You hire a builder to build your dream home. You’re very hands-off. After all, this isn’t what you do. You let the builder do what he does best and you just wait for the outcome.
When you get there, the house is technically sound. There aren’t glaring defects like a leaking roof or electrical systems that don’t work.
The problem is just that it doesn’t live up to your standards. It doesn’t give you everything you wanted and thought you were paying for.
For example, maybe you wanted real tile in the bathroom and the kitchen. Neither one got it. The bathroom has some tile, but the shower and tub are just premolded pieces that were set in place. The kitchen has fake tile that was just rolled out and glued down.
Or, perhaps you thought you were getting real wood floors throughout the whole house. You did get them on the ground floor. When you get to the stairs, though, your heart sinks. There’s carpet. You go to the top and the whole second story is also carpet.
Will it work? Sure. People use those materials every day. Some people prefer them. It’s common to use wood flooring downstairs and then put carpet in bedrooms for kids.
That said, these are cheaper materials. You had high expectations, and you didn’t get the look you wanted.
Do you have a case? It really depends a lot on the plans and what you both agreed to do at the beginning. Issues like this can be very frustrating, though, and it’s critical that you know your legal rights with such a big investment at stake.
Source: FindLaw, “Construction Law Overview,” accessed Oct. 12, 2017