Jan 14, 2025
Katherine Graff moved into a newly built home in Morganton, North Carolina in May 2023. In less than two years, her brand-new home has already cost her $40,000 for structural repairs.
And based on recent engineering inspections, she believes it could cost her up to $300,000 despite having an inspection done.
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“I’m never gonna get my money back from this house. All my retirement, everything. I mean, this is your biggest investment of one’s lifetime and it’s gone,” Graff shared with WCNC Charlotte reporters.
Within a month of moving in, Graff says she noticed carpenter ants coming through significant gaps in her home’s siding. When she went into the home’s crawl space, she noticed even more issues with the foundation and structure of the home, including large gaps and misaligned pillars.
Complaints to the builder and government agencies went nowhere
According to statements to WCNC Charlotte, Graff has experience in building. She’s worked in brand new buildings, including schools and hospitals, “pulling wire,” a term often used to refer to the work electricians do to pull wire through walls when running electricity.
This experience may have provided Graff with more insight into construction issues — but it didn’t do much to help her resolve the issue. Graff says she reached out to builder Timothy Truitt of CMTT Properties and Belmont Builders and was met with resistance.
“He pretty much said, ‘Nope,’ and sent me a letter from his lawyer telling him not to contact him anymore,” Graff shared with WCNC Charlotte. The WCNC Charlotte team reached out to Truitt and is waiting for a response.
Graff then filed a complaint with the North Carolina Licensing Board of General Contractors, which has since opened an investigation into the builder. However, the review is still pending. She then contacted Burke County officials for assistance but found their response unhelpful.
“I honestly kind of got pushed under the table by the county,” Graff shared. “[A county official] really didn’t do anything. He didn’t say much. He was kind of like, ‘Well, we’ll talk to the builder,’ and that’s really all I’ve heard from the county. I’ve tried to contact the county. I’ve asked them if they could change their processes and procedures to prevent this from happening. And I haven’t gotten any response really from the county.”
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Then Graff discovered something even more troubling — the builder might not have had a valid license when he started building. According to Graff, county inspection sheets indicated that construction on her home began in September 2022, yet state records revealed the builder’s license would not have been valid at that time.
“He didn’t have a valid license at the time when he applied for the building permit,” Graff said. “The county didn’t even do a license search until 30 days later.”
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How to protect yourself from similar struggles
WCNC Charlotte reached out to Brian Epley, the Burke County Manager, for comments. He responded, in part: “Ultimately, any build project is a contract between the homeowner and builder. Our role is to ensure code compliance according to North Carolina and Burke County standards. Our county staff thoroughly investigated this property and turned over our findings to the NC License General Contracting Board for further investigation involving the builder... at this time, we are unaware of any findings or results from the board’s review.”
To protect yourself from a similar situation, it’s important to take proactive steps before committing to a new home purchase or building project. Here are several tips to help protect your investment.
- Verify the builder's credentials: Before hiring a builder, always verify they are correctly licensed and insured. In Graff’s case, the builder may not have been licensed at the time of the build, which is a significant red flag. In many states, you can verify a builder’s licensing status by searching “contractor registration
” or with your local construction licensing board. - Hire a reputable inspector: While Graff did hire an inspector, she didn’t discover the structural issues until later. This may indicate the inspector did not do a thorough job or was inexperienced. Make sure the inspector is licensed and reputable and that the inspection includes a comprehensive look at the foundation, plumbing, electrical systems, and other structural elements.
- Don’t hesitate to report issues: If you suspect a contractor is operating without the proper license, or if you’re facing structural issues with your home, report it to local authorities and your state’s contractor licensing board. This can prompt an investigation, but be prepared for the process to take time. The more complaints they receive, the better chance you have of action being taken.
If all else fails, be prepared to take legal action. Filing a civil case may force the builder or the builder's insurance company to pay for updates and repairs for structural issues.
Currently, Graff is urging county officials to improve their processes and prioritize citizens over builders.
“Please guys, get your act together," Graff shared. “You guys can do better for us as citizens. There’s no reason to protect an elite few builders when you got thousands of citizens here that need you guys to protect them.”
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Danielle is a personal finance writer whose work has appeared in publications including Motley Fool and Business Insider. She believes financial literacy key to helping people build a life they love. She’s especially passionate about helping families and kids learn smart money habits early.
