Repair Process
Understanding the warranty repair process helps ensure a smooth experience when service is needed.
How Repairs Work
After your inspection, here's what happens based on the type of repair needed:
Repair Categories
Items listed on warranty requests fall into one of three categories:
- Trade contractor item - Requires a specialized trade partner
- In-house item - Can be handled by Classic Homes staff
- Home maintenance item - Your responsibility as the homeowner
If a trade contractor is required to perform repairs, we issue a warranty work order describing the situation that needs to be addressed. If the item is a home maintenance task, we will review the maintenance steps with you and offer whatever informational assistance we can.
Warranty Decisions
In addition to the information contained in the limited warranty document itself, this Homeowner Guide includes details about the criteria we will use to evaluate concerns that you report. The purpose is to let you know what our warranty commitment is for the typical concerns that can come up in a new home. Descriptions include the corrective action we will take in many common situations.
If a warranty question arises other than those discussed here, we will assess them according to industry standards and practices.
With a product as complex as a home, differences of opinion can occur regarding which tasks are homeowner maintenance responsibilities and which are Classic Homes' warranty responsibilities. If you request warranty service on a maintenance item, we will explain the steps you should take to care for the item. We are available to answer your home-care questions during and after your warranty period. Providing normal maintenance for your home is your responsibility.
Warranty Appointments
Depending on the number and nature of items that need attention, we may ask you to designate a full day for a Trade Day Appointment - a date a minimum of 10 days from the inspection date - for repairs to be made. This time frame allows us to notify appropriate tradespeople, order any needed materials or parts, and arrange for the majority of repairs to occur on the same day.
Although on occasion work must occur in sequence and more than one appointment may be needed, this system works well in the majority of situations.
Please be sure that you are available the entire time that the trades are working in your home. This creates an opportunity to have as many trades as possible complete their warranty work on the same day. If a particular trade is unavailable or if the work needs to be completed in sequence, other arrangements will be made with you.
Exterior Items
Exterior items can usually be inspected or repaired without an adult present provided access is available (for instance, gate is unlocked, and pets are restrained).
Children
Children are naturally curious about tools and work in progress on your home. However, to protect them from possible injury and to allow repair personnel an uninterrupted opportunity to work, we ask that children be cared for away from ongoing work. This policy is for the protection of your children and our employees and trades' personnel. We have instructed all repair personnel to reschedule the appointment if children are in or around the work area.
Pets
We recognize that many homeowners count their pets as members of their households. To prevent the possibility of a pet becoming injured or lost, or giving in to its natural curiosity about tools and materials used for repairs, we ask that you restrict all pets to a separated area during any warranty visit, whether for inspection or warranty work. This policy is also for the protection of our employees and trades' personnel. Again, we have instructed all personnel to reschedule the appointment if pets have access to the work area.
Your Belongings
In all work that we perform we are concerned that your furnishings and personal items are protected. When warranty work is needed in your home, we will ask that you remove vulnerable items or items that might make performing the repair difficult. This includes furniture, jewelry, medications, or other personal items in or near the work area. We will reschedule the repair appointment rather than risk damaging your belongings.
Surfaces
We expect all personnel who work in your home to arrive on time, park in the street, and have appropriate materials to cover the work area, protecting your home from damage and catching any dust or debris from the work being performed. Similarly, all personnel should clean up the work area, removing whatever excess materials they brought in.
Prior to beginning any work, we require that repair personnel check the work area for any existing damage to surfaces. They will document any scratches, chips, or other cosmetic damage with you prior to beginning repairs to avoid any misunderstandings about how and when such damage occurred.
Signatures on Work Orders
Signing a work order acknowledges that a technician worked in your home on the date shown and with regard to the items listed. Your signature on a work order does not negate any of your rights under the warranty nor does it release us from any confirmed warranty obligation.
Completion Time
Regular review of outstanding work orders is part of our office routine. Checking with trades and homeowners alike, we strive to get warranty work completed within an appropriate and reasonable amount of time or to identify and address the cause for a delay.
We intend to complete warranty work orders within 45 days of the inspection unless you are unavailable for access. If a back-ordered part or other circumstance causes a delay, we will let you know. Likewise, when weather conditions prevent the timely completion of exterior items, we track those items and follow up to ensure that they are addressed when conditions improve. This can result in a lengthy delay.
Missed Appointments
Good communication is one key to successful completion of warranty items. We strive to keep homeowners informed and to protect them from inconvenience. One of our challenges in this regard is when unexpected events sometimes result in missed appointments. If an employee or trade contractor will be late, they should contact you as soon as the delay is recognized, offering you a choice of a later time the same day or a completely different appointment.
If you must miss an appointment, we appreciate being alerted as soon as you realize your schedule has changed. We can put work orders on hold for up to 30 days and re-activate them when your schedule offers a better opportunity to arrange access to the home.
Related: Warranty Appointments | Requesting Service | Emergency Service