Is it necessary to get a home inspector for a new build?

mau_loa · October 2011

DH and I are building a town-home, is it necessary to have our own inspector? I wasn't sure since the County has to inspect the home at various times throughout the building process. What are some of the items that a home inspector may find on a new build? Please help!

lshoes32 · October 2011

It can't hurt. The county will only be looking at general code issues, the inspector will look at everything. He will check all the outlets, hot water, water pressure, drains, A/C & heat to make sure they work (we got screwed on this once). He should also check the roof, crawlspace, attic (will measure the insulation for correct R factor), dishwasher to make sure it runs. Totally worth the peace of mind.

koosh ball · October 2011

We purchased a brand new townhouse and absolutely had an inspection. It was very worth it.

Shell24 · October 2011

I would. Builders cut corners and inspectors aren't always honest or could be really bad at their jobs.

curlylocks3 · October 2011

Shell24:
I would. Builders cut corners and inspectors aren't always honest or could be really bad at their jobs.

This.

Tracita · October 2011

Shell24:
I would. Builders cut corners and inspectors aren't always honest or could be really bad at their jobs.

Ditto. My step-sister and her husband had a new construction home and the inspector found the foundation of the house to be unstable. The whole house was resting on a single beam, or some such thing. They had to go under the house and make major repairs.

RCH151 · October 2011

Absolutely, there could be major issues even with a new build.

Aerowife2010 · October 2011

Yes! I've told this story before on this board but our inspector said he went into a new build once and it was infested with termites. How? The builder brought over a box of supplies from another house that had just been laying around and there were termites in the box. Without the inspection, the owners would have never known.

Tweetysvoice · October 2011

Most definitely! I heard a story from our inspector that he turned on a tub faucet upstairs and realized that the drain hadn't been connected properly and it was draining into the ceiling and walls in the room below! The contractors are just human and mistakes can be made. With a purchase as large as a home, it's always best to make sure you know what you are buying - defaults and all.

julygal · October 2011

Yes it is worth it even though most of it was minor or cosmetic. Here are some things our inspector found on our new build that I would have missed in my final walk through:

AC coils bent
Outdoor AC units mislabeled so he verified that the correct one was connected to our townhouse(this turned out as a non-issue but was not something I would have thought to check)
Weather stripping on our garage installed incorrectly
3 marble window sills that needed replacing

There were a lot of other minor cosmetic issues on the report that served as a check list for things the builder needed to do prior to our final walk through. Plus there was the piece of mind that were no glaringly obvious structural defects or safety issues.

Sisugal · October 2011

When you spend humdreds of thousands of dollars on a home, a few hundred dollars on an inspection is well worth it! (it is a small amount and can possibly save you a huge problem and expense)

nsfw · October 2011

Sisugal:
When you spend humdreds of thousands of dollars on a home, a few hundred dollars on an inspection is well worth it! (it is a small amount and can possibly save you a huge problem and expense)

Yes

tickledpink1843 · October 2011

We have a new build and are doing an inspection. It wasn't even an option. We were told we had to bring in a 3rd party inspector. The builder is footing the bill, though. Which, now that I think about it seems slightly odd