry in a controlled manufacturing environment, builders are hard fought to squeeze more quality out of the product.

Criterium, inspecting homes since 1957, explains why.

  • Workmanlike construction and quality workmanship aren't created equal. Subjected to legal scrutiny, workman like construction often means "average" -- no more than what an average worker will do on an average day. With such a legal interpretation, there is little incentive for a worker to be better than average, Criterium says.

  • Work is completed in obscurity. Homes are constructed by a virtual company comprised of many different tradespeople representing many different skills. With so many different hands no one person can take personal pride in the project. Good work or bad, individual effort is relegated to the realm of obscurity.

  • "Just Enough" is the standard. Durability is one sign of perfection, but that relies upon a home's reserve capacity -- framing members that are a bit larger than necessary, a heating unit providing heat output greater than what the worst weather conditions demand, for example. With time, the extra capacity can mean greater durability -- a home that ages well and retains its newness longer. Unfortunately, the "just enough" approach to construction to produce a home reduces the length of time a home retains the feel of newness.

  • Likewise, "Good Enough" is the approach to labor management. For the sake of efficiency, because of limited availability of skilled workers and due to fears of backlash from labor laws, setting high standards and accountability for workers is becoming less common, says Criterium. The cost to overcome the "good enough" approach to labor management it too expensive to remain competitive.

  • Perfection takes time and time is money. The home building budget forces builders to find ways to save time. Time-saving techniques, however, sacrifices quality because the "feel" for the work is lost in automation. A power nailer is fast, for example, but accuracy suffers without the feel of the nail being driven home.

  • Likewise, high volume sacrifices craftsmanship. The small home builder is a dying breed. With their passing goes the quality of hands-on craftsmanship. Large builder produce shelters,, not works of art.

  • Nineteenth Century-style master builders are also a dying breed. Craftsman who were apprenticed for years under other master builders learned their trade and the personal pride that went with it. As they disappear, the industry commitment to attempt to build the perfect home fades with them.

    "In our experience, most builders want to build a good home. Many do a good job. Ultimately, however, no builder can adequately control all of what goes into building a good home to consistently produce a quality product, certainly not a perfect one," says Criterium.

    The reasons for imperfection are not excuses for home buyers to accept less than quality construction and demand quality in service follow ups.

    Given the home building industry trend away from master built homes where perfection is a goal if not a possibility, new home buyers would also serve themselves well by having their new home inspected during the building process as the important components -- foundation, framing, plumbing, wiring, roof, etc. -- are completed.

    Where inspections are not permitted, home buyers need to think twice about buying that new home and perhaps seek out a home that can be inspected and found to contain quality for built-in longevity.


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