New Construction Home Inspections: Are They Necessary?

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Updated on March 9th, 2021

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For many of us, living in a brand new home sounds like a dream. There’s not a ding on the wall, scratch on the floor, or squeaky cupboard to worry about. You may think since the home is newly built, it must be perfect. With new construction sales soaring, we often get a question from homebuyers: should I hire a home inspector for a newly built home? The answer is: yes! And here’s why.

 

 

Building a home is complicated and nobody’s perfect

According to the National Association of Home Builders, more than 3,000 components are used in constructing a house. That’s a lot of parts and that number does not even include the fine detail of how critical components such as screws, nails, adhesives, and sealants are selected and installed.

Roughly 20 different sub-contractors most likely install these 3,000 components and each sub-contractor may employ as many as 4 to 5 different employees to work on the house. Upon completion, your house could have seen more than 100 different people working with these 3,000 components, including sub-contractors for things such as roofing, framing, painting, drywall, electrical, flooring, appliances, insulation, etc.

With so many people working on a home and with so many components to the actual construction, mistakes can be made. No home is perfect but it’s important to know which aspects of a home are worth repairing and which are deal-breakers.

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Most Common Issues with New Home Construction

Hiring a home inspector can help you find some of the most common issues that can occur in new construction homes:

  • Incorrect installation of the roof, which may result in having to be completely replaced.
  • The mechanical room or space being built too small and cannot fit all the appliances, including the furnace, water heater, pressure tank, etc.
  • The home is not correctly insulated, which results in tearing out finished walls and ceilings to fix it. This can be especially true in some inaccessible sections of the roof.
  • The siding of the house is improperly installed and ends up needing to be replaced.
  • The basement walls were not insulated, which is particularly important in areas with colder climates.
  • Crawl space ventilation is not installed, resulting in water from condensation to build up and cause a lot more damage.
  • Improper insulation around recessed lighting, which can result in air leaks and heat loss.
  • A leaky booster pump, which could cascade into a whole list of repairs to be made including having to replace hardwood floors.
  • Structural issues, such as with a damaged roof truss system or an unusual floor frame configuration could require structural engineers to be called in to evaluate.

You may be getting the picture of why it’s recommended to get a home inspection on new construction. A house is a complex system of many variables that if done incorrectly or simply left out, could result in future damage to the home and you stuck paying for the bill.

 

Newly home construction undergoing a home inspection

All New Home Constructions Are Built to Code, Right?

Below are four critical points to understand how building codes are applied to residential house construction.

1. Codes for New Construction Homes Are a Minimum Requirement

Building codes are a set of minimum standards by which constructing a home to any lesser degree is essentially illegal. So building new constructions to local building codes is simply complying with local minimum standards. These codes do not guarantee that “best practices” are applied when constructing the house.

2. New Home Construction Varies Regionally

Building codes are based on national standards, whereas quality and certain variables of construction can vary largely across the U.S. For example, you do not want to construct a house in Tampa, Florida necessarily in the same way you would build a house in the mountains of Denver, Colorado.

Building codes do adjust for this with the different wind, climate, and seismic zones, but the nuance of regional construction methods, materials, techniques, and environmental challenges makes it difficult for codes to be adapted perfectly to localized standards and needs.

3. Building Officials Have Limited Time for New Construction Homes

The degree to which local building officials are able to check on new construction will vary by city, state, and county. Because building departments are generally busy, it’s impossible to perform a thorough, perfect on-site inspection of every system of a newly constructed home. However, local building codes and local code enforcement do help with the overall inspection of the structure and wiring in houses.

As mentioned earlier, over 3,000 components of a house require inspecting. Given the average on-site time for building officials during the construction of a residential home is less than 4 hours, some issues can be overlooked.

4. Building Codes Defer to Manufacturer’s Specifications

There are many components of new construction homes that should be installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications, such as the roof, siding, and furnace. The building code may have some basic standards, but proper installation will require following the directions from manufacturers. Sometimes, builders don’t check to confirm if these systems were properly installed.

Building codes and building departments do an excellent job of helping ensure that safe and reliable houses are being constructed. Even the best builders with the best intentions will have difficulty executing everything perfectly on a residential build. A huge gray area exists between building codes, best practices, and the workmanship employed in building your house. A fresh set of eyes from a third-party inspector will help confirm that your newly constructed home is in good shape.

Newly built homes are wonderful and buyers will benefit from a home inspection

Living in a newly built home is exciting and typically, comes with far fewer issues that buying an older home. To ensure your longterm happiness and financial stability, hiring a home inspector to conduct a new construction home inspection will ensure you’re not investing in an asset that requires major repairs. A good home inspection will give you the benefit of an objective third-party looking over the house. You’ll gain valuable insights into the houses’ attributes and vulnerabilities, as all houses have both. A third-party home inspection can add value by evaluating the overall quality and design of the building. Finally, it will give you the peace of mind that you’re purchasing a home that’s in good shape and that will bring you plenty of joy.

If you are represented by an agent, this is not a solicitation of your business. This article is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional advice from a medical provider, licensed attorney, financial advisor, or tax professional. Consumers should independently verify any agency or service mentioned will meet their needs. Learn more about our Editorial Guidelines here.
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