All RWC warranties provide structural coverage on load-bearing segments of the home, building or remodeling project. But not all structural warranties are written exactly alike. RWC provides 2 main options for consideration and you have the ability to choose the format you think best fits your business needs.
Whether you choose to use a ‘definition’ approach or a ‘specific measurement’ approach for your structural warranty is entirely up to you. Options for Day One Structural Coverage by the Insurer are available under both approaches.
The Major Structural Defect (MSD) variety of warranty is the “traditional” approach to coverage and is determined by industry recognized definitions for structural failures.
The Designated Structural Element (DSE) variety of warranty is an innovative approach to coverage which uses specific measurements and tolerance limits to determine the structural coverage.
Builders may also choose between “full” coverage and “structural only” coverage. In either option, your liability as the Builder is limited.
“Structural Only Coverage” means you choose one of the two types of structural formats described above. Then structural coverage is provided for the entire warranty term.
“Full Coverage” means that we couple Structural Coverage together with industry-accepted standards for 1st and 2nd year items (workmanship, materials, & selected portions of mechanical systems).
Does the ‘traditional’ 10 year warranty hold the most appeal for you or do you like the concept of a customized warranty based on your state’s statutes? RWC again allows you to make the call.
Historically, the standard 10 Year Major Structural Defect (MSD) warranty is what this industry has provided and is the coverage Builders have become accustomed to 40 years. Ten-year warranties have been an effective way to deal with a variety of issues including customer service, marketing, and mandated new home legislation.
RWC has a more “customized” approach to warranties as well. Our Customized State Warranty (CSW) Program is the most unique and specialized warranty program in the industry. Each individual state warranty is crafted to meet that state’s statutes regarding new home warranties. For example, statutes in Indiana require that roof systems be warranted by the Builder for 4 years so the RWC Indiana Warranty includes that coverage. In Iowa, the statute of repose is 10 years, so in that state, the warranty term is 10 years.
Other unique features of our CSW Program include:
