New Construction
Final Inspection- Before Settlement
Your home is built, the counters are sparkling and the open space invites you to move your furniture in, but you haven’t sat down at the settlement table yet. That’s where a Final or Finish Out Inspection comes in.
The Final home inspection generally takes place a few days to a week before settlement. It’s a good time to find any issues you’d rather not live with. It’s also the first opportunity to have a home inspector walk your roof, which is very important because the builder and municipal inspector probably won’t. Fixing the roof and other issues now will prevent costly problems later on.
When Should the Final Inspection be Performed?
After the first clean of the home has been completed and before the Final Walkthrough with the builder is performed. Ideally, this should also be at a time when you (the homebuyer) are also able to attend. You'll receive a copy of the report the same day as the inspection as well.
What's Included & What's Covered in a Final Home Inspection for New Construction?
We cover the mechanical systems of the home including your HVAc unit as well as the structural condition including your foundation basement, crawl space and attic. All general interiors are inspected including the ceilings, walls, floors, doors and windows.
Plumbing and electrical systems are also inspected including piping, the water heater and the fireplace and chimney if present.
We perform an extensive inspection of the exterior of your home and roof which other companies may not. We inspect the siding, drainage, grading, gutters and roofing. All inspectors carry 32 foot ladders to inspect and walk the roof.
This inspection will take about three hours and you’ll receive your written report the same day. Our written report is organized for your discussions with the builder. We keep the big ticket, builder responsibility items upfront so you don’t have to go on a scavenger hunt through the whole report. We also photograph any defects we find so you and the builder can easily identify the priority areas.
For more info on how we do a home inspection, look here.
Common Final Defects
The builder can get this cracked glass fixed easily.
Sample
Does a Newly Built Home Really Need to be Inspected?
Yes! New doesn't mean always mean perfect, especially when it comes to homes. Newly constructed homes can and do have Major Defects (and can have Elevated Radon Gas too).
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Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and teams of contractors have all worked on your home. One team of contractors hands off work to another team and then to another team as each contributes to your house. There are thousands of moving parts in that process and some of them will need attention by the end no matter how diligent the builder and each contractor are.
According to an article by Realtor.com, "Sure, a new home may look flawless, but that’s because no one has lived in it to see if anything’s amiss....Well, the same is true for homes. Buy a new one, and you’re essentially the guinea pig testing how well the HVAC system works and whether the basement floods during a storm. We know what you’re wondering: Don’t county building inspectors make sure construction on a new home is up to snuff? They should, but that doesn’t always happen in reality. County inspectors work for the municipality and make sure new construction lives up to a minimum building code—repeat, minimum—plus these public servants don’t work for you. And unless you’re a general contractor or know nailed drywall as opposed to screwed, well, you just might be screwed yourself....Once construction is complete, ask your inspector to review the house a few days before your final walk-through with the builder. The inspector is trained to notice details that escape the unpracticed eye. Add these issues to your final punch list, and don’t fork over the final payment until each problem is solved."
Whether this is our first time inspecting your new house or the second new construction inspection because you’ve taken advantage of our bundling options - we conduct an extremely thorough home inspection.
