New Home Inspection & Builder Warranty

There are good reasons to have a professional inspection performed on the brand new home you are buying.

Many new homeowners had never even thought about having a home inspection on their new home! They said, "What could possibly be wrong, this is a new house", and were confronted with major defects after move-in or when the home was inspected for a buyer when it was later sold. Buying a new house is likely one of, if not the largest purchase decision you'll ever make. The whole process is fraught with emotion and stress. A professional home inspection will substantially reduce the risk for your large investment in a new home. It just makes sense to learn as much as you can about the quality of your new home, before signing off on everything.

Building a new home is a tremendously complex endeavor. It involves many people, split up into sub-contractor groups, all having been awarded the contract by being the "LOW BIDDER", and each sub-contractor working on different parts and systems of the house. Over 90% of the labor force that builds homes today are not Union members or trade apprenticed. It's no secret that builders are having a difficult time finding skilled construction labor during the current building boom. With current city and municipal budgets under financial stress it is not unusual for the average City/Municipal Inspector to have a workload of 25-30 inspections in a single day. City and Municipal Code Inspector's are hard pressed to cover every item in every home. Electrical outlets and switches are not inspected, appliances and major systems are not tested. The utilities have not been hooked-up/connected to the home during the municipal inspections. City inspectors do not enter attic spaces or go onto roofs. Improperly installed roofing materials are the most common defect found in new homes today, with moisture intrusion being the number one construction defect lawsuit cause.

Even for the best builders, it's nearly impossible to complete this process without missing something. Maybe it's a plumbing fixture that didn't get tested for leak's, maybe it's an electrical component that isn't working, or any one of dozens of minor problems that can easily be overlooked in such a major undertaking. Sometimes it is more serious and could compromise the health and safety of your family or subject you to substantial expense to correct when you go to sell your home. We will look for such problems while it is still early enough for you to bring them up with the builder and have them corrected before you sign-off.

If your builder will not allow an independent third party professional home inspection with a company of your choosing you should have reason for concern. What does the builder have to fear or hide. You may also choose to have an independent third party professional home inspection before your one year builder's warranty is up. State law specifies a number of items that a builder is responsible for beyond the one year builder warranty. For the relatively small cost, a professional inspection of your new dream home can pay big dividends in peace of mind and getting any problems identified and corrected by the builder before they can become an unpleasant surprise.

NINE WARNING SIGNS
Serious defects often present themselves in telltale ways.

   1. Deep cracks in the foundation or basement walls.
   2. Sagging floors or leaning walls. A shifting foundation or structural problems with support
        beams could be to blame.
   3. Windows and doors that never sit well in frames or close properly. House-framing problems
        may be at issue.
   4. Cracks in interior walls. Wide cracks could signal a foundation problem.
   5. Water damage. Warning signs include mold, rot, and insect infestation in exterior walls;
        staining, swelling and discoloration on interior walls; and a musty odor.
   6. Flooding, sewer and drain backups, and switched hot and cold water.
   7. Excessive heating or cooling bills. Rooms that don’t get warm or cool enough can be another
        signal that air ducts may be leaky or improperly connected.
   8. Shorting or dead outlets. The electrical system may be installed incorrectly.
   9. Lack of required permits. This indicates that building authorities have not performed the
        required inspections.