In contracting a new home or commercial building to be constructed, the vast majority of buyers are forced to trust that the builder is using the right materials and construction techniques to deliver an effective structure. Sadly, many builders choose to cut corners and what appears to be a structurally sound construction may begin to develop serious problems shortly after being finished. The role of construction defect investigations are to determine whether the liability falls on the builder, material manufacturer, or other factors. As repair and rebuilding expenses can be quite costly, it is important for an owner to know when sub-par building performance is the root cause of the issue and take the appropriate steps to place the blame where it belongs.

Site Inspection and Destructive Testing
As a first step, a construction expert will make a site inspection to examine all of the visible problems that may be present, including the use of inferior materials and poor designs that raise the likelihood of structural failure. In addition, a construction claims expert will also be able to conduct destructive testing to discover hidden defects that may not appear in normal conditions. This destructive testing can show that the actual material manufacturer is to blame for the structural problem rather than a specific builder. The importance of determining the exact cause of the issue is to prove which party is liable for the defects.

Standard of Care Analysis and Cost Estimation
In addition to the site inspections and destructive testing, a construction defect investigator will need to be able to do a standard of care analysis to determine if a builder or material manufacturer made reasonably prudent decisions and also to provide a cost estimation to determine what financial amount of damage was caused by the defect. In a court setting, a construction expert witness will be able to use the results of the investigation to demonstrate how the defect is responsible for damage to the structure. Also, the use of a expert witness construction professional during trial proceedings will give validity to the accusations and make sure the buyer receives financial compensation for the damages.