Dozens of Tampa homeowners say their roofs are defective, demand repair from builder

TAMPA - After FOX 13 aired stories on dangerous defects in new home construction, we received dozens of emails from homeowners dealing with the same issues. Those concerns came from communities in Sarasota, Odessa, Melbourne and Tampa.

We went to a neighborhood in New Tampa, where more than 40 homeowners say their roofs are leaking and defective.

People who live in the Esplanade of Tampa chose it for its quiet seclusion and the appeal of owning a new home.

When Joseph and Heather Dorsa bought their home nine years ago, it was brand new. But they quickly realized their new home had serious issues.

Joseph Dorsa explained, "Within the first two weeks, within 15 days, we had a leak. It just continued. Then we had one in our master, then we had one in the guest bathroom, then we had the one over in our master bathroom, and now we have one upstairs."

Dorsa says the builder, Taylor Morrison, sent crews out to make repairs, but the leaks just keep popping up.

What they're saying:

Dorsa explained, "Every time we go away it's just all I'm thinking about. Is there going to be another leak? And if it rains sideways, I know there's going to be another leak."

The Dorsa's are not alone. Dozens of their neighbors are experiencing leaks as well. Many of them share their stories in the private Facebook group: Esplanade of Tampa Roof Updates.

There are more than 300 homes in the Esplanade of Tampa built between 2015 and 2019. All the homes have the same Spanish tile roofs. When dozens of homeowners started experiencing leaks, they came together and decided they needed to get inspections.

Homeowner Frank Piccione said, "We don't want to have a major hurricane and have tiles fly off the roof and not only cause property damage, but possibly injury and also possibly death."

At least 43 homeowners have had 558 inspections done on their roofs as part of a procedural process Florida homeowners must take when dealing with construction defects cases.

Piccione explained, "Much to my chagrin, after all these people had their 558, I realized maybe I should have another inspection, and I did, and they said, guess what? My roof is still defective, even though they put foam under the tiles."

After dealing with leaks and repairs for years, the frustration among homeowners is at a boiling point. FOX 13 met with some of them, armed with their 558 inspections.

Homeowner David King said, "Me personally, I’m a happy person. But I just want what I paid for. That's all I'm asking for. Give me what I paid for. Give me quality construction."

Another homeowner, James Schneider shared his experience, telling FOX 13, "It was leaking during our walk-through, water running down the wall. We canceled the closing, extended it to the last day of the year, and three days later, water's running down the wall, just where it was running before we canceled the closing."

Loretta Lau says she also experienced leaks within the first few months of moving into her home.

She said, "I had a leak within three months when I moved in, they fixed it right away. I do have shifting tiles, and then I have cracked tiles and then they offer to fix it. You know, like a patch-up band-aid effect, but the structural engineering firms said it's not done right. The roof is not put in correctly. It's defective."

They've all had repairs done on their roofs, covered by the builder, Taylor Morrison. The problem is, the repairs don’t seem to be working and so now homeowners are asking the builder to basically start over and give them new roofs under the 10-year structural warranty.

PREVIOUS: FOX 13 investigates dangerous defects in new home construction

Home inspector Leo Cannyn of Beryl Engineering says some of them were worse than others. "We found some where they didn't install a vent and it was just a hole in the roof where an inspector could fall through."

Cannyn handled a majority of the 558 inspections for residents. He said Spanish tile roofs can last 50-100 years.

There were two roofing companies that were contracted out to do the work, Gulf Western and Adler Roofing.

Cannyn noticed issues with the material used underneath the tiles.

Cannyn explained, "Well, there's different types of underlayment. One of which is called a peel-and-stick, and that's a viable underlayment. What ends up happening, though, is when you screw the tiles in and you don't screw them deep enough, you don’t get your wind rating. So, during storm events, the tiles move, slip, shift, and that tears at the underlayment and that's where water gets in."

Representatives from the builder have been in contact with homeowners for years, telling one in an email, "You are not alone, several of your neighbors have recently expressed similar concerns."

Homeowner Piccione said, "It took me seven months to get Taylor Morrison to finally address the issues I have, even though they weren't fully corrected. These poor people are going through the same thing that I went through."

A spokesperson for Taylor Morrison told us the 10-year warranty covers structural components and while a roof's trusses are structural, materials such as roof shingles, tiles and sheathing are not.

They went on to say:

"We take any concerns our homeowners raise seriously, so in an abundance of good faith, we conducted our own proactive inspection through a reputable, third-party engineering firm. Upon receiving those results, we will cross-reference the engineering firms’ findings with the reports homeowners shared and work with them on any next steps."

The City of Tampa's building inspectors were a part of the building process and were on-site at times, according to homeowners.

A spokesperson for The City of Tampa told FOX 13:

"At the time of final inspection, inspections staff did not notice anything that would have failed inspection. Passing an inspection does not relieve the installer or contractor of the responsibility to deliver a completed project that fully complies with all applicable codes, standards, and contractual obligations."

As for what parts of a roof are considered structural, the spokesperson for The City of Tampa said:

"The City of Tampa follows the Florida building code with local amendments. According to the Florida building code, plywood roof sheathing is considered a structural component of the roof assembly. It provides support and stability to the roof and acts as a base for the roofing material."

Not every roof in the neighborhood is leaking. Some residents contacted FOX 13 to say they're happy with their homes. Others are putting a new roof on at their own expense.

For the group of homeowners who’ve had a 558 inspection completed, it’s a test of patience, as they wait, worry and wonder if they'll get a new roof before the next big storm.

Following review of the results of the 3rd party inspection, Taylor Morrison sent FOX 13 an updated statement that reads:

"To approach customer concerns with care and consideration, we conducted roof inspections through an independent third-party who recommends modest repairs and maintenance. We know each home is unique, so we will be working with homeowners individually. Additionally, Taylor Morrison’s warranty ensures our commitment to quality, and when there are repairs needed that fall within the terms of the warranty, we fix them." a Taylor Morrison spokesperson said.

What's next:

The Attorney General’s office has been in touch with many of the homeowners in the Esplanade of Tampa and are urging anyone else experiencing construction defects to file a complaint with their office online by clicking here.

Homeowners tell FOX 13 Taylor Morrison has not shared the results of the 3rd party inspection with them. When we asked the company if we could see the results of the inspection, we were told they wanted to review the results with the homeowners first, reiterating that the inspector recommends minor repairs. 

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