Keystone warns newer Utah homes can still suffer water damage

Keystone Restoration Group is warning homeowners in Lehi, north Utah County and growing south valley neighborhoods that new construction can still fail from installation defects. The firm says catching those problems early can determine whether a repair falls under a builder warranty or becomes the homeowner’s cost.

Why it matters: - Newer homes are not automatically protected from water damage, and defects can appear before normal wear and tear sets in. - In fast-growing Utah communities, a hidden leak can still destroy finished materials and trigger costly repairs. - Warranty timing can decide who pays for a defect that surfaces after closing.

What happened: - Keystone Restoration Group is advising homeowners in Lehi, north Utah County and newer south valley subdivisions to treat newly built homes as vulnerable to water loss. - The company says older homes usually fail from deterioration, while newer homes more often fail from installation defects. - Seth Saxton, founder of Keystone Restoration Group, said a three-year-old house can still have a water problem if something was installed wrong from the start.

The details: - Common failure points in newer homes include improperly seated push-fit connections, over-tightened or cross-threaded supply line fittings at toilets and sinks, unsecured washing machine hoses, and refrigerator ice maker lines without proper support. - Builder warranties usually cover workmanship for a limited period after closing. - A defect found and documented inside that window may be the builder’s responsibility. - The same defect found later is generally the homeowner’s responsibility. - Water from a failed connection can damage carpet and pad, drywall, baseboard, subfloor and framing. - The cost of a loss depends less on the size of the leak than on how long the leak runs before someone notices. - Keystone recommends visual checks of supply line connections at toilets, sinks, dishwashers and washing machines at least twice a year. - Keystone also recommends replacing rubber washing machine hoses with braided stainless steel. - Homeowners should know the location of the main water shutoff. - Closing documents should be kept accessible so warranty timelines can be confirmed quickly after a loss.

Between the lines: - The warning reflects a common mismatch between buyer expectations and construction reality: a newer home may look safe while still carrying hidden plumbing risks. - The warranty issue raises the stakes for documentation, since delays can shift a repair from builder-covered to out-of-pocket. - The message also points to a simple prevention playbook that costs far less than a major interior water loss.

What's next: - Homeowners in newer subdivisions are likely to face more pressure to inspect plumbing connections proactively instead of waiting for visible signs of failure. - Keystone’s guidance suggests the first response to a suspected leak should be to shut off water fast and confirm warranty status immediately. - The company says it provides 24/7 emergency response for residential and commercial water losses across Salt Lake, Utah, Davis and Wasatch counties.

The bottom line: - New construction can still leak, and in many cases the difference between a manageable repair and a major loss is early inspection and fast documentation.