You moved into your brand-new Maryland home, unpacked the last box, and life got busy. Twelve months have passed faster than you expected — and that one-year builder’s warranty is almost gone. This is exactly the moment most new homeowners miss. And it’s the moment that can cost them thousands of dollars.
At Alhumd Inspections, we’ve performed over 2,000 home inspections across Maryland. We’ve seen the same story play out time and again: homeowners discover defects in their new construction only after their builder’s warranty has expired — leaving them with no recourse and repair bills they didn’t plan for. Our 11 month warranty inspection service exists to make sure that never happens to you.
What Is an 11 Month Warranty Inspection?
An 11 month warranty inspection is a full, professional home inspection performed during the eleventh month of your occupancy in a newly constructed home. It is specifically designed to identify defects, construction errors, and system issues before your builder’s one-year warranty closes out.
This is not a casual walkthrough. It is a comprehensive evaluation of your home’s visible and accessible systems and components — the same depth of inspection you’d get if you were a buyer seeing the home for the first time.
Maryland law requires builders to offer a one-year warranty on all new homes. That warranty is your contractual right. The 11 month inspection is how you protect it.
Why the 11th Month — Not the 12th?
Timing matters more than most homeowners realize. Scheduling your inspection in the 11th month gives you a critical buffer of 30 days to:
- Receive and carefully review your detailed inspection report
- Document all deficiencies in writing to your builder
- Allow your builder time to respond and schedule repairs
- Follow up if corrections are not made properly
- Escalate unresolved issues before the warranty window closes
Waiting until month 12 leaves you almost no time to act. By the time the inspection report is in your hands and your builder is notified, the warranty may already be expired. The 11th month is the sweet spot — thorough enough to catch issues that only appear after a full year of seasonal changes, and early enough to still enforce your rights.
What Maryland’s New Home Warranty Covers
Understanding what your builder’s warranty protects is key to making the most of your 11 month inspection. In Maryland, new home warranties typically cover:
Year One (Workmanship & Materials):
- Defects in materials and workmanship throughout the home
- Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC system deficiencies
- Faulty insulation or improper ventilation
- Window and door seal failures
- Cosmetic construction errors that affect function
Years Two Through Ten (Structural):
- Major structural defects including foundation failures and load-bearing wall issues
While structural coverage extends beyond year one, workmanship and systems coverage does not. Everything in that first-year category must be identified and submitted to your builder before the 12-month mark. That is why a professional 11 month inspection is not optional — it is essential.
What Our 11 Month Warranty Inspection Covers
At Alhumd Inspections, our certified inspectors conduct a thorough, non-invasive evaluation of all visible and accessible areas of your newly built home. Here is what our inspection covers:
Roof & Exterior
- Shingle condition, flashings, ridge caps, and ventilation
- Gutters, downspouts, and drainage direction
- Exterior siding, trim, and caulking integrity
- Grading and slope around the foundation
- Driveways, walkways, and porch construction
- Proper sealing around exterior penetrations
Foundation & Structural Components
- Visible cracks, shifts, or settlement in the foundation
- Evidence of moisture intrusion or water staining
- Structural framing and support beam conditions
- Crawlspace or basement moisture levels and vapor barriers
Plumbing Systems
- Water supply line pressure and function
- Drain, waste, and vent system performance
- Water heater installation, venting, and operation
- Fixture connections, shut-off valves, and drainage speed
- Signs of leaks, corrosion, or improper slope in drain lines
Electrical Systems
- Panel box condition, labeling, and breaker operation
- Outlet function and GFCI protection in required zones
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detector presence and placement
- Light fixture installation and switch operation
- Visible wiring condition and proper junction box covers
HVAC Systems
- Heating and cooling system operation across all zones
- Thermostat accuracy and response
- Air handler, ductwork, and filter condition
- Exhaust fans and bathroom ventilation adequacy
- Gas line connections and combustion air supply
Interior Spaces
- Ceiling, wall, and floor conditions across every room
- Window and door function, sealing, and latching
- Staircase construction and handrail security
- Attic insulation levels and ventilation
- Fireplace and flue condition if applicable
Garage & Attached Structures
- Garage door operation and auto-reverse safety function
- Fire-rated wall integrity between garage and living space
- Slab condition and drainage
Our inspectors document every finding with clear photographs and written descriptions, giving you an airtight record to present to your builder.
