Call Kurtis: My Chimney Keeps Leaking!

California's housing boom a decade ago means some homeowners will soon find their home warranties expired.

An El Dorado Hills couple is racing against the clock to get their leaky chimney fixed.

When they couldn't get a permanent fix, they called Kurtis.

The homebuilder, Lennar Homes, sent out contractors to fix their leaky chimney several times.

But every time it rains, it still leaks.

And their warranty is about to expire.

"We're stressed... We are totally stressed," says Barbara Bendel.

Barbara and Michael just want to enjoy their retirement in their El Dorado Hills home.

But they can't.

"We would hear the drip, drip, drip," says Barbara.

During storms and it was very apparent their chimney was leaking when they put in hardwood floors two years ago.

"We pulled up our carpet and found water stains on our concrete," says Barbara.

They took photos showing the damage.

Barbara called their builder, Lennar Homes.

After all, they had a 10-year warranty.

The company sent out a contractor last summer, who rebuilt their entire chimney.

But when the winter storms arrived, they still had leaks.

"Once again, we knew this is what we're hearing, this is the noise, and this confirms, they still haven't fixed the leak," says Barbara.

Lennar sent out another company this summer to fix the leak.

"This whole wall was replaced already," says Michael.

But during a water test, the problem still wasn't fixed and their 10-year warranty expires this October.

"This is our house, we're retired here... We don't want something that's just going to get worse," says Barbara.

"That's where you as a consumer have to say enough is enough," says Venus Stromberg with the Contractors State License Board.

The CSLB tells us there's no set amount of time for a home warranty issue to be fixed.

"It's going to depend on the type of repair, what it entails, the kind of work that's being done," says Stromberg.

But if you feel it's taking too long or the quality isn't up to par, you can file a complaint with the board.

In this case, we reached out to Lennar Homes.

In an email, they tell us:

"For more than five decades, Lennar has set high standards in the homebuilding industry by caring for our customers and striving to do the right thing. In this case, we investigated the concerns raised by the homeowner and resolved the matter to their satisfaction."

Lennar agreed to a two-year extension on Barbara and Michael's warranty.

That came as a relief, knowing when the next major storm hits, they'll be covered.

"It seems that when you're at your wits end, you can get some help," says Barbara.

The state says even if the builder hires a third party contractor to do the work, the builder still must stand behind that repair.