during the first year all the wood shrinks as the house dries out so you will have caulking and maybe some shifting going on. Stuff also tends to fail within the first year (any plubming issues, electrical etc..) that may have gotten over looked.

By law the builder must offer 1 year plus the manufacturers warranty on all items where such a warranty exists. Reputable builders provide a binder at closing with all of the warranty information for appliances, systems, etc.

IMO, a longer-term warranty is unnecessary - as PP said, most builders will come in and fix minor things even after they don't "have" to, as a simple customer service and to obtain referrals.

We had a 1 year warranty. The builder came in a 6 months and fixed stuff (nail pops, things like that) and then again at 1 year. We even had something come up around 18 months and he happily sent some guys over to take care if it.

When buying a spec home from a builder in Northern Virginia, is it customary for the builder to offer a builder's warranty? Or is it all negotiable? I know new construction can have some unique problems in the first few years after the build.