Evaluation of Residential Construction Quality Based on Registrar of Contractor Complaint Filings

摘要

The Phoenix metropolitan area is undergoing rapid growth and development, with record new home construction figures each of 1996,1997, and 1998. With the growth has come concerns expressed in the popular media about a number of growth related issues, including the possibility of a decrease in construction quality with the large volume. These concerns fit the general anti-growth sentiments focusing on the urban sprawl issue. In this study, all complaints filed at the Arizona Registrar of Contractors against builders of new homes in fiscal year 1998 were described. The volume of complaints was found to be relatively small. Complaints primarily related to the cosmetic aspects of the homes as compared to critical mechanical or structural issues, as might be expected from home buyers. A summary of the complaints by trade is presented, as well as by the size of the home builder. Volume of homes constructed was found to be a poor predictor of the volume of complaints recorded, as the largest builders experienced very few complaints.