Okay, I don't know much about this, but I go to my house everyday, often multiple times a day.

Bevangel gives great advice-make your list ahead of time. Don't let them guilt you into compromising.

Wow, bevangel! Thanks for the detailed response. We're in DFW, so unfortunately that's a bit of a hike for you! Thanks for the offer though. It's obvious you are passionate about this.

I hope this all doesn't become a debacle for us.

We worked diligently on the contract with our builder. The first contract we received from the GC was vague and lacked details. Nothing specific about warranties in writing. I worked on the contract extensively with the help of a lawyer friend. He provided some sample Cost-Plus contracts and he also read over it, after I did a lot of the work to organize it into a more orderly fashion and with more details. The part about the TRCC was really my doing. (Sounds like this could be an error on my part.)

We started contract negotiations the end of Sept 2009. I believe TRCC became defunt Sept 1, 2009. At that time, I tried to decipher how to best come up with a guideline of quality expectations. I don't take our contract to be bound by all TRCC rules, but instead we used the TRCC 39 page document, "Warranties and Performance Standards" and referred to them in our contract as follows.

"Contractor warrants the Home against defect in workmanship and materials, but only in accordance with, and as limited by the Performance Standards attached in Exhibit D. Upon Substantial Completion of the Home, it is understood and agreed that Contractors responsibility for the construction of the Home is confined to and limited by Performance Standards as represented in Exhibit D of this Contract."

Now, that you point out all this junk about the TRCC, I cringe that we even used this. In my mind, I was being more cautious to make it clear of the minimum acceptable standards. Their original contract was so weak.

We're only 10 days until completion and it has gone relatively well. We interviewed 5 different builders and this builder was by far the most professional. They build quality homes. We talked to all their references and one family that wasn't on their reference list, but did own one of their homes that was over 5 years old. They seem to have a good reputation.

I hope that my super.'s comments were only light hearted intentions to get me to realize that the house will not be absolute perfection. The super. does have a jovial sense with me sometimes. He did tell me that they are always coming back to fix things months and even years later, and that we won't see him for the last time.

This is all so stressful. The amount of trust and leaps of faith that have been required throughout the whole ordeal. From the build...to risking selling our current home to closer til the completion date...EVERYTHING!

Whew....now you have ME scared (we're less than 2 weeks away from completion)! I knew that before closing on a home purchase, you have a walk-through, but didn't know it was the same with a new build (I just thought you made your list and gave it to him). Shows what I know! We built before, and I don't recall a walk-through, though. We really didn't care for that guy in the end. There was one issue he never remedied in several years of trying. It got to where I couldn't talk to him.

Our current builder seems like a really great guy. I've caught some things along the way, and he's addressed them already. Except for our floor issue, we've been very pleased with the build. And since he's starting from scratch on the floors to make them right, I guess I can't complain about that since he didn't do the staining himself.

Timely post for me, home4sale! Thanks. Now I know to do my own private walk-through and take some notes and be prepared for if/when he does one with me.

Also glad to know you haven't had the electricity turned on yet either. We kept wondering why he has held out so long (gets on tomorrow, I think). I remember the electricity being on in our last house practically since it got wired, so this was new to me. This seemed ridiculous--our painters were trying to paint in 95+ heat (and the floor was stained when it was 100!) AND in the dark in the powder room.

Good luck!

Our electricity isn't on either and we are about 2 weeks away. Hopefully, ours will be on by midweek. We have been catching things along the way so I don't think our walk-through will be too bad.

Hope yours goes well, Home4sale!

home4sale - if you incorporated a particular copy of the TRCC warranty standards into your contract, then those will be binding on both you and the builder. I definitely understand where you were coming from in trying to incorporate something definitive. It's just too bad the TRCC standards were such junk.

Since you have a particular document to go by, use it.

Maybe your builder really was just pulling your leg b/c since many rooms in a house are smaller than 20 ft by 20 ft, a "ya gotta be able to see the flaw from 20 feet away" rule would mean nothing in those rooms would count as a defect no matter how bad. After all, if there is a solid wall between you and the flaw, you can't see it. LOL!

But, if your builder was serious, make him at least live up to the TRCC standards that you incorporated into your contract. If the standard says "visible from 3 or more feet" then use 3 feet, not 20!

Still, I think you would be well advised to do a pre-walk through inspection on your own rather than waiting till the actual walk-thru to begin looking for punch list items.

I didn't respond to your question of "what is reasonable" on a punch list. EVERYTHING that isn't exactly the way you think it should be should go on your punch list. REgardless of how much or how little you put on your punch list, your builder will probably tell you that you are being unreasonably nit-picky. Might as well have some really nit picky stuff on the list that you can then remove from it to show that you're willing to give a little. That also emphasizes that the remaining items are important and that you really expect the builder to fix them. If you only put the huge stuff on the list, you'll probably wind up agreeing that some of it is "nit picky" because that is how negotiations tend to proceed.

As for the builder coming back months or years later to fix punch list items, hopefully one of the questions you asked the builder's references was whether or not he handled punch list items that were not found until after closing, If not, hunt up those phone numbers and call the references back again and ask.

As for comments from other posters regarding electricity not being on... I'm really curious: if you have hardwood floors, how did you acclimate the wood prior to installing it. I had to have my air conditioning and heating on before the flooring manufacturer would deliver my wood flooring. It then had to sit in my house and acclimate for a couple of weeks before it was installed so that it would be at the same humidity level as the subflooring.

Remember everything is writing. If the contractor says he will be back--have a statement with date to be signed. As to the crack, replace it or the weight of the water could cause other problems. DO NOT PAY the final payment until you are completely satisfied and all has passed inspections and all permits are signed off by the inspectors. Write down all the "defects" you see, discuss it and determine if it is something you can live with, dangerous, messy etc. Remember every built house with have some problems after you move in. Most builders will give you a one year warranty on everything. (Anyone in CA -Los Angeles County) the good, licensed, bonded ones did.