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Buying a newly built home is one of the largest and most personal decisions most people ever make. You are choosing where mornings will happen, where family will gather, and where you will feel settled at the end of a long day. Naturally, you also want to know what protects that decision after the keys change hands. If something is not right once you move in, who stands behind the work?
At Casly Homes, the answer is built into every home we sell. Each Casly home includes the QBW 1-2-10 Home Warranty at no extra cost. It is a third party, insurance-backed new home warranty, which means your coverage does not rest on the builder alone. This guide explains what that coverage is, how the 1-2-10 structure protects you year by year, why the insurance-backing matters, and how a new home warranty fits alongside your homeowners insurance.
What the QBW 1-2-10 Warranty Is
Every home Casly builds comes with the QBW 1-2-10 Home Warranty, included at no extra cost. It is a third party, insurance-backed new home warranty, which means the promise behind it does not depend on the builder alone. The coverage is insurance-backed by Liberty Mutual through the QBW program, so it does not live or die with any single company. From the day you close and move in, you also have support in place, so a question always has a clear place to go.
The name describes the structure. The QBW part refers to the program that administers the coverage, and the 1-2-10 describes three layered terms, each covering a different part of your home for a different length of time. This format is an industry standard in quality new construction because it maps to how a home ages. Small workmanship items tend to surface early, mechanical systems reveal themselves over the first couple of years, and true structural issues, though rare, deserve the longest protection of all.
The 1-2-10 Breakdown, Year by Year
The numbers 1, 2, and 10 stand for three layers of coverage, all beginning at closing, each addressing a different category of the home.
Year one: workmanship and materials
For the first year, your home is covered for defects in workmanship and materials, meaning how the home was built and the materials used to build it. This is the layer most homeowners draw on, because it deals with details you live with every day. A door that will not latch cleanly, trim that separates, or a cabinet hung out of true are the kinds of items this term is built to address.
Years one and two: the home systems
For the first two years, coverage extends to your home's major systems: heating and cooling (HVAC), plumbing, and electrical. A systems defect is a fault in how a system was installed or runs, not a scuff or a sticky drawer. Two years gives these systems time to run through full seasons, from summer cooling to winter heating, so a genuine installation defect has room to show up and be addressed.
Through year ten: the structure
The longest term is a 10-year structural warranty, limited structural coverage on the load bearing structure of the home, the framing and elements that hold everything up. Structural problems are uncommon in a well built home, but they are the most serious and the most costly if they occur, which is why this coverage runs the longest and lets you settle in with real confidence.
Why Insurance-Backing by Liberty Mutual Matters
Here is the detail that separates a strong warranty from a weak promise. A builder warranty is only as reliable as the builder behind it. If a company scales back, changes hands, or is no longer in business years down the road, a promise that depends on that one company can lose its value at the worst possible moment.
An insurance-backed warranty works differently. Because the QBW 1-2-10 warranty is backed by Liberty Mutual through the QBW program, your protection does not hinge on any single company's future. This matters most for the longest promise, since structural issues can surface years after you settle in. Knowing that a decade of coverage is supported by an insurer, and not by a handshake, is exactly the kind of backstop that makes a large purchase feel sound.
Warranty Versus Homeowners Insurance
A common point of confusion is the difference between a builder warranty and homeowners insurance. They sound similar, but they do very different jobs, and you want both.
Your homeowners insurance covers sudden, unexpected events, things like fire, theft, or storm damage. Your Casly Homes warranty covers construction defects on the 1-2-10 timeline: the workmanship, systems, and structure described above. If a storm damages the roof, that is an insurance question. If a pipe was installed incorrectly, that is a warranty question. Think of them as two complementary layers rather than competing options. Neither replaces the other.
What a New Home Warranty Covers, and What It Does Not
A fair question every buyer asks is simple. What does a new home warranty cover, and where does it stop? Clear expectations are part of what makes coverage feel trustworthy.
What is covered
On the 1-2-10 timeline, your coverage focuses on defects: workmanship and materials in year one, heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical systems through year two, and limited structural coverage on the load bearing structure through year ten. In short, it covers problems that trace back to how the home was constructed.
