The decision to have an inspection done might not seem as obvious when you’re buying a brand new house: Should you get a new construction home inspection? Why would you even need one if everything is in brand-new condition? — and, in some cases, built to your preferred specs, or even under your own guidance? So… New Construction Home Inspections: Are There Any Benefits?
If you’re buying a newly built home, you should have it inspected. Every possible argument raised against hiring a private home inspector is invalid. Typically there are numerous issues at nearly every new-construction inspection, and the best home builders appreciate having these issues discovered before they turn into expensive problems.
Experts say you really should get a home inspection on a new construction home. Pretty much every consideration falls into the “pro” column here.
When should a new home be inspected?
There are, typically, four types of inspections associated with new-construction homes: pre-pour, pre-drywall, final, and one-year warranty. More inspections may be required as per the draw schedule. The draw schedule is the detailed payment plan for your construction project. If you’re having a new home built, get a pre-pour inspection, pre-drywall inspection and a final inspection. Buying a new home that has already been built, get a home inspection. Or you’ve already purchased a newly built home but you skipped the inspection, schedule an 11th month warranty inspection before your warranty expires.
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The Foundation Inspection
A foundation or “pre-pour” inspection occurs just before the foundation is poured. It ensures that the site has been excavated and graded correctly, and that all anchors and footings are in place and spaced at a proper distance. This is where the stage is set for a strong and long-lasting home. At this point he builder can make adjustments before pouring the foundation (after which there’s often no going back).
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The Framing Inspection
A framing or “pre-drywall/sheetrock” inspection happens after the frame has been built. The roof is on, and the windows are installed, but the sheetrock and walls haven’t yet been closed in.
The inspector can make sure that the beams, posts, studs, and other structural components are installed correctly. They can check things like the wiring, plumbing, window flashing, and other issues that will later be hidden behind walls. Your builder can make corrections before going further with the project if problems are revealed.
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The Final Inspection
The final inspection is the identical to the inspection you would have on any resale property. It ensures the home is safe. It’s been finished per local code and building standards.
Anything your inspector finds at this point should also be fixed by your builder before closing.
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The One-Year Warranty Inspection
The one-year warranty inspection should be scheduled around the 11-month mark, and definitely before the 1-year warranty has expired. Consider this the Final final walkthrough!
Is a new construction home inspection standard practice?
With a new construction sale, your contract will include a final walkthrough, but it might or might not include an inspection. Either way, you’d be wise to ask to include an inspection contingency and plan on ordering an independent inspection.
Likely two-thirds of new construction home buyers will do an independent home inspection. It often depends on how savvy the buyer is.
If they’re really involved in a new construction project, many times they’ve been with the builder or they’ve contributed to the construction, and in those cases, they know enough about what’s going on. They’re not worried.
Still, experts say it’s a smart decision to get one anyway. An impartial set of eyes is of paramount benefit here.
Why should you get your new home inspected?
One reason a buyer might be enticed to buy a new construction home is the expectation that it will be free from issues found in aging houses — like outdated plumbing or electrical, and even cosmetic flaws. But even though a home is brand new, it can still have issues; in fact, sometimes issues in a home are actually the direct result of its status as brand new construction.
In most cases, contractors work fast — in some cases, too fast. Sometimes they’re building to the bare minimum of code. And frequently, they’re subcontracting out projects to a wide array of vendors, whose competence and diligence might range significantly. Often builders are at various stages of building 2 or 3 homes and are managing quite a bit in terms of contractors, vendors, crews and weather, supplies and equipment. On top of all that, sometimes mistakes just plain happen and details can be missed.
Also, code inspectors actually don’t complete as thorough an inspection as you may be led to believe. A lot of times, code inspectors take very quick glances at building progress.
Fun fact: most code inspectors complete a roof inspection from the street!
Point: buyers should not assume that their new home will be flawless simply because it’s new construction.
Common outdoor issues include:
- Incorrectly applied siding
- Gaps and cracks in decks and patios
- Driveway and sidewalk cracks
- Grading and drainage issues.
- Incorrectly applied house wrap/ flashing
Indoors, you might find:
- Cracks in drywall
- Nail pops
- Truss rise
- Humidity inside the home
- Water issues
- Flooring issues
- Doors sticking shut
- Appliances (often the last to go in) might not be installed correctly, and should also be inspected.
Even though new construction projects are approved by city engineers, they have their own inspection process. They’re looking for things like, whether the wiring is done properly. Whether it’s safe — but a lot of times, they’re not looking at the minutiae.
When is a new home inspection a potentially bad idea?
If this question keeps you up at night, it shouldn’t. That’s because the decision to get an inspection on a new construction project is fairly straightforward.
The only drawback here is that you have to pay out of your own pocket, and if a buyer is on a really tight budget, the extra expense could be challenging. Alternatively if the buyer is extremely involved with the construction process, the home inspection may seem less necessary. More often than not it’s well worth the expense, under any circumstances.
In the scheme of a 30-year investment, the total cost of your phase inspections is a minor expense.
Of course, if your builder is balking at any request to bring in an independent inspector, that should send up a bright red flag. There should never be a problem allowing a close look at the quality of any phase of the project?
Reputable builders have no problem with it because, if they stand by their product, they’re going to welcome a home inspector to come in, do their job and ultimately move the project on to the next phase.
As the buyer of a new construction home, you want to make sure that the responsibility to rectify any issues falls on the builder , and not on you. If the inspector finds something, all of those repairs are going to fall on the shoulders of the builder, and there’s not a whole lot of negotiating. It’s not debating over whether this item is something that the sellers are willing to fix: it’s brand new construction and the builder has to stand behind their product.
If you skip a new construction home inspection, you miss out on the chance to give the builders an opportunity to make it right before it becomes your problem alone.
The Bottom Line
More than 3,000 components are used in constructing a house according to the National Association of Home Builders. That’s a lot of parts and that number does not include critical components such as screws, nails, adhesives, sealants and how they are selected and installed.
Roughly 20 different sub-contractors, most likely, install these 3,000 components and each subcontractor may employ as many as 4 to 5 employees to work on the house. Upon completion, your house may have seen more than 100 different people working with these 3,000 components, including sub-contractors for things such as roofing, framing, painting, drywall, electrical, flooring, appliances, insulation, etc.
New-construction home inspections allow you to make sure things are done correctly at key points ahead of your home purchase. A well-timed inspection allows your builder to get to the root of any problem and fix it before the build goes any further.
Don’t judge a book by its cover. A new home may look flawless to the naked eye, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect below the surface. Calling in a qualified home inspector can ensure that you’re making the best decision eyes wide open.
scott.minunni@encinspectionservices.com
