In a perfect world, every last commercial and residential building constructed would be perfectly designed and flawlessly executed. Buildings would stand for hundreds of years, with nary a foundation issue or ceiling crack or crooked window to speak of.
But this is the real world, and construction defects happen. They’re so common in the construction industry, in fact, that construction litigation deals with four separate categories, into which every conceivable type of building issue can be placed.
What are the Various Types of Construction Defects?
There are design issues (professional errors by engineers or architects); project or material deficiencies (the use of inappropriate or low-quality materials); workmanship issues (errors in wiring, plumbing, or other major systems); and subsurface problems (settling issues or foundation cracks).
There’s no doubt that being the owner of a residence or commercial property with serious construction defects can lead to some seriously stressful situations. Unfortunately, without an experienced construction attorney in Bucks County on your side, the issues you’re dealing with are very unlikely to disappear or resolve themselves anytime soon.
How Are Construction Defects Caused?
In most instances, construction defects are the result of either shoddy workmanship or the use of cheap or defective materials. But here’s the rub: Determining the cause of a specific defect is very rarely a simple process. Nor is it a process the average layman can uncover on his (or her) own. And that’s exactly why it’s so crucially important to have a tried and experienced expert on your side if you think your property may have serious defects that weren’t disclosed at the time of sale.
An improper soil analysis, for instance, can lead to problems many years down the road. It’s the same story with an improper site selection: If the site on which your property was constructed wasn’t chosen properly by a site selection expert, months or even years can pass before potential issues become apparent. The same story can play out if the structural engineering process was somehow flawed: Many months can pass before you begin to realize just how dire of a situation you’re potentially facing.
What Sorts of Construction Defects Should I Be Looking For?
Naturally, there are more types of construction defects than we have the space to mention here. But where litigation is concerned, some of the most common defects include mold and water issues; heating and electrical issues; cracks in a building’s floor, wall, roof, or foundation; drainage problems; and structural failure.
How Do Construction Attorneys Prove Construction Defects in Court?
Different defects tend to be argued in different ways, and where litigation is concerned, there are essentially two types of defects: “Patent” defects are obvious issues that even an untrained homeowner will likely noticed, like a window or door that won’t properly close. “Latent” defects, meanwhile, are either hidden (such as a structural issue), or don’t become apparent until many years after the home’s construction.
My Building May Be Defective — What Do I Do Now?
For starters, try not to panic. It’s always possible that the defect you’ve discovered could be a very easy and inexpensive fix. And it may have nothing whatsoever to do with a deep-seated construction defect.
Next, get in touch with the Benner and Wild team, and schedule an appointment to discuss your situation. If it turns out that you do indeed have a construction defect situation, you’ll soon find that our very experienced attorneys are well trained and especially confident in their very high levels of competency.
Since 1995, the attorneys of the Doylestown-based Benner and Wild firm have been providing quality legal services for clients in Bucks County and surrounds. Benner and Wild routinely represent parties in real estate litigation matters. In fact, a properly experienced construction attorney in Bucks County can also be the answer to your problems if you’re an architect or contractor who’s being sued by a property owner with an allegedly defective building.
Getting in touch with us today is the first step you’ll take in putting this unfortunate situation behind you for good.