LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas couple says their new home has become a nightmare as they have lived at a construction site – finding beer cans and trash built into the house.
At nearly half a million dollars a newly built home is expected to be almost perfect.
However, the dream of homeownership has turned out to be a real nightmare for Julie and Ryan Butler.
From the outside, nothing looked out of the ordinary, but inside the home, belonging to the Butlers', it appeared to be a work in progress.
"I have cried, I've fought back the tears every day," Julie said.
Before closing she told 13 Action News that she completed a walk through and pointed out things that needed fixing.
But she claims she never got a chance for a final walk through to verify everything was right, as the couple noticed there was a laundry list of issues with the home.
"After we moved in I noticed OK they didn't do this, then do this, didn't do this, fix the lines in the walls and things like that," Julie said.
So much so, they hired a home inspector to get an expert opinion.
"I'm not aware of these things, so, I have to seek someone professionally to see what was actually going on with his home," Julie said.
A 66-page report commissioned four months after the home was considered finished detailed the potential problems.
There was poor workmanship in the master bathroom, according to the report, with the tub shifted toward the wall and the faucet amiss - describing it as too short and spilling water onto the sides instead of the bottom.
The report also recommended total removal and re-install. The HVAC unit condensing pipe also wasn't routed to the outside for drainage causing a potential leakage issue.
There were cracks in the granite of the kitchen backsplash, the report continued, with some sections of the counter not level - adding the workmanship appeared to be substandard.
This also went for the cabinets throughout the house, according to the report.
Century Communities, the homebuilder, agreed to do the repairs, but then more issues appeared.
"They remove the granite and underneath were two beer cans, two empty water bottles, the schematics of the home," Julie said.
The Butlers' said it appears construction workers built part of their home around trash.
"Absolutely 100 percent unacceptable. That is not something that we are proud of, and we saw the video, and we know of it now that was some contractors that work for us that we made some changes there, but that particular issue is absolutely unacceptable," said Andy Boian, a spokesperson with Century Communities.
The Butlers' have filed a complaint with the Nevada State Contractors Board - the agency that oversees workmanship Issues.
Jennifer Lewis, with the contractors board, said workmanship complaints typically rise as more construction projects get underway in Nevada.
"We're not seeing a huge increase in complaints being filed right now .but certainly there is a slight uptick," Lewis said.
She also said the key to a quick fix is working with the contractor or builder first and not to fix the mistakes yourself as investigators need to see the finished product before issuing any fines or revoking licenses.
"If you're still not satisfied, absolutely file a complaint with our office and allow us to look into the matter," Lewis said.
The homebuilder said it has tried to meet the Butlers' expectations by extending their home warranty as a courtesy, but the Butlers' said there's no estimate as to when their lives and their home can finally settle down.
"It's frustrating, we just want the home to be finished so we can finish unpacking and go on with our lives," Jule said.
Here are a few additional tips for homeowners who might find themselves in such a situation:
-Never hire an unlicensed contractor.
-Verify contract number.
-4-year protection of the board for licensed contractor troubles.
-Homeowners may qualify for a residential recovery fund up to $35,000
-Read the small print
