Why spend money on a new construction final inspection? Because the more you find BEFORE you move into your home, the LESS time you will spend having subcontractors coming into your home AFTER you move in! Let’s look for example at the picture. Do you know what is missing here? The disconnect for the AC unit is. This is a weird time of year when the temperature is all over the place, so just because the HVAC technician started the heat, does not mean that the AC is fully started, and without this disconnect installed, your AC will not work. We know an 85 degree day can come in a flash in the south and finding out this is missing on a hot Saturday is not what you want! Schedule your new construction final inspection so you can move into your new home with peace of mind that the home is completed and ready for you!

Body - Most builders use engineered, manufactured roof trusses in the construction of the home. It is extremely common for some of the trusses to sustain damage during the delivery or installation of them. Truss repairs are easily made during the pre-drywall phase of construction when the truss system is completely accessible. It is also much easier to find damaged trusses during this phase, especially since a lot of the damages are hidden by blown insulation later and will not be visible. All truss repairs should be completed in accordance with either a structural engineer’s letter of repair or a stamped repair letter from the truss manufacturer, and you should receive a copy of this repair for your records. If a truss repair is completed in your home, I always recommend stapling a copy of the repair letter in the attic for a future home inspector to find, because any altered or repaired trusses found in your attic will make it on the report and having the document to prove it is completed correctly will help you save time and money. Pre-drywall inspections are so important to help identify these truss issues early, have them repaired by the builder, and ensure you have the documentation needed to protect your investment in the future.

Do you know what is missing from this picture? When building a new home, most people are focused solely on the cosmetic items at their final walk thru with the builder. You are so excited to close and move in and start unpacking that you can lose sight of some of the really important items. Then the delivery company comes to install your new washer and dryer and they can’t finish the installation. Will your builder come back to remedy the issue? Of course, but how many loads of wet laundry will be waiting until they can schedule? Don’t forego an independent, third party home inspection. Have problems fixed BEFORE you move in; don’t hope that you’ll find them later and then have to deal with subcontractors coming into your home to make repairs. Luckily on this home, I also did the pre-drywall inspection, so I know the vent is merely behind the drywall and not missing altogether!