Over the past year, I have been contacted by multiple Texas property owners whose municipalities are demanding that they hire—and pay for—a so-called “third-party inspector” to retroactively evaluate construction completed decades ago, as though it were new construction subject to current building codes. These demands are often framed as prerequisites to permit closure, continued occupancy, or recognition of an existing use that has been in place for many years. This practi

Across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, a growing number of builders have begun dictating the exact date and time when a buyer’s independent final inspection “may” occur, often limiting the window to a single option with no exceptions. These notices read less like coordination and more like commands: one day, one time, take it or leave it. It is an unmistakable attempt to limit oversight of defective work by making third-party inspections as inconvenient and impossible as pos

Across the Dallas–Fort Worth region, a growing number of builders now condition their sales contracts on one astonishing limitation: the buyer may conduct only a single inspection , almost always the final inspection immediately before closing. On paper, this appears benign—a scheduling control measure. In practice, it’s a calculated device that shields builders from scrutiny, prevents early defect discovery, and leaves buyers functionally defenseless against construction fai

When a home construction project goes wrong, the same builder or contractor who caused the problem often demands the right to return to the property for “repairs,” “testing,” or “inspection.” To the uninitiated, that might sound cooperative. To anyone familiar with post-construction disputes, it is an enormous liability trap. Once a disagreement exists, the property is no longer just a house — it is a piece of evidence. Any careless act, untrained worker, or uninsured “expert

When litigating a residential construction dispute, building codes are often the fulcrum of liability. In Texas, the International...

Attorneys handling residential construction cases in Texas often assume that when a builder produces an “inspection report” from an...

Few building failures generate more litigation in Texas than water intrusion through windows and doors. Builders often try to frame these...

In North Texas, the house-flipping industry has become a booming business. Investors—many with little to no construction...

"Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Insulation: A Legal Minefield for Texas Homeowners" Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation is aggressively marketed by Texas builders as a premium “green” upgrade. Brochures promise high R-values per inch, reduced utility bills, and airtight building envelopes that easily meet International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requirements. In practice, however, SPF is one of the most litigation-prone materials currently used in Texas residential c

One of the least discussed, but most impactful, realities in residential construction litigation is the deliberate insulation of major...

One of the most frequently overlooked defects in residential construction is voltage drop. Most municipal inspectors and even private...

Window replacement in existing homes is one of the most litigated areas of residential construction. It involves not only workmanship but...

When Texas builders talk about “meeting code,” they often make it sound as if that’s the gold standard for residential construction. In...

If you’re a Texas homeowner staring down a construction defect in your brand-new house, you may assume you’ll have your day in court. But...

In residential construction defect litigation, few problems are as widespread or as financially ruinous as water intrusion through...

It always starts the same way. A family is blindsided by disaster—a pipe bursts while they’re at work, a hailstorm punches through a...

In June 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott quietly signed SB 1202 into law. On its face, the bill looks harmless—almost helpful. It allows...

In many Texas jurisdictions, the responsibility for residential building inspections has quietly shifted away from municipal employees...

HB 23, now passed by the Texas House and under Senate consideration, is yet another Trojan horse masquerading as a solution to...

The Texas Residential Construction Liability Act (RCLA) was supposed to strike a balance between protecting homeowners and shielding...