Your beautiful new construction home looks ready to move-in. You’re packed and ready to go. But wait, not so fast. When you’ve reached the finishing stage of a newly built home, it’s critical to hire your own inspector. While some think that sounds like a waste of money for a home no one has lived in, think again! Even if your builder says it’s an unnecessary expense, do it anyway. The inspection of a brand new home is just as important as it is for a resale home that’s been lived in for twenty years.
While a new home won’t have the typical wear-and-tear issues of an older one, it may still have serious problems that pertain to appliances, HVAC, plumbing, or electrical systems that you depend on every day. It’s better to find these issues now while the builder is still responsible to make them, right? Of course. In the final part of our four-part series, we take a look at what an inspector might find at the finishing stage of a newly constructed home.
Common Mistakes Found at the Finishing Stage
Some of the more common issues we’ve seen at this stage include:
∙ Kickout flashing on the roof is missing. Flashing is made of metal parts designed to divert water. With flashing parts missing on the roof, a roof can incur serious damage and leakage.
∙ The hot and cold water are reversed. C now stands for hot and H stands for cold?
∙ The gas isn’t turned on in the home until after you’ve moved in. Not a great time to find out you have no hot water because the water heater was bad straight from the factory.
∙ Attic insulation is missing, causing cold spots in your home and higher heating bills.
The following lists construction mistakes found at the finishing stage, broking down by category. These are just examples of what inspectors find before you’re ready to move into your brand new home. The list could be far more exhaustive.
Plumbing
∙ Shower floor sloped away from the drain
∙ Unsupported bathroom sinks
∙ Drain lines sloped in the wrong direction
Electrical
∙ Non-functional outlets
∙ Missing GFCI outlets
∙ Ground wire not attached to grounding rod
HVAC and Ventilation
∙ Uneven air distribution
∙ Unsupported supply and return ducts
∙ Gas pipe leaks
∙ Soffit vents without opening behind vent
∙ Bathroom fan exhausts into attic
∙ Inadequate ventilation in attic
Interior/Exterior Issues
∙ Cabinetry doors and drawers are misaligned
∙ Dishwasher drain line not installed properly
∙ Visible carpet seams
∙ Patio slopes toward the house instead of away
∙ Decks not bolted to the house
∙ Missing weep holes
∙ Downspouts discharge at foundation
Roofing
∙ Missing kickout flashing and splash guards
∙ Gutters slope incorrectly or are the wrong size
∙ Shingles that don’t lie flat
∙ Roof shingle caps were not installed
The bottom line is that even a well-appointed new home can come with mistakes that you’re unaware of. Hiring an experienced home inspector can help save possibly thousands of dollars down the road when damage or malfunction is discovered. Reputable builders want to stand by their work to maintain good reputations, so most will agree to fix issues where fault or oversight is found.