More than two years after Hurricane Andrew ripped through South Dade County, revealing a pattern of shoddy construction and lax inspection, South Florida homeowners say they would be willing to pay more for better construction.
But they don’t believe builders are ready to deliver. Nineteen homeowners from Dade and Broward counties got together last week to talk about the state of construction in South Florida. They were invited to share their views during two focus groups sponsored by the Insurance Institute for Property Loss Reduction.
The institute is seeking to gauge public attitudes toward construction, building codes and inspectors-part of its effort to cut storm losses.
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Most in the group said they would be willing to pay at least 5 percent more for a new home they knew was well-built. But few had anything good to say about builders.
“I think these builders want houses to be built out of cardboard,” said a 29-year-old car salesman from Miramar. “If another hurricane comes, they’ll put a lot of money in their pockets.”
Several homeowners said construction has improved since Andrew. But most complained about poor workmanship and materials. And one woman said builders, not buyers, hold the upper hand.
“They can do what they want,” she said. “We can do nothing.”
The homeowners needed little prompting to air their opinions. Organizers say that’s a promising sign.
“Years ago, when you bought a new car, safety features were never mentioned. Now safety features are advertised,” said Teri Spalding, a State Farm research manager who helped coordinate. “I think what we would like to see is the same thing with homes.”
Homeowners were selected at random, then screened before being invited. A Miami Herald reporter watched through a two-way mirror with the understanding that homeowners could not be quoted by name.
The sessions lasted about an hour. Each participant was paid $40. The first group-exclusively new homeowners-offered a scathing assessment of new construction.
South Florida homes are so flimsy, a Hallandale property manager said, “even hanging a picture, it comes down.”
Asked how important it is for builders to follow building codes, the group said it was very important. Asked if they felt builders did follow code, they said no.
“There is a lot of money under the table,” the Hallandale woman said.
The cynicism wasn’t just confined to builders, however. Building inspectors, too, suffered a harsh assessment. Inspectors fared better in the second group. Several homeowners with first-hand experience defended the jobs inspectors do.
“They are very strict,” said a 42-year-old Hollywood man. The second group included homeowners with older homes. Several said they wouldn’t buy a new home because of the flaws revealed by Andrew.
Although a math teacher from Broward said he believed most builders do comply with codes, others thought not.
“They get away with whatever they can today for the sake of keeping the prices down and maximizing profits,” a 36-year-old state employee from Miami Beach said.
Chuck Lennon, executive director of the Builders Association of South Florida, said builders in general have supported code reform since Andrew.
“There were numerous construction code changes that have come up in the past two years. The great preponderance of them we have wholeheartedly supported,” Lennon said.
Lennon said it’s unfair to tar an entire industry with the same brush.
“There may have been some members of this industry that have not been all that we wanted them to be, but by and large, the industry has responded positively,” Lennon said.
Homeowners voiced support for stricter code enforcement, but were adamantly against paying higher taxes to accomplish that.
They also expressed a willingness to pay more for better construction. “I would pay extra for quality construction,” a North Miami Beach man said.
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