The Most Common Defects Found in Maryland New Construction
After thousands of inspections across Howard, Montgomery, Baltimore, Frederick, and surrounding counties, our team has seen patterns in what new construction gets wrong. These are the issues we find most frequently during 11 month inspections:
Improper Grading and Drainage — One of the top findings. When the ground around the home slopes toward the foundation rather than away, water migrates toward the home during rain. Left unaddressed, this leads to basement moisture, mold growth, and eventual foundation damage. Builders are responsible for correcting grading under warranty.
Roof Flashing Defects — Improperly installed or missing flashing around chimneys, skylights, vents, and roof-to-wall transitions is a common source of water infiltration. These defects are often invisible to homeowners but standard practice for trained inspectors.
HVAC Inefficiency and Improper Balancing — New homes frequently have HVAC systems that heat and cool unevenly. Duct sealing failures, unbalanced airflow, or undersized equipment are builder-responsible issues caught during the first year.
Plumbing Leaks Behind Walls — Slow leaks inside walls are particularly dangerous because they often go undetected until significant mold or wood rot has occurred. Thermal imaging technology helps our inspectors identify temperature anomalies that suggest hidden moisture.
Window and Door Seal Failures — Improper installation leads to air and water infiltration, energy loss, condensation between panes, and increased utility bills. These are covered under the builder’s warranty but only if documented before it expires.
Electrical Issues — Missing junction box covers, ungrounded outlets, improper breaker sizing, and absent GFCI protection are common in new construction and represent genuine safety hazards.
Structural Framing Errors — Accidental cuts into floor joists, improperly supported beams, and missing blocking are more common than homeowners expect. Once drywall is installed, these issues become hidden — but they can still be inferred through surface symptoms.
Attic Insulation Gaps — Inadequate or improperly installed insulation in attic spaces directly affects your heating and cooling costs. This is one of the easiest builder corrections to obtain when documented early.
Why New Homes Still Need Inspections
There is a common misconception that new construction is defect-free because it was built to current codes and inspected by local building authorities. The reality is very different.
Municipal inspections are not designed to catch everything. Code inspectors check for minimum compliance at specific stages of construction — they are not looking for workmanship quality or performing a comprehensive review of every system. Subcontractors work on tight timelines, and errors are made. Building materials are installed by multiple crews whose work is not always coordinated properly.
Additionally, your home has now gone through a full year of settling, thermal expansion and contraction, and seasonal weather exposure. Issues that were latent at the time of construction — invisible hairline cracks, slow moisture migration, HVAC performance under load — become detectable only after time has passed. The 11th month is the ideal point to catch these matured defects while your warranty still covers them.
Why Maryland Homeowners Trust Alhumd Inspections
Alhumd Inspections is Maryland’s certified home inspection company, serving buyers, sellers, and homeowners across the state with over 2,000 completed inspections and 800+ five-star Google reviews.
Certified and Experienced Inspectors — Our team brings professional training, InterNACHI-aligned inspection standards, and real-world construction knowledge to every evaluation.
Advanced Technology — We use thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters, and drone technology to identify issues that are invisible to the naked eye. For 11 month inspections, thermal imaging is particularly valuable in detecting hidden moisture and insulation gaps.
Same-Day Digital Reports — You receive a comprehensive, photo-rich inspection report the same day as your inspection. This gives you the documentation you need to present to your builder without delay.
Unbiased and Independent — We work for you, not your builder. Our job is to find everything that should be disclosed and documented — so you can exercise every right your warranty provides.
