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New Home & 3 Phase Inspections

 

Building your new dream home can be one of the most exciting, yet stressful events you could ever undertake.  Since you only get to build it once, it is important it gets done right.  I believe that most residential building contractors are out to provide the best quality product for their clients, but even the best contractors can make mistakes.  

 

A large portion of the defects that are found during an inspection of an older homes have been present since the original construction.  If your newly constructed home is already complete, performing an inspection at the end of the first year is an excellent idea.  By this time, problems that are going to develop have typically started to show their first signs and will either be repaired at that time or will be monitored further.  This is sometimes called a one-year or builder warranty inspection.  

 

If you are in the process or are planning on building a new home, having an impartial third party inspector evaluate the construction of the home at strategic times will help reduce the potential anything gets missed.  A phase inspection allows the home to be inspected prior to components being covered by soil or interior finishes and allows any potential modifications to be made at a much lesser expense.  A report with pictures and diagrams will be provided at the completion of each phase.  

 

A phase inspection consists of 3 inspections:

  1. Foundation Inspection

  2. Pre-drywall Inspection

  3. Final Inspection

The Foundation Inspection is the first step in the process.  The foundation of your home is the most important component and typically can by the most expensive to repair if problems develop.  The foundation inspection should take place when the foundation has been placed and the foundation water proofing is complete but before the foundation is backfilled or the framing of the walls and floors begins.  

The Pre-drywall Inspection should be performed just as it sounds, right before the drywall is installed.  This inspection will more than likely take longer than the other two inspections as there will be much more to evaluate.  By this time, the structural framing, roof coverings, windows and doors will be installed.  Typically, the exterior finishes are a work in progress.  On the interior of the house, all of the insulation, plumbing, heating & cooling equipment, and electrical will be installed or roughed-in.  Too often, structural members are cut or notched to allow the installation of one of these components.  Again, it is very easy and inexpensive to repair an issue discovered at this point in comparison to after the home is complete.

The Final Inspection takes place when the contractor is finished or is wrapping up their final punch list.  This inspection will be similar to that of a standard home inspection as the entire home will be inspected one last time.  All exterior components including the roof, exterior finishes, and exterior grounds will be evaluated as they were only partially complete during previous inspections.  Water will be run through all of the plumbing fixtures, all of the outlets, lights, and electrical safety devices will be tested, the doors and windows will be operated, and the appliances tested.

*A Phase Inspection is not a Code Inspection.

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