Should you have a new home inspected just before closing?

No – We recommend to have a new home inspected at least four times, once for each phase of the process.

Here are the milestones:

• Foundation – Inspect after forms have been removed and prior to back-filling soil against the foundation walls. Minimizes potential long-term problems that otherwise may occur if not identified early and corrected by the builder.

  

• Pre-Concealment – Inspect before sheetrock installation. Typical issues include cracked and/or warped framing, damaged/crimped ductwork, improper notching of floor joists, and inadequate fire stop material between floors. After drywall and insulation is added, the issues would be difficult to identity and very expensive to repair.

  

• Walkthrough – Inspect after the house is 100% complete and prior to your builder’s walkthrough. Issues in new homes are directly related to a builder’s quality, including design and workmanship.
• Builder’s Warranty – Inspect before your builder’s warranty is about to expire. Because warranties usually expire one year after closing, a builder’s warranty inspection should be performed 11 months after closing. Builders’ warranties for newly constructed homes typically offer coverage on workmanship and materials relating to various components of the home, such as windows, heating, ventilation, HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems.

It’s Not About Your Builder

We’re not suggesting that builders are intentionally creating issues in your new home.  Quite the opposite! Most builders are ethical and strive to deliver a high-quality product to happy home-buyers.

New home inspections are about protecting you and the biggest investment you’ll make in your lifetime.

It’s about mistakes, particularly for high-volume builders in fast-growing markets.  It can be hard to find enough skilled site managers, tradesman and subcontractors.  Your builder may be forced to employ inexperienced site workers who learn on the job (your house) without adequate supervision.

It’s also about quality control. New home builders use subcontractors, who work on a fixed fee basis and, therefore, try to complete their work as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, some subcontractors may cut corners, which may go unnoticed by even the highest quality builders.

Protect Yourself, Protect Your Investment

We design every inspection to protect you, your family, and your bank account to ensure the biggest transaction of your life is a safe and solid one!

Check out our four new home inspections at www.usinspect.com/services.