Deep Maryland Service Area — We serve homeowners across Baltimore, Columbia, Ellicott City, Frederick, Germantown, Silver Spring, Annapolis, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Bowie, Towson, Hagerstown, Bethesda, Glen Burnie, and beyond.
Transparent and Stress-Free Process — From scheduling to your post-report consultation, we are with you every step. We explain what we found, why it matters, and what you should ask your builder to correct.
How the 11 Month Inspection Process Works
Step 1: Schedule Early in the 11th Month
Contact Alhumd Inspections as soon as you enter your 11th month of occupancy. This gives you maximum time to act on the findings. You can call us at (667) 686-7281 or schedule online at alhumdinspections.com — use promo code SELFSCHEDULE to save $20 on your inspection.
Step 2: Professional On-Site Inspection
Our certified inspector visits your home and conducts a thorough, non-invasive examination of all accessible systems, components, and visible structural elements. We recommend being present during the inspection so we can walk you through findings in real time and answer your questions on the spot.
Step 3: Same-Day Comprehensive Report
You receive a detailed digital report the same day, complete with photographs, clear descriptions of each finding, and prioritized recommendations for builder follow-up.
Step 4: Submit Your Warranty Claims
With your inspection report in hand, you have a clear, professional document to present to your builder. This establishes a written record of all deficiencies discovered before the warranty expired.
Step 5: Follow Through and Verify
Once your builder schedules corrections, you may wish to have a follow-up check to verify that repairs were made properly. Alhumd Inspections is available to assist with re-inspections as needed.
When Should You Schedule Your 11 Month Inspection?
The simplest approach: mark your calendar on closing day. Set a reminder for the first week of your 11th month — typically 10 months and 1 week after closing. This gives you the widest possible window to act before the 12-month deadline.
If you are not sure when your warranty began, check your closing documents or contact your builder. Your warranty start date is typically tied to your certificate of occupancy or your settlement date.
Do not wait until month 12 to think about this. By then, there may not be enough time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be home during the inspection? We strongly recommend it. Being present allows our inspector to walk you through findings as they occur, answer your questions immediately, and help you understand the priority of each issue. That said, it is not required — we will deliver a thorough report regardless.
How long does an 11 month warranty inspection take? Inspection time varies based on the size and complexity of your home. Most single-family homes take between 2.5 and 4 hours. We do not rush — every system and component receives proper attention.
What if the builder refuses to make repairs? Your inspection report serves as professional documentation of defects that existed before your warranty expired. This documentation is valuable when escalating disputes, involving your real estate attorney, or filing a claim with the builder’s warranty insurer.
Is the 11 month inspection different from a regular home inspection? The scope of the inspection is the same. The context is different — we are specifically looking for construction defects and system issues that fall under the builder’s warranty, and our report is structured to help you maximize your warranty claims.
Can I combine the 11 month inspection with radon testing or other services? Yes. Alhumd Inspections offers radon testing, mold testing, termite inspection, and thermal imaging as add-on services. Many homeowners choose to bundle services during their 11 month inspection for a complete picture of their home’s condition.
What if I missed the 11th month? Contact us immediately. Even if you are close to the 12-month mark, an inspection is still worthwhile — you may have time to document and submit claims before expiration. Do not wait another day.
Protect What You Paid For
Your new Maryland home represents one of the largest financial commitments of your life. Your builder’s one-year warranty is a legal protection you paid for — it is built into the price of your home. An 11 month warranty inspection is the only reliable way to ensure you use that protection fully before it disappears.
Alhumd Inspections is here to make that process simple, thorough, and stress-free. Our certified inspectors, advanced technology, and same-day reports give you everything you need to hold your builder accountable and protect your investment for the years ahead.
Schedule your 11 month warranty inspection today.
📞 Call us: (667) 686-7281
Book online: alhumdinspections.com/scheduling
Use code SELFSCHEDULE to save $20 when you book online
