Meridian's quality assurance manager checks each house after construction to make sure it's ready to show, sell or close, enabling the builder to uncover problems before they become issues for the customer, says Joel Gregory, vice president of sales and marketing.

The builder surveys customers 30 to 60 days after move-in and sometimes after one year as well. "We find out what they see and feel; how they felt they were treated; and what they think their home is like," Gregory says.

Meridian keeps warranty calls to a minimum by doing everything possible to deliver houses that are 100 percent complete — no punch list items. If something does need to be fixed, warranty-service technicians handle the small jobs and call in trade contractors for bigger repairs. Homeowners get a response within 24 hours and often have their problems resolved the next day.