New doesn't always mean perfect. Catch potential major issues early.
A brand-new home doesn't necessarily mean well built. New doesn't even guarantee good. Houses are built by people, and not all houses are built to the same standards. When you buy a new construction home, or have your dream home built, without an inspection, you're placing yourself at the mercy of the people who built it. A new construction inspection provides quality assurance and allows you to catch construction issues early, before they become major problems down the road.
A multi-phase inspection involves multiple inspections at different stages of construction. While these inspections do require collaboration with the builder, most quality home builders welcome third-party inspections.
Inspecting the home while it's being built allows the inspector to inspect elements that would otherwise be impossible, such as the foundation, electrical wiring and plumbing inside walls, insulation, and more. Mistakes made early on in the construction process could cause major problems, which often go unnoticed until long after the builder's warranty has expired. By checking for problems during construction, you can ensure that problems are not covered up and are discovered when they can still be corrected.
The Pre-Pour Inspection, as the name suggests, takes place after the foundation has been prepared but before the foundation concrete has been poured. Once the concrete has been poured, the opportunity to inspect the foundation is gone. The Pre-Pour Inspection should be scheduled, in coordination with the builder, at least a couple of days before the pour date to ensure that any issues can be addressed.
The Framing Inspection takes place after the home's roofing material, exterior wall cladding, and windows have been installed, along with the "roughing in" of the framing, plumbing, and electrical wiring. At this point the walls have not been covered, granting the inspector access to plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems that are normally inaccessible. Some common problems discovered at this stage include improper cutting or boring of load-bearing studs and improperly installed window flashings.
The inspection at the final stage of construction is the same as a standard home inspection, which includes all of the major systems of the home. At this point in time, everything in the house should be in the right place and working correctly.
While there are countless opportunities for mistakes to occur during construction, there are a number of issues that pop up more frequently than others. Here are just a few examples:
More often than not, problems with a new construction occur through circumstance or human error, rather than malicious intent. Not all builders are equal, with varying levels of experience and professionalism. In addition, problems may occur from rushed work in order to meet a tight deadline.
It is not uncommon to find minor issues with a newly constructed home. However, occasionally a brand-new home can turn out to be an absolute nightmare, despite looking perfectly fine on the surface. Some issues, such as leaks or improper grading, may not become apparent until well after the warranty has expired.
MLZ Inspection Services provides new construction home inspections in Houston and surrounding areas in Harris County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, Waller County, Montgomery County, and Liberty County. Not sure if that's you? Give us a call at (281) 808-5385 or send us an email.