New Construction home - Inspection or no?

Oftentimes as an inspector I get the question: should I get my new construction home inspected? You really can’t blame people for asking this question. Think about it, it’s a brand new home, built by a professional contractor, used all the best sub contractors, has someone in charge and looking over every square inch of the house, so it should be perfect, right? Wrong. While there are many, many exceptional home builders out there today, there are several that cut corners. Even the reputable builders miss things from time to time, and the one’s that are the best, always admit that they missed something or messed up, and thank the outside inspector for bringing it to their attention. 100% of the time, myself as well as many real estate partners, recommend getting a new construction home inspected. Here’s why:

The builder typically is not at the construction site all day, every day. He can’t be watching all of his subs at all times. Unfortunately, just like any business, employees cut corners and do things their way, rather than the “right way”, and things get done improperly or worse, in a lazy fashion. There has yet to be a new construction home in my home inspection career, that I have inspected and found zero issues. Some of the most common things found on a new construction home are: improper installation methods, building code violations, things that are missing, improperly wired electrical panels, incomplete work, etc.

The AC contractor may have sent out his technician to install the HVAC system, and he did not have the right size fuses in his work truck, so he installed fuses that are way too big for the air conditioning condenser. The roofer may have installed shingles over areas where he did not install proper underlayment first, because it was too much of a pain to reach under that eave to lay down the underlayment, so he put shingles down over bare roof decking thinking no one would notice. There is probably 5 out of 10 houses that I inspect that are brand new, and the drip edge flashing is installed improperly on the roof. While that is not a major concern, it is still done incorrect according to today’s building standards, and absolutely should be brought to the builder’s attention. Another common thing to see is a brand new water heater with PEX piping attached directly to it (a plumbing code violation). Many new houses are designed in neighborhoods where they build a lot of houses close together. While this is great for the builder (he gets to build and sell more houses), this can be potentially problematic for the home buyer. Poor site drainage is the number one cause for foundation issues, and when houses are constructed so close together, proper grading away from the home is usually sacrificed. Water is the enemy of a home, and ensuring it flows away from your house after a period of rain is a must. There have been improperly installed hardie board, missing flashing, undersized electrical wiring, top plates that are not tied down, and entirely spray foamed attic with no fresh air for the gas appliances in the attic— you name it, I have probably seen it on a new build.

The beauty of getting an inspection on a new construction house, is that the builder is likely going to fix whatever was found on your inspection report, because if he does not, then his house is not going to sell. The next buyer will come along, and will hopefully get their own inspection that will reveal the same issues, and the builder will be in quite the conundrum yet again. Yes, on a new build, it’s unlikely that the builder will come down on price due to the results of the inspection report. After all, he knows his bottom line and what he needs to make on that house. But, they typically are willing to fix whatever it is that the buyer asks them to fix that was found in their inspection report.

This post was not intended to bash home builders, like I mentioned before, there are plenty of GREAT builders out there. Many of them welcome a third party inspector and are grateful for the things we find. They are just as pleased as you, the buyer, is to know that all the little potential problems down the road have been discovered. There are some homes out there that after I inspect them, the report is nothing but minor little ticky tacky issues, and I will tell you that the buyer is THRILLED at these reports. They have the piece of mind knowing that they made a solid choice in their investment and are purchasing a great home. The $300-$400 spent on the home inspection is well worth it in the long run.

In short, get your new construction home inspected 100% of the time. You are making the biggest purchase of your life, make sure it is protected.