I’m a first-time homeowner location: Sacramento, CA and I’m seriously stuck. I had a water drip coming from my downstairs AC vent, so I reported it to Lennar during my 1-year warranty. Their warranty rep and their contractor came out to “check for a leak.”

They used a camera, then started cutting my walls, baseboards, ceiling, closet, and even an exterior wall to find the source. I was never told I’d be responsible or that they would do destructive testing. I assumed this was warranty work.

They only checked the water meter at the very end and then said “It’s probably not a pipe leak… maybe a toilet overflow,” and suddenly said it's not warrantable. Now my house is torn apart with exposed insulation and holes everywhere.

Here’s the worst part:

• Contractor first told us it would cost ~$5k to put everything back.
• Then verbally said maybe ~$8.5k.
• Now I suddenly get a $21,602 estimate to sign with lien warnings saying I must pay if insurance doesn’t. they inflated the estimate.
• I never signed anything. No contract. No approval. Nothing.

They’re telling me to file a homeowners insurance claim for a “possible overflow,” even though no plumber report or actual cause was ever confirmed. The contractor is also emailing my insurance behind my back, sending files I’ve never even seen.

I have kids at home and we’re living with open walls, nails, and insulation. Lennar’s rep is buddy-buddy with the contractor and wants to play the insurance game along with the contractor.

Can a builder do demolition during warranty and then dump it on insurance? Can a contractor inflate estimates like this and add lien threats when I never hired them privately? Can the builder be held accountable and the damages be restored by them?