NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION (also called phase inspections)
Very often, purchasers of newly constructed home believes that there is no reason for their new home to be independently inspected by a licensed home inspector at the pre-drywall stage and / or just prior to closing, by a competent private sector rofessional building inspector. After all, new homes are so beautiful!Buyers may believe, due to the local building inspection department having inspected the house on multiple “mini-inspections” du
ring its construction, that nothing could have been missed. Or, they may feel that because the builder or developer is providing some type of warranty, that it will cover everything. Unfortunately, this is not always true….and when it is true, it usually costs more time and especially frustration to repair a defect if your furniture and other possessions are already in the home.And….If the defect is a structural, plumbing or a roof leak……well, you don’t even want to think about it! Although local building department inspectors usually have your best interest in mind, they neither catch everything nor do they inspect the roof, per our experience and research. You should also know that manufacturer warranties do not cover every component for every condition which might affect them. The simple fact is that a new home should be in new condition! We are here for your peace of mind!
Usually, builders and developers have a greater incentive to make repairs or corrections before closing. An independent inspection by AHI Home Inspection prior to closing will help you find defective components, improper installations or other new construction issues and will also provide you with very valuable maintenance information to help you manage maintenance costs and help you better understand the workings of your home for years to come.
Below are some of the conditions and defects that have been found while conducting these phase inspections and new finished home inspections:
• Missing attic insulation or no attic insulation (See Pictures Below)
• Improper wiring; defective GFCI’s or electrical outlets
• Roof leaks; damaged roofing; improper flashings; damage shingles (See Pictures Below)
• Damaged or loose plumbing components; plumbing leaks (See Pictures Below)
• Reversed hot and cold water lines
• Poor installation of stud walls, siding and or structural components
Damage to structural components by sub-contractor is common! (See Pictures Below)
• Windows installed incorrectly; damaged windows; seal issues (See Pictures Below)
• Gas fireplace exhaust flue installed upside down & not connected; gas leakage
• Loose stair railings; improperly constructed stairways
• Improper soil grading
• Missing hardware; incomplete trim work
• Improperly secured cabinets; damaged cabinets
• Leaking appliances
This is not a complete list of the conditions that we have found in newly constructed homes, nor do we find most of them in every new home we inspect. In fact, we are only human and may not see things in new or older homes that were not visible at the time of the inspection. However, we provide our services by adhering to the ASHI Standards of Practice for Professional Home Inspectors and our Clients have been consistently very satisfied that inspection items that are found prior to the time they signed off on their new home. Keep in mind that most builders and developers do their best to build a quality home for their Clients. The conditions found by AHI Home Inspection are typically the result of the complex logistics of new home construction (particular sub-contractor issues) and the time constraints put on city building inspectors. There are a large number of trades people (subcontractors) involved in the construction process and they often work on the home at different intervals, rather than all at once. When the home inspection issues are brought to the
builders attention, they typically will simply add them to their own “punch list” of final detail work and
they will be taken care of by the appropriate subcontractor.
NORMAL AHI PHASE INSPECTION “CHAIN OF EVENTS”
1) Client (or Realtor) calls Assure to ask questions and schedule an inspection. Hopefully, this is at
least a couple of weeks prior to the preferred inspection date (but if not, we’ll do our best and can
usually accommodate!).
2) Assure provides to Builder any reasonable paperwork they require upon request. (Usually, this is
only requested for pre-drywall phase inspections.)
3) Assure helps coordinate the inspection date and time between Home Buyer, Building Superintendent, Realtor or others involved. 4) Home buyer is not required to attend the inspection, but we do recommend at least attending near the end of the inspection to go over a summary, sign the inspection agreement and make payment for the inspection. Assure accepts checks, cash and Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards for payment.Credit card payments can be completed by phone.
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