New Construction Inspections
BC Warner Inspections has over 20 years of experience inspecting new construction homes and commercial buildings. Inspections are typically performed at specific phases during the construction process. These include:
- Foundation Phase – performed after the foundation has been poured, but before framing has started – inspection of the foundation and related elements.
- Pre-drywall Phase – typically performed just prior to insulation install and certainly before drywall goes up – inspection of framing, weather barrier and flashing, rough electric, rough plumbing, rough HVAC, roof and flashing, windows, etc.
- Final Construction Inspection – performed prior to closing and home owner orientation with the project manager – detailed inspection of all systems and components, their operation and proper installation, and significant installation or construction defects.
- 1 Year Warranty Inspection – detailed inspection conducted prior to expiration of your 1-year builder warranty – This inspection is similar to the final construction inspection, and identifies any flaws, defects, or performance concerns that may have occurred over the first year in your new home or building.
A third-party inspection from BC Warner Inspections puts an experienced and knowledgeable inspector in your corner of the construction process.
Most clients are surprised how little is looked at, and how many defects are missed by the municipal building inspector. They don’t carry ladders, they ignore most exterior components, typically are only on site for 15 minutes or less per inspection, and have absolutely no liability (through government immunity) for missed or overlooked issues! Additionally, a newly constructed home that just “meets code” is the absolute minimum required building standard allowed by law!
If newly built homes were graded on a scale of ‘A’ through ‘F’ for best practice and quality, the grade of ‘D’ would would satisfy minimum allowable construction standards. To make matters worse, the nationally adopted prescriptive building standards are often modified (eased or portions removed entirely) at state and local levels to presumably accommodate the builder’s bottom line rather than ensure best construction practice. On top of all this, some municipalities across the state still have no entity or inspection oversight for the entire construction process, and the builders are generally free to do as they please!
A third-party inspection of a new construction property is important to help you spot any shortcuts the contractor or builder may have taken. A trained home inspector will be knowledgeable in minimum prescriptive building standards, experienced with manufacturer installation requirements, and able to spot certain tell-tale signs of construction concerns that might otherwise go unnoticed to an untrained eye.
Especially valuable are an inspection before the drywall is put up, a final inspection when construction is complete, and an inspection prior to expiration of your 1-year warranty period. The combination of these inspections provides you the best odds to identify and have the problems or improper installations corrected promptly.
Some clients only discover too late (after they built the home) that they could have had a 3rd party inspection performed during construction and prior to closing. It may not be too late if you still have your 1-year warranty period coming up!
The 1-year warranty period is the time to “speak now or forever hold your peace”. An unbiased evaluation of your home by a certified and licensed home inspector is a great way to bring an impartial opinion into the mix. A complete home inspection will help you to create an itemized list of issues and concerns that should be addressed by the builder or their warranty department.
An experienced home inspector such as BC Warner Inspections will be aware of common issues in a subdivision or with the builder that may have been overlooked during construction. Once completed, you can combine the report findings with your own known cosmetic concerns for the builder’s warranty department to properly address.
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