What is not covered
The warranty is not designed to cover normal wear and tear, cosmetic issues, or damage the homeowner causes. As a general rule across new construction, routine maintenance is the homeowner's responsibility, and items with their own manufacturer warranties, such as appliances, are typically handled through those separate warranties rather than a structural warranty. Keeping your coverage in good standing is mostly common sense: perform routine maintenance, keep your records, and put any concern in writing. For the exact terms and any limits that apply to your home, your coverage documents are always the final word.
How to Use Your Coverage
Coverage only helps if you know how to reach it, and the process is simpler than most buyers expect. Two things anchor it: the documents you receive at closing and the walkthroughs you do in your first year.
Start with the documents you get at closing
With every Casly home, your QBW certificate and coverage booklet are provided to you at closing. The certificate confirms your coverage, and the booklet is your plain reference for what each term covers and how to submit a request. Keep them somewhere safe with your other closing paperwork. If you are ever unsure which layer applies to an issue, the booklet is the first place to look. You can also review program information any time on the Casly Homes warranty page.
Use your first year well
The first year is when finish and workmanship items tend to surface, so treat it as an active window. Many homeowners keep a running list as they live in the home: the sticky window, the loose outlet, the spot where the caulk pulled away. A thorough walkthrough near the end of that first year, before the workmanship term closes, gathers the smaller items into one clear request instead of catching them too late. When you find a defect, note what you see and when you noticed it, add photos if you can, and submit it through the process in your booklet.
Questions Worth Asking Before You Buy
A confident buyer asks good questions, and a warranty is one of the easiest ways to compare builders. Whether you are touring a Casly community or weighing several builders, these are sensible things to ask:
Is a new home warranty included, or is it something you pay extra for?
Is the warranty insurance-backed by a third party, and who is the insurer?
When does coverage begin, and what does each term of the 1-2-10 actually cover?
What is the process for reporting an item, and who do I contact after I move in?
Which coverage documents will I receive at closing, and can I review them beforehand?
With the Casly Homes warranty, the answers are consistent. The QBW 1-2-10 warranty is included at no extra cost, it is insurance-backed by Liberty Mutual through the QBW program, all three terms begin at closing, and your certificate and booklet are handed to you there. If anything is unclear, the team is glad to walk you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the QBW 1-2-10 warranty included, or does it cost extra?
It is included at no extra cost with every Casly home. It is not something extra or an upgrade you buy separately, and support is included from the day you move in.
What does the 1-2-10 actually stand for?
It is three coverage terms measured in years, all starting at closing: one year on workmanship and materials, two years on the home systems (heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical), and ten years of limited structural coverage on the load bearing structure of the home.
Do I still need homeowners insurance if I have a warranty?
Yes. Home insurance handles sudden events like fire, theft, or storm damage, while the warranty handles construction defects on the 1-2-10 timeline. The two work together, and you should carry both.
What is not covered by the warranty?
Normal wear and tear, cosmetic issues, and damage the homeowner causes fall outside the warranty. As a general rule in new construction, routine maintenance and items with their own manufacturer warranties, such as appliances, are handled separately.
What happens if the builder is no longer in business?
This is exactly where an insurance-backed warranty matters. Because the plan is backed by Liberty Mutual through the QBW program, your coverage does not depend on the builder alone, which keeps the 10-year structural warranty credible over time.
Move In With Confidence
A home should feel like a place you can relax, not a source of quiet worry. The QBW 1-2-10 warranty is one of the ways Casly Homes makes that possible, with layered, insurance-backed coverage that begins the day you move in and reaches all the way to a 10-year structural warranty, backed by Liberty Mutual through the QBW program rather than by us alone.
If you would like to see how it works, read the full details on the Casly Homes warranty page, or book a visit to walk our communities in the greater Seattle area, in Bothell and Kent, Washington, including Winsor Townhomes, Duchess, and Edenridge. Prefer to talk first? Reach us at [email protected] or (425) 600-3546. Come see what it feels like to move into a home that is built to last, and covered to match.