Minnesota law provides warranties to purchasers of newly constructed residential homes as well as purchasers of renovations to existing homes that involve major structural changes or additions. The warranties are found in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 327A.
For newly constructed residential homes, Minnesota law provides the following warranties: (1) during the one-year period from and after the warranty date, the home shall be free from defects caused by faulty workmanship and defective materials due to noncompliance with building standards; (2) during the two-year period from and after the warranty date, the home shall be free from defects caused by faulty installation of plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling systems due to noncompliance with building standards; and (3) during the ten-year period from and after the warranty date, the home shall be free from major construction defects due to noncompliance with building standards.
The warranty date means the date the statutory warranties is effective and is the earliest of the following: (1) the date of the initial owner’s first occupancy, or (2) the date on which the initial owner takes legal or equitable title to the home. For renovations, the warranty date is the date on which the home improvement work was completed. A major construction defect means actual damage to the load-bearing portion of the home.
For renovations that involve major structural changes or additions, Minnesota law provides the following warranties: (1) during the one-year period from and after the warranty date, the renovation shall be free from defects caused by faulty workmanship and defective materials due to noncompliance with building standards; and (2) during the ten-year period from and after the warranty date, the renovation shall be free from major construction defects due to noncompliance with building standards. Additionally, if the renovation involves the installation of plumbing, electrical, heating, or cooling systems, the general contractor warrants that, during the two-year period from and after the warranty date, the renovation shall be free from defects caused by the faulty installation of the system or systems due to noncompliance with building standards.
If you believe your statutory warranties have been breached, your best bet is to contact a lawyer who has experience handling these types of cases. The lawyers at Bird, Stevens & Borgen, P.C. have been handling “bad house” cases for decades and can provide you the assistance you need in dealing with your contractor. Give us a call at 507-218-2392 or emails us at [email protected] for more information.