11-month warranty inspection — document the defects before the warranty closes.
Most Eden Prairie builder workmanship warranties cover 12 months from closing. We inspect at month eleven — settling cracks, HVAC commissioning issues, finish-grade movement — and deliver a builder-ready punch list with three to four weeks of warranty time still on the clock.
A full Minnesota seasonal cycle reveals everything.
By month eleven your Eden Prairie home has been through deep winter, spring frost cycles, summer humidity above 60%, and autumn temperature swings. Settling has finished. HVAC has been challenged through both heating and cooling extremes. Finish grade has shifted with snowmelt. Deck fasteners have been through a full freeze cycle. Every defect that the first year will reveal has been revealed. Booking at month eleven leaves three to four weeks for the builder to dispatch trades before the workmanship warranty closes.
Six categories that emerge by month eleven.
These are the six finding categories we see most consistently on Eden Prairie new construction at the eleven-month mark — across Bearpath, Hennepin Village, and Lake Riley custom builds.
Drywall settling cracks
Hairline cracks at corners, seams, and door/window headers. Normal first-year movement — most builders bundle into a single drywall-repair visit at the warranty walk.
HVAC zone commissioning
Air balance off across zones, static pressure not measured, refrigerant charge approximate, controls calibration default. Surfaces only after both seasons. Builder-warranty-covered.
Finish-grade settlement
Backfill settles around foundation, pulling grade away from the slab and reversing positive drainage. Builder regrades under workmanship warranty. Photographed and elevation-noted.
Door & window adjustment
Frames settle, hardware drifts, weatherstripping compresses. Sticking doors, latches misaligned, sashes binding. Trade visit covers full house.
Tile grout & caulk lines
Grout shrinkage cracks at floor-to-wall transitions, tub surrounds, kitchen backsplashes. Exterior caulk pulling at trim joints. Re-caulk and re-grout under warranty.
Deck fasteners & ledger
Lag-bolt heads pulling, deck-board cupping at fastener gaps, ledger flashing showing first signs of separation. First freeze cycle reveals all of it.
Three steps. Builder-ready punch list.
Homeowner observation list
Before our visit we ask you for a running list of every quirk noticed in the past year — sticky doors, register noises, floor squeaks, fogged windows. We add yours to ours rather than starting from zero.
Full inspection focused on year-one defects
Three to five hours on site. Drywall, HVAC commissioning, finish grade, doors and windows, tile and caulk, deck and fasteners, exterior caulk, attic baffles, basement cove joints. Thermal imaging on every accessible wall.
Builder-ready punch list
Same-evening report. Severity tagging — what is normal first-year movement vs. what is workmanship the builder owes you. The warranty manager can hand the list directly to the trades.
The warranty closes in 30 days. Book the visit now.
Two-minute quote. Same-evening punch list. Builder-ready format.