Inspection Services for
NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION (also called phase inspections)
Very often, purchasers of newly constructed homes believe
that there is no reason for their new home to be independently inspected
at the pre-drywall stage….
and / or just prior to closing, by a competent private sector professional
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” during 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 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 Assure Home
Inspection prior to closing will help you find defective componentry, 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
• Improper wiring; defective
GFCI’s or electrical outlets
• Roof leaks; damaged
roofing; improper flashings; broken tiles;
• improper or defective
roof underlayment installations (picture here)
• Damaged or loose plumbing
componentry; plumbing leaks
• Reversed hot and cold
water lines
• Damaged walls, ceilings,
siding or structural components
• Windows installed inside
out; damaged windows; dual pane seal issues
• Gas fireplace exhaust
flue installed upside down; gas leakage
• Loose stair railings;
improperly constructed stairways
• Improper soil grading
• Termite access during
framing stage (picture here)
• Damaged concrete; improperly
laid concrete
• 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, or are latent defects. 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 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 Assure Home Inspection are typically the result of the complex logistics of new home construction 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 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, and we do perform a lot of
inspections for Clients who cannot attend, or prefer not to attend. By State
guidelines, any inspection agreement should be signed by the end of the inspection.
The agreement is accessible on our website (home page, “forms”
button) to view and print, sign and fax to Assure, if necessary.
5) Your Assure Inspector will complete the on-site inspection, provide the
on-site verbal summary if Client attends, then will provide the inspection
report within 24 hours to Client (and Builder, if so required). The reports
can be accessed from our website, or faxed to the Client and Builder. On-site
inspections usually last between 2-4 hours, depending on the size of the home
and other factors. Most of our inspections begin around 8am or 1-2pm, but
again…we’re flexible! We’re here for your peace of mind.
NEW CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION
CHECKLIST FOR BUYER
Assure Home Inspection recommends that all purchasers of newly constructed
homes obtain as much of the applicable information outlined below as possible
from their builder or developer:
• Blueprints
• Engineering documents
• Soil reports
• Well or septic documents,
if applicable
• Copy of the Certificate
of Occupancy (after home finished)
• Copy of signed-off permits
• Warranties for the following:
• Water heaters and heating
system components
• Fireplaces and componentry
• Air conditioning equipment
• Kitchen appliances
• Plumbing fixtures and
fixture trim
• Electrical devices and
fixtures
• Cabinets and counter
tops
• Windows and doors, including
garage doors and garage door openers
• Floor covering materials
and installation
• Roof covering materials
and installation
• Surface finishes; wallpaper,
paint, stain, etc.
• Siding and veneers
• Masonry work
• Security systems
• Landscape irrigation
systems and materials
• Builder’s warranties
Your Builder may be able to provide you with many of the items listed above
(and probably will have already done so) or can provide you with the names
of the manufacturers so that you can write and obtain any specific warranty
information on any products in your home that you do not have.
Keep all of these documents together and in a place where you can locate them.
They may be helpful to you and to the next buyer of your home!
PHASE INSPECTION PRICING
Pre-drywall Inspection $300 minimum - 12 cents per square foot
EXAMPLE: 2500 sf x .12 = $300
New finished home $285 minimum
1500 - 1900sf $305
1901 - 2300 $325
2301 - 2700 $345
2791 - 3100 $365
3101 - 3500 $395
3501 and larger 12 cents per square foot
(example: 4000sf x .12 = $480)
EXAMPLE: 2500 square foot home
AHI provides a pre-drywall and a final inspection upon home completion.
Pricing would be: 2500sf x .12 = $300
2500sf final $345 per chart
Thermal Imaging Services
$195 per hour, including
travel time.
