Colorado’s terrain presents unique challenges to home builders and developers. Volatile soils and unstable sloping lands can create issues that have to be properly addressed before building can even begin. Generally, though, most potential problems are foreseeable, and builders have well-established techniques available to address these matters. When designers and builders do not follow those techniques or do their jobs properly, however, homeowners are the ones who suffer the consequences, in the form of cracked foundations and other building problems.
When a home is built, it sits in the middle of nature. The developers must account for surrounding environmental issues. The law gives homeowners protections when developers are negligent in this regard. As a homeowner, you are entitled to adequate, timely, and full disclosure of the risks associated with the underlying soils and slopes. You are also entitled to disclosure of the various construction techniques employed (or could have been employed) to deal with these conditions.
If you have not been fully informed of these terrain challenges, or if your builder failed to take the standard precautions to address the underlying geologic hazards, we can help you. We work effectively to protect the rights and interests of Colorado homeowners.
Call us as soon as possible to schedule a confidential free consultation with one of our Colorado construction defect attorneys at 303-792-5595 or fill out our Free Case Evaluation form before it is too late.
Burg Simpson is a leading construction defect litigation law firm. Our Colorado construction defect attorneys have represented thousands of Colorado homeowners in lawsuits seeking compensation for damage caused by:
- Collapsing soils (soils that collapse when wet)
- Expansive soils (wetted soils that exert thousands of pounds of pressure)
- Landslides
- Rock falls
- Flooding
- Soil erosion
- Mud slides
- Leaking irrigation ditches
Fill out the form on the right to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our experienced Denver construction defect attorneys. We handle most construction defect matters on a contingency basis. Until we secure financial compensation for you, we receive no attorneys’ fees. Call Burg Simpson today at 303-792-5595 or fill out our FREE Case Evaluation Form NOW.
Collapsible soils are sediments that can quickly settle – or collapse – the ground. These sudden settlements can damage foundations, sidewalks, and even roads. The most common type of collapsible soil in Colorado is what is called hydrocompactive soil. According to the Colorado Geological Survey, hydrocompactive soils occur in environments “characterized by low density and low moisture contents. The soil grains in this dry soil are not packed tightly together. Instead, the grains are precariously stacked, like a house of cards”. When water is introduced to this type of soil, it shifts and settles dramatically, collapsing the house of cards.
Another kind of collapsible soil is dispersive soil, which is dislodged quickly in running water. This type of soil is highly vulnerable to erosion, and can readily break down into its basic components of sand, silt, and clay.
Colorado is also home to what is known as “expansive soils”. These types of sediments are classified as soil and rock that contains clay and expands significantly when it gets wet, by as much as 10 percent, and then shrinks once it dries out.
Obviously, the prevalence of these difficult soil types does not prevent home building in Colorado. Proper design and construction can manage these obstacles. Just as bad design and/or construction can lead to crumbling or cracked foundations.
If cracks are spreading throughout the foundation of your new home, you could be experiencing collapsing or expanding soil issues. Call a construction defects lawyer at Burg Simpson at 303-792-5595 for a no-cost, no-obligation evaluation of your case today.
CONTACT BURG SIMPSON, THE CONSTRUCTION DEFECT LAWYER EXPERTS
We always advise homeowner associations and individual homeowners to attempt to work out problems with builders and developers first. But after you have exhausted every other reasonable avenue to get them to fix the problem, our law firm will step in and provide assistance. Our construction defect law firm strongly encourages the use of “Plan B” settlements involving roundtable meetings of construction experts in an effort to develop a reasonable repair plan to be funded by those responsible for creating the problems. Homeowner associations and homeowners must be careful, however, not to rush prematurely into agreeing to a “Plan B” repair that merely provides Band-Aid repairs following an inadequate investigation that will come back to haunt the owners years later.
Fill out our case evaluation form or call us to discuss your concerns related to soil erosion, slope instability, and any other construction defect with a Burg Simpson construction defects lawyer. Call us at 303-792-5595 or fill out our Free Case Evaluation form here.
