A Homeowner Discovered Drainage Problems After Construction. How the Claim Was Resolved

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A builder has agreed to regrade a lot and repair foundation damage, work valued at about $120,000, after summer storms sent water pooling against an Albuquerque family's new home.

The builder first blamed the family's landscaping.

Water at the foundation had started to crack interior walls, and the problem would worsen with every monsoon season.

Brisvane Legal hired a civil engineer who compared the approved grading plan with the finished lot and found it sloped toward the house. Construction records showed the final grading had never been inspected.

The builder agreed to regrade the lot, install drainage and repair the foundation under an engineer's supervision, with work valued at about $120,000.

The settlement provides repairs rather than cash. The family's earlier repair costs were not reimbursed.

Approved plans and inspection records can show whether a defect came from construction or from later changes.