# California Builder Defect Warranty Rules | Who Pays the Repair?

> California's Right to Repair Act ties builder liability to specific standards, with a 10-year statute of repose.

**Who pays:** third-party

California's Right to Repair Act ties builder liability to a specific list of construction standards and a mandatory repair opportunity, with claims barred 10 years after substantial completion.

**Boundary:** California's Right to Repair Act makes the builder liable for violating detailed construction standards (Civil Code §896) and gives it a pre-litigation right to inspect and repair; claims are barred 10 years after substantial completion under §941.

## Sources
- [Cal. Civil Code § 896 (Right to Repair Act standards)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=896) — "In any action seeking recovery of damages arising out of, or related to deficiencies in, the residential construction, design, specifications, surveying, planning, supervision, testing, or observation of construction, a builder ... shall ... be liable for, and the claimant's claims or causes of action shall be limited to violation of, the following standards." (accessed 2026-09-13)
- [Cal. Civil Code § 941](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=941) — "Except as specifically set forth in this title, no action may be brought to recover under this title more than 10 years after substantial completion of the improvement but not later than the date of recordation of a valid notice of completion." (accessed 2026-09-13)
- [Cal. Civil Code § 916(a): Right to Repair Act, prelitigation procedure](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=916) — "If a builder elects to inspect the claimed unmet standards, the builder shall complete the initial inspection and testing within 14 days after acknowledgment of receipt of the notice of the claim, at a mutually convenient date and time." (accessed 2026-09-27)

_Last verified 2026-09-20. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/california-new-home-builder-defect-warranty/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._