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How long does a contractor have to warranty their work?

It depends on your state and your contract. Minnesota law says a home improvement contractor shall warrant most work for a one-year period, plumbing, electrical, heating or cooling installation for a two-year period, and major structural changes or additions against major construction defects for a ten-year period. That law is quoted below.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

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By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. Sources read: 22 October 2026 Updated 2026-10-22

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Key facts

What Minnesota warranty periods and starting dates does the statute describe?

One, two or ten years, by the kind of work. Minn. Stat. 327A.02, subdivision 3 sets out each period in its own words, quoted below in full.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Minn. Stat. 327A.02, subdivision 3(a), on major structural changes or additions: "(a) In a sale or in a contract for the sale of home improvement work involving major structural changes or additions to a residential building, the home improvement contractor shall warrant to the owner that:" "(1) during the one-year period from and after the warranty date the home improvement shall be free from defects caused by faulty workmanship and defective materials due to noncompliance with building standards; and" "(2) during the ten-year period from and after the warranty date the home improvement shall be free from major construction defects due to noncompliance with building standards."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Subdivision 3(b), on plumbing, electrical, heating or cooling systems: "(b) In a sale or in a contract for the sale of home improvement work involving the installation of plumbing, electrical, heating or cooling systems, the home improvement contractor shall warrant to the owner that, during the two-year period from and after the warranty date, the home improvement shall be free from defects caused by the faulty installation of the system or systems due to noncompliance with building standards."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Subdivision 3(c), on all other home improvement work: "(c) In a sale or in a contract for the sale of any home improvement work not covered by paragraph (a) or (b), the home improvement contractor shall warrant to the owner that, during the one-year period from and after the warranty date, the home improvement shall be free from defects caused by faulty workmanship or defective materials due to noncompliance with building standards."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Subdivision 2a adds: "The statutory warranties provided in this section are not affected by the dissolution of a vendor or home improvement contractor that is a corporation or limited liability company."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

On the date the home improvement work was completed. Minn. Stat. 327A.01, subdivision 8 says so for a home improvement, and subdivision 9 defines what a home improvement is. Both are quoted below.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.01, Definitions, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Minn. Stat. 327A.01, subdivision 8: "In the case of a home improvement, the warranty date is the date on which the home improvement work was completed."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.01, Definitions, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Subdivision 9, defining home improvement, says it "means the repairing, remodeling, altering, converting or modernizing of, or adding to a residential building."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.01, Definitions, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

How soon must you report a defect in Minnesota?

In writing, within six months after you discover or should have discovered the loss or damage. Minn. Stat. 327A.03 lists this among the exclusions from the warranty, and 327A.02, subdivisions 4 and 5 set the contractor's inspection and repair-offer deadlines. The words are quoted below.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.03, Exclusions, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Minn. Stat. 327A.03, clause (a), on what the warranty does not extend to: "(a) loss or damage not reported by the vendee or the owner to the vendor or the home improvement contractor in writing within six months after the vendee or the owner discovers or should have discovered the loss or damage; unless the vendee or owner establishes that the vendor or home improvement contractor had actual notice of the loss or damage;"

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.03, Exclusions, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

The same section's clause (d): "(d) loss or damage from normal wear and tear;"

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.03, Exclusions, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Minn. Stat. 327A.02, subdivision 4(a): "The inspection must be performed by the vendor or home improvement contractor within 30 days of the notification under section 327A.03, clause (a)."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Subdivision 5(a): "(a) Within 15 days of completion of the inspection required by subdivision 4, the vendor or home improvement contractor must provide to the vendee or owner a written offer to repair."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.02, Statutory warranties, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Can a contract cut the Minnesota warranty short?

Only within strict limits. Minn. Stat. 327A.04, subdivision 1 says the provisions cannot be waived or modified by contract or otherwise except as its subdivisions 2 and 3 provide, and subdivision 2 sets the condition quoted below.

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.04, Waiver and modification limited, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Minn. Stat. 327A.04, subdivision 1: "Except as provided in subdivisions 2 and 3, the provisions of sections 327A.01 to 327A.08 cannot be waived or modified by contract or otherwise."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.04, Waiver and modification limited, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

Subdivision 2: "No exclusion or modification shall be effective unless the vendor or the home improvement contractor provides substitute express warranties offering substantially the same protections to the vendee or the owner as the statutory warranties set forth in section 327A.02."

Source: Minnesota Statutes section 327A.04, Waiver and modification limited, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, read 22 October 2026.

How long does Virginia's implied warranty on a new home last?

One year, and five years for the foundation, under Va. Code 55.1-357. In our reading, this section covers the sale of a new dwelling, not a repair or remodel of a home you already own. Its words are quoted below.

Source: Code of Virginia section 55.1-357, Implied warranties on new homes, Code of Virginia, read 22 October 2026.

Va. Code 55.1-357, subsection F: "F. The warranty shall extend for a period of one year from the date of transfer of record title or the vendee's taking possession, whichever occurs first, except that the warranty pursuant to clause (i) of subsection C for the foundation of new dwellings shall extend for a period of five years from the date of transfer of record title or the vendee's taking possession, whichever occurs first. Any action for its breach shall be brought within two years after the breach thereof."

Source: Code of Virginia section 55.1-357, Implied warranties on new homes, Code of Virginia, read 22 October 2026.

Subsection C, on a vendor in the business of building or selling new dwellings: "C. In addition, in every contract for the sale of a new dwelling, the vendor, if he is in the business of building or selling such dwellings, shall be held to warrant to the vendee that, at the time of transfer of record title or the vendee's taking possession, whichever occurs first, the dwelling together with all of its fixtures is sufficiently (i) free from structural defects, so as to pass without objection in the trade; (ii) constructed in a workmanlike manner, so as to pass without objection in the trade; and (iii) fit for habitation."

Source: Code of Virginia section 55.1-357, Implied warranties on new homes, Code of Virginia, read 22 October 2026.

Subsection E, after the buyer's written notice: "After such notice, the vendor shall have a reasonable period of time, not to exceed six months, to cure the defect that is the subject of the warranty claim."

Source: Code of Virginia section 55.1-357, Implied warranties on new homes, Code of Virginia, read 22 October 2026.

How can you pin down the warranty before you sign?

Get the warranty period written into the contract itself, so you are not left to work out later which law or promise applies. This is practical reasoning, not legal advice and not a finding from any agency.

  1. Ask each contractor to write in the bid how long they stand behind their workmanship, and whether that differs for plumbing, electrical, heating or cooling work.
  2. Ask which date the period runs from, such as the day the work is finished, and write that date on the contract when the job ends.
  3. Keep the contract, the final invoice and any product warranty papers for installed equipment in one place.
  4. When you find a defect, report it to the contractor in writing straight away, keep a copy, and add dated photos.
  5. If you live outside Minnesota, read your own state's law, or ask a lawyer there, before you rely on any period above.

Who sees your contact details when you post on InstaBids?

Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 22 October 2026.

Post your job on InstaBids, and contractors can bid in writing on one written scope.

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