Sec. 27.003. LIABILITY. (a) In an action to recover damages or other relief arising from a construction defect:

(1) a contractor is not liable for any percentage of damages caused by:

(A) negligence of a person other than the contractor or an agent, employee, or subcontractor of the contractor;

(B) failure of a person other than the contractor or an agent, employee, or subcontractor of the contractor to:

(i) take reasonable action to mitigate the damages; or

(ii) take reasonable action to maintain the residence;

(C) normal wear, tear, or deterioration;

(D) normal shrinkage due to drying or settlement of construction components within the tolerance of building standards; or

(E) the contractor's reliance on written information relating to the residence, appurtenance, or real property on which the residence and appurtenance are affixed that was obtained from official government records, if the written information was false or inaccurate and the contractor did not know and could not reasonably have known of the falsity or inaccuracy of the information; and

(2) if an assignee of the claimant or a person subrogated to the rights of a claimant fails to provide the contractor with the written notice and opportunity to inspect and offer to repair required by Section 27.004 or fails to request state-sponsored inspection and dispute resolution under Chapter 428, if applicable, before performing repairs, the contractor is not liable for the cost of any repairs or any percentage of damages caused by repairs made to a construction defect at the request of an assignee of the claimant or a person subrogated to the rights of a claimant by a person other than the contractor or an agent, employee, or subcontractor of the contractor.

(b) Except as provided by this chapter, this chapter does not limit or bar any other defense or defensive matter or other defensive cause of action applicable to an action to recover damages or other relief arising from a construction defect.

Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1072, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 797, Sec. 4, eff. Aug. 30, 1993; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 189, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 458, Sec. 2.03, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.