Free MHIC Training

Does your warranty cover damage the homeowner caused?

Short answer. No. A warranty covers defects in your workmanship, not damage from later changes the homeowner made. Document the cause with photos and consider offering a paid repair at cost as goodwill.

Work it through

You're the contractor. Pick what you'd do, then see how each choice plays out.

A client calls 10 months into your 1-year warranty. The grout in their shower is cracking. You inspect and find the cracks are in areas where the homeowner installed a heavy glass shower door (not part of your scope) that's putting stress on the tile.

  1. Correct

    Warranty covers defects in your workmanship, not damage caused by subsequent modifications. The heavy glass door applied stress the tile substrate wasn't designed for. Document the cause with photos showing the stress pattern correlating to the door hinges. A fair offer to repair at cost builds goodwill while protecting you from covering damage you didn't cause. If they dispute it, your photographic evidence shows the causal relationship.

  2. Generous but misleading

    Fixing it free implies your original work was defective, which it wasn't. If the glass door continues to stress the tile, you'll be doing this repair every 6 months. Better to identify the root cause (the door), explain it, and offer a paid repair along with advice on properly supporting the door to prevent recurrence. Solving the problem is better than masking it.

All 15 complaints, warranties & the guaranty fund questions

  1. What is the MHIC Guaranty Fund?
  2. What happens if you ignore an MHIC complaint letter?
  3. Can a homeowner file an MHIC complaint after your warranty ends?
  4. Is a two-day delay grounds for an MHIC complaint?
  5. How should you prepare for an MHIC disciplinary hearing?
  6. What counts as project abandonment?
  7. How do you respond to an MHIC abandonment complaint?
  8. What documentation defends you against an MHIC complaint?
  9. How should you handle a warranty callback?
  10. Does your warranty cover damage the homeowner caused?
  11. What do you owe a client in an after-hours warranty emergency?
  12. How do you run a final walkthrough and punch list?
  13. What should a project completion package include?
  14. How do you handle a client disappointed with finished work?
  15. Who is liable when a flip buyer finds unpermitted work?