In our most recent spotlight, The BLDUP Team sat down with ProHome Metro DC to discuss why top developers like JBG Smith, Akridge, & Fortis utilize their services to improve new construction unit delivery and more effectively manage builder warranties. ProHome's unique full-service approach and broad range of services are designed to save builders and developers time and money, allowing them to focus on construction, while ensuring their buyers and their brands are supported.

BLDUP: Tell us about ProHome Metro DC the history of the business, your services, and who you serve.

ProHome Metro DC: ProHome was established in 1983. The ProHome Metro DC franchise has been active in the Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Delaware markets since 2002. Our clients consist of single-family builders (custom and production) and multi-family developers (apartments and condominiums). Since the inception of operations in the broader Washington DC market, ProHome has inspected and managed the warranties of over 20,000 homes/condo units. 

Some of the key services ProHome provides include: 

• Quality assurance walks for single-family builders and developer acceptance punch walks for multifamily developers 

• Comprehensive warranty management for single-family and condominium projects 

• 24/7/365 emergency call support

BLDUP: Let’s get into more detail on the services to developers of apartments/condos, can you provide more detail on the benefits to this group?

ProHome Metro DC: 

The key benefits all our clients realize are: 

• Seamless operational scalability – whether a developer is getting ready to start the punch process on a 700-unit multifamily project or a single-family builder is trying to stay nimble in changing economic climates (contraction or expansion). 

• Sustainable and leaner business model versus a traditional overhead-heavy model (avoid the hire and fire roller coaster). 

• Warranty management cost savings – variable cost based on when a home or condo unit sells (there isn’t a warranty to manage until a home/condo unit is sold) versus fixed cost overhead, irrespective of the sales velocity (fixed head count). 

Some key service components of the ProHome warranty management program include: 

• Developer Acceptance Punch Walks (Apartments and/or Condominiums) 

• Inspect all apartments/condo units and generate punch lists of incomplete items in the General Contractor’s punch application. 

• Conduct completion verification back walks to close out items. 

• Iterative process until all punch list items are completed and the developer “accepts” the apartment/unit. 

• This service provides our developer clients a seamless and professional on-demand solution with a rapid ramp up at project start and a smooth tapering off process as the project approaches completion. 

• Quality Assurance Inspections (Single Family Homes) 

• Hold production/subcontractor teams accountable to industry standards.  

• Improve delivery process. 

• Separate “construction” from “warranty” costs – reduce production bleed over into the warranty term. 

• Underscore brand image – consistently present a more construction-complete home to the purchaser. 

• Conducting the New Home Orientation (Single Family and/or Condominiums) 

• Introduce purchaser to the value of a 3rd party (walk is based on recognized industry standards, helping the builder/developer hold the subcontractors accountable to industry standards). 

• Orient purchaser to the home (mechanical systems and appliances). 

• Evaluate purchaser identified issues based on the Residential Construction Performance Guidelines not on emotional reactions. 

• Establish clear expectations (homeowner maintenance requirements versus builder’s warranty obligations).

• Warranty Management (Single Family and/or Condominiums) 

• Establish warranty consistency within subdivisions/condo projects and across subdivisions/markets for production builders. 

• Handle all homeowner warranty requests and complaints – frees up builder’s time and resources.  

• Perform all warranty inspections with homeowners (30-Day and 11-Month). 

• Make a warranty determination (warrantable versus non-warrantable) with homeowner during inspection based on industry standards. 

• Meet with builder/developer weekly to review all warranty claims, warranty determinations and subcontractor performance – allows builder/developer to maintain strategic oversight while only spending around 1 hour per week on warranty issues. 

• Coordinate (homeowners and subcontractors) and follow up on all warranty repairs. 

• Maintain detailed warranty documentation via proprietary online portal – reduces litigation vulnerabilities. 

• Provide field and administrative staff – allows the builder/developer to forward focus on revenue producing activities. 

BLDUP: Tell us about projects (past/current) you are excited about. 

ProHome Metro DC: We have been supporting JBG Smith’s projects since 2010. Their current project is the development of the newly coined, National Landing. Their goal of adding nearly 6,000 new residential units and tripling the amount of street-level retail is well underway. We have completed the developer acceptance walk process on two new apartment buildings: The Grace and Reva. Currently we are working on the next two apartment buildings, The Zoe and Valen (4 buildings totaling 1,583 units). 

Another project that we’re extremely excited about is Akridge’s Stacks project in Buzzard Point which will be Washington DC’s next premier neighborhood and new downtown on the Capitol Riverfront. We are assisting Akridge in performing the developer acceptance walk process for the three buildings, The Byron, Everly and Colette, totaling 1116 units.   

In the coming weeks we will start The Grove on Park which offers 24 unique 2-3 bedroom condominiums with luxury features in all units including a 2-car garage, a private elevator and a den. For this project we will perform the developer acceptance walks as well as the new home orientation walks with the home purchaser and management of the developer’s warranty program. 

It’s been a tremendous honor supporting our builder/developer clients over the past 22 years. We look forward to the opportunity of being an integral part of the teams that will be transforming metro DC’s neighborhoods and skylines over the coming years.