Warranty Intake for General Contracting

Collect standard contract templates, warranty clauses, and any separate warranty documents used by the company. Make sure you have the most recent versions that are currently in use.

Read through the documents and list the typical coverage durations (for example, one year workmanship, longer for certain systems) and clear examples of what is covered and what is excluded (wear-and-tear, client damage, etc.).

Working with operations and leadership, establish target timeframes for acknowledging a claim, scheduling an inspection, and completing typical warranty work, broken down by severity (emergency vs non-emergency).

Rewrite key coverage rules and timelines into a short, easy-to-read internal guide that customer service staff can understand and use while talking to clients. Avoid legal jargon where possible.

Build a one-page cheat sheet or FAQ summarizing common scenarios (for example, nail pops, door adjustments, leaks) and how they are typically handled under warranty.

Share the drafted guidelines and quick-reference tools with company leadership for review and approval. Once approved, publish them in a shared location for use in day-to-day warranty intake.

Ensure the company website, handover materials, and homeowner manuals all show the same dedicated warranty phone number and email address, plus any online request form link.

Work with your phone and email providers to route the dedicated warranty phone line and email address to the appropriate shared inbox or ticket system monitored by customer service staff.

When a client calls with a potential warranty issue, answer or return the call using a standard greeting that includes your name, company name, and mention of warranty service (for example, “Warranty and Service Department”).

If a client reaches out via a salesperson, superintendent, or general company number, ask that person to either transfer the call or forward the email to the warranty inbox. Make sure staff know they should not personally manage warranty items outside the intake process.

As soon as a warranty contact is received (regardless of channel), write down the client’s name, contact method, time of contact, and a short note about the issue so nothing is lost while you gather more details.

Tell the client that you will ask a few questions to document the issue properly and to confirm how it will be handled. This prepares them for the next steps and shows you are following a process, not improvising.

Open a pre-prepared intake form (paper or digital) that includes all required fields for client and project details. Follow the form as a script to avoid missing key information.

Ask the caller for their full name, whether they are the original owner or a subsequent owner, and their relationship to the property (owner, tenant, property manager, etc.). Record this accurately.

Write down the full property address, including unit number if applicable, and any known project identifiers like the job number or lot number. If the client does not know these, note that they are unknown and will be looked up.

Ask for the best phone number and email for follow-up, plus any preferred contact times. Confirm spelling of the email address and repeat phone numbers back to reduce errors.

Briefly ask whether they used the number from their closing documents, website, or another source. This is optional but can help you know whether clients are using the correct channels.

Read back the key details (name, address, contact info) to the client to ensure there are no mistakes. Make corrections immediately if anything is wrong.

Let the client explain what is happening without interrupting, and take notes. This helps them feel heard and may reveal details that are not in your standard questions.

Ask for the specific room, floor, and approximate location (for example, “upstairs hall bathroom, left wall near the shower,” or “living room ceiling above the sofa”). Write this in clear, specific terms.

Ask when the client first noticed the issue and whether it is constant, intermittent, or tied to certain conditions (like heavy rain, hot weather, or running specific equipment). This information often helps with diagnosis.

Ask whether anyone has done anything to address the problem so far (for example, “We tried to tighten the hinge,” or “We had a plumber out on our own”). Note these actions in your description.

Check whether the client has noticed other issues that might be related, such as other doors binding, multiple cracks, or noises in the same area. This may help group related problems under one intake.

Repeat the description you’ve recorded in simple, structured language, and ask the client to confirm you have it right. Adjust details if they correct anything.

Tell the client, in simple terms, that photos or short videos help your team and trades understand the problem faster and may reduce the number of visits needed to resolve it.

Describe the types of images you need, such as close-up and wider shots showing the issue in context, and any indicators like water stains, cracks, or hardware. Ask them to include something for scale where helpful (like a coin or tape measure).

Explain how the client can submit images: reply to your email with attachments, upload via an online form, or text them to a provided number if your system supports it. Confirm which method they prefer.

In the intake form, mark that you’ve requested photos or videos and note the date. If you have not received them within a reasonable time, you will know to follow up.

When files arrive, save them in a consistent folder structure, named with the client’s name, project ID, and date. Link them to the intake record in your system so inspectors can easily find them.

Quickly review the files to ensure they actually show the issue described. If something is unclear or missing (for example, only a close-up with no context), request additional specific photos.

