ᐅ Developer Warranty for Third-Party Services

Hello House Building Community

I would appreciate hearing your opinions and expertise regarding the builder’s warranty when subcontracting the installation of flooring to a third party.

The new build property I purchased is being fully constructed by the builder (or their subcontractor). The property would come with a standard floor covering, which I would like to change. Unfortunately, the subcontractor does not offer alternatives to the standard flooring, so I would have to turn to third-party providers and accept the property without any flooring installed.

Regarding the issue:
- The handover inspection, including defect checks, would therefore take place without any flooring installed, and the builder’s warranty applies only to the work they have carried out (excluding the flooring).
- The flooring would then be installed later by a third party, which hopefully will not cause problems, since flooring is usually laid shortly before completion (normally only the doors are installed afterwards).
- However, I am concerned that in case of warranty issues, the builder and the floor installer might blame each other (for example, if there is damage to the underfloor heating), and I might end up responsible for the damages.

I would be very grateful for your opinions on whether my concerns are justified or exaggerated.

Thank you in advance!

So far, I have not encountered a floor installer who damages the underfloor heating, which is embedded in the screed. The most likely issue I see is that the screed might not be dry enough yet; this should be checked by the floor installer. Otherwise, I believe the builder is not responsible if there is any problem with the floor.

Like my predecessor ... I wouldn’t worry about that.

To be on the safe side, make sure that
- the builder is required to heat the screed until it is ready for covering, and
- the builder provides you with the protocol of the heating process until screed readiness,
- the floor installer informs you about the structure of the finished floor,
- the builder takes this height into account in their planning (top edge of finished floor).

Thank you all for your opinions – that already reassures me.

@Bieber0815: How exactly can the developer take the floor structure or height into account in their planning? My understanding so far was that the screed is laid as usual, and then any height differences are leveled by filling when installing the final flooring. Am I overlooking something here, and are there more practical or cost-effective methods?

As additional background information, I want to mention that this is a condominium unit, and instead of the developer’s standard parquet flooring, I want to choose vinyl flooring. This will likely result in a height difference between the tiles laid by the developer in the bathrooms and the thin glued vinyl floor in the other living areas.
Does anyone have experience whether an expensive full-leveling (self-leveling compound) is advisable (to have a completely flat surface everywhere) or if a small “ramp” of a few millimeters (inches) height difference toward the tiles is sufficient to create a smooth transition?

Hello,

Sandmann2000 schrieb:

- The final inspection, including defect checks, takes place without the floor installed, and the builder’s warranty covers only the work they performed (excluding the floor).

This is the standard procedure.

Sandmann2000 schrieb:

- The floor is then installed later by a third-party provider, which hopefully won’t cause any issues, since floors are usually laid shortly before completion (usually only doors are installed afterwards).

Why should it? The flooring installer must ensure that the screed is ready to receive the floor covering; that is their responsibility.

Sandmann2000 schrieb:

- However, I worry that in case of warranty claims, the builder and the flooring installer will blame each other (for example, if the underfloor heating is damaged) and I might end up responsible for the damage.

What could possibly happen? Any conceivable type of floor covering is installed _on top_ of the screed; no one works directly on the underfloor heating. You _do_ need to know – before the screed is applied – which floor covering you plan to install later so that any differing room heights can be taken into account.

Edit: naturally, the chosen floor covering also affects the interior doors. That’s why it’s important to know what will be installed before the screed is laid.

When your provider hands over the townhouse or condominium, a final inspection takes place. Any outstanding work or defects are recorded, along with a binding timeframe for their correction; all documented in an acceptance protocol.

If you want to exclude flooring from your provider’s scope, this is nothing unusual; it’s quite common in many new-build projects. A reputable provider will inform you in writing about the necessary drying times of the screed for tiles or other floor coverings, and then they have fulfilled their part.

You should – already when requesting flooring quotes – make clear that this is a new building and that checking the screed’s readiness for the floor covering must be included in the contractor’s scope; this is part of the contract. Following this approach, in the worst case there will be no disputes between provider and flooring installer, since warranty responsibilities are clearly defined.

Best regards, Bauexperte

I would like to add that it can be helpful to clearly define who is responsible for the heating protocol. Screed installers, floor layers, and heating technicians do not always agree on this.