If you think you have a serious problem with shoddy home construction

1. Hire a licensed engineer. The National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers, www.nabie.org, can make a referral for a visual inspection. For a structural analysis, expect to pay $100 to $150 an hour.

2. Give the company a chance to fix the problem. You may have no choice anyway in those states with “right to cure” laws. But don’t let warranties or statutes expire while you wait. Document your complaints with photos, copies of written agreements and warranties, and a home inspection.

3. File complaints. They should go to state building and regulatory authorities such as a contractor-licensing board; your state and local consumer-affairs departments; and, if you suspect fraud or corruption, your state attorney general. Also contact the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.

4. Network. Contact Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, www.hadd.com, or Home Owners for Better Building, www.hobb.org, to contact other aggrieved homeowners.

5. As a last resort, contact a lawyer who specializes in construction-defect lawsuits. Your local bar association can help you find one.