Using the client name, property address, or project number, find the corresponding job record in your project management or accounting system. Confirm that your company was the builder/contractor.

Locate the substantial completion or closing date to determine how old the project is. Compare this against standard warranty durations for workmanship and specific systems.

Using your warranty coverage guidelines, determine whether the type of issue reported is typically covered under warranty, potentially covered, or clearly excluded (for example, normal wear, homeowner damage).

If the issue is obviously outside the warranty period or coverage scope, mark it as non-warranty in your intake record and note why. This does not mean you will not help, but it affects how you frame the conversation.

If it is not clear whether the issue is covered, mark it as “requires review” and note the reason. Plan to discuss these with a manager or technical lead before promising warranty coverage.

Enter a simple status such as “In Warranty,” “Out of Warranty,” or “Review Needed” in your system, along with a short note. This status will drive how you communicate with the client in the next step.

Working with operations, create simple severity levels such as Emergency (safety or active damage), High (significant impact but not an emergency), and Routine (minor items). Document common examples in each category.

Ask whether the issue involves active water leaks, electrical hazards, gas smells, structural concerns, or loss of essential services (heat in winter, AC in extreme heat). Any “yes” in these areas typically indicates at least High, often Emergency.

Consider whether the issue prevents normal use of key spaces or systems (for example, a completely non-functioning bathroom in a one-bath unit). Higher impact issues merit higher priority.

Take into account special situations such as elderly or medically fragile occupants, or issues arising right before major events. Note these factors in the intake record even if the technical severity is moderate.

Using your definitions, assign a priority level to the case and record it clearly in the system. Do not base this solely on client emotion; use the criteria plus good judgment.

For cases marked Emergency, immediately notify the scheduling or service lead and follow any defined emergency response procedures, rather than letting them sit in the normal queue.

In your CRM, project management, or warranty tracking system, create a new case using the appropriate project and client information. If you do not have a dedicated system, use a standardized spreadsheet or log.

Copy the verified client name, contact info, and property address from your intake form into the case. Double-check for typing errors that could affect communication.

Paste or type the structured issue description into the case, and attach or link the supporting photos and documents. Include notes about timing, frequency, and any attempted fixes.

Set the case fields for warranty eligibility (“In Warranty,” “Out of Warranty,” or “Review Needed”) and priority level (Emergency, High, Routine). These will drive how the case is handled downstream.

Let the system generate a case number or assign one manually using your company’s numbering scheme. This number will be used in communication with the client and internal teams.

Review the case entry for completeness and accuracy, then save it. Reopen it to confirm that all attachments and fields display correctly before moving on.

Use a consistent email or letter template that includes the company name, thanks for contacting, the case number, summary of the issue, and a general outline of next steps and timelines.

Fill in the template with the client’s name, project address, case number, and a brief restatement of the reported issue. Adjust the wording to reflect the assigned priority and whether the issue appears in or out of warranty.

Without making promises you cannot keep, indicate whether the issue appears to be within warranty, requires further review, or appears outside warranty but will still be reviewed. Use careful wording approved by leadership.

Tell the client when they should expect to hear from the company about scheduling an inspection or repair (for example, “within 2 business days” for routine, “same day” for emergencies).

Include the dedicated warranty phone/email again and ask the client to reference the case number in future correspondence. This helps route future messages correctly.

Send the email or letter and record the date and method in the warranty case record. If you spoke by phone, note what you said, and send a brief follow-up email where possible.

Based on your organizational structure, decide whether warranty cases will be owned by a specific warranty coordinator, customer service rep, or service manager. For complex projects, a project manager may be involved as well.

Set the “Owner” or “Assigned To” field on the warranty case to the chosen person. If your system supports it, notify them via automatic email or internal notification.

Before handing off, quickly review that all key fields are populated: client info, address, issue description, eligibility status, priority, supporting photos, and any special circumstances.

Write a concise internal summary in the case notes (not visible to the client) that highlights the main issue, any sensitivities, and any initial thoughts from the intake team that may help scheduling and inspection.

Inform the scheduling coordinator or function (this may be the same person as the owner in small companies) that the case is ready for scheduling. Provide the case number and any notes on preferred times or access constraints from the client.

Change the case status from something like “Intake – Open” to “Ready for Scheduling” or your equivalent status. This signals that the case has completed the intake process and is entering the next stage in the warranty workflow.