Turnover & closeout
Warranty walk (11-month)
Also called: 11-month walk, warranty inspection
A warranty walk is an inspection of the building near the end of the warranty period — often around the eleventh month of a standard one-year term — where the owner and contractor go through the completed work and log anything that has failed, settled, or drifted. The point is to catch and document defects while coverage is still active and the contractor is still on the hook. Whether such a walk is required, and its timing, follows the contract and the warranty terms.
Why it matters
A year of use reveals what construction never could — seasonal movement, settling, seals that let go, and systems that behaved on test day but drift over months. The 11-month timing is deliberate: it leaves room to document items and get them corrected before the one-year workmanship warranty closes and the owner starts paying for repairs themselves.
How it shows up on site
The group walks the building much like a punch walk, flagging each defect with a location and enough detail to act on. The list drives warranty repairs, and each item is worth capturing with a photo and clear location so the claim is easy to verify and close before coverage lapses.
Common mistakes
Skipping the walk and finding the problems after the period closes. Logging items too late to fix them in time. Recording defects too vaguely to distinguish a warranty item from ordinary wear, which invites a dispute over who pays.
Checklists that put warranty walk (11-month) to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Warranty periodThe defined span after completion during which the contractor is responsible for correcting defects in the work at no cost to the owner.
- Final walkthroughThe end-of-project walk where the owner and contractor inspect the completed work together and generate or verify the punch list.
- Punch list completionDriving every item on the punch list to closed and verified, so nothing remains before final completion.
- Final acceptanceThe owner's formal acknowledgment that the work is complete and accepted, closing out the contractor's obligations short of warranty.
- Substantial completionThe milestone where the work is usable for its intended purpose, even with minor punch items still open.
- Certificate of occupancy (CO)The document the building department issues confirming a completed building is code-compliant and legal to occupy.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.