Should I Have A Home Inspection Performed On A New Build?
Whether or not to have a newly built home inspected is a question that we get frequently, and it’s a valid question that deserves some explanation. Truth be told over the course of performing hundreds of new home inspections we have never encountered a serious issue that cannot easily be fixed by the builder. With that said we have never encountered a home that was in perfect condition and did not have multiple items in need of correction.
Often times we find a handful of items that were not properly installed or adjusted during the construction process and require repair by the builder or the subcontractors that performed the work in the first place. People tend to think that because at home is new it is in perfect condition, and while that is an understandable assumption, it is far from the truth. Unlike a new car for example a home is not built in a controlled environment and is subject to many different factors that can impact the quality of the final product. Because homes are built by humans and not machines there is always a potential for human error and oversights as well as outside factors such as inclement weather or communication-related issues that can lead to elements in the home not being properly installed.
You may think that a home inspection on a new build is not necessary because the builder will typically provide a one-year warranty in which they will fix issues that you may discover within your first year of occupancy. While this is true in most cases it is oftentimes worth the cost of an inspection to save the headache of having a repair and or warranty specialist working in your home after you have settled into the home and dealing with the headache I’m going through a warranty claim. A reputable builder should also welcome a quality third-party inspection for the reason that this could ultimately help reduce their warranty issues down the road which are both costly and stressful to a home builder.
Does it make a difference if my home is built by a large production builder or a small independent builder?
That is an excellent question and the simple answer is usually yes. Often times we do encounter more issues and findings with homes built by smaller builders than that of large production scale homebuilders. This is certainly not always the case as there are many phenomenal custom small builders, and conversely, large builders that are not immune to quality issues either. Generally speaking, however, large production builders operate within such a meticulously planned construction schedule in addition to repeating a common floorplan that issues are often less common. Additionally, the subcontractors that work for large-scale production builders are typically more reputable than some smaller ones that may work for an independent builder that does not do as much volume on a yearly basis. That being said there is no general assumption either way so it’s always a wise idea to have a third-party inspection performed on a new build by a reputable home inspector or inspection company. Often times some of the common issues that we see with new construction we would consider an advanced punch list. Items can be detected by a trained eye that would otherwise be overlooked in a builder walk-through or blue tape walk-through between the buyer and the builder. It is typically more convenient to have these issues addressed prior to closing for the reason that the subcontractors or the builder’s representative are both available and close to the job site to be able to come back and fix any outstanding items.
In summary, you’re probably not going to find any big-ticket or significant issues upon purchasing a newly constructed home, but you’re almost certainly always going to find enough items in need of correction by the builder to make the home inspection more than worthwhile.
Not only does a new build inspection have a financial return by preventing costly repairs down the road, but it will also help to alleviate headaches and stressful situations they could be encountered upon moving into your new home. For this reason, we always advise having a professional home inspection conducted on a new home as well as radon test and sewer scope to ensure a smooth and well informed purchase.