Sunset review report calls for abolishing Texas Residential Construction Commission
In a scathing report released Tuesday, the Sunset commission, which regularly reviews state agencies, argued that the TRCC is ineffective and does not have the public's trust when it comes to protecting Texans from unscrupulous or unqualified builders. The report goes on to say the TRCC, which was created in 2003 to help regulate the homebuilding industry, should be abolished. "Current regulation of the residential construction industry is fundamentally flawed and does more harm than good," the report says.

Sunset review report calls for abolishing Texas Residential Construction Commission
Austin Business Journal
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The Texas Residential Construction Commission is under fire from the state's Sunset Advisory Commission.
In a scathing report released Tuesday, the Sunset commission, which regularly reviews state agencies, argued that the TRCC is ineffective and does not have the public's trust when it comes to protecting Texans from unscrupulous or unqualified builders. The report goes on to say the TRCC, which was created in 2003 to help regulate the homebuilding industry, should be abolished. "Current regulation of the residential construction industry is fundamentally flawed and does more harm than good," the report says.

The TRCC fired back, saying it "ardently disagrees" with the Sunset report's findings.

"Nearly 600,000 homes have been registered since the commission's inception," the TRCC says. The abolition of the commission would leave those Texas homeowners "to fend for themselves if an issue arises with their home."

On Wednesday, the Texas Association of Builders also responded to Sunset commission's report, calling it "shortsighted."

"The Texas Association of Builders is disappointed that the Sunset commission staff has recommended throwing the residential construction industry in this state back to a time when there was no regulation at all of the industry, with no corresponding ability to prevent bad actors from continuing to harm Texas consumers."

The TAB statement goes on to say that without the TRCC's dispute resolution process, "homeowners with construction defects ... will be left with nowhere to turn but time consuming and expensive litigation."

www.trcc.state.tx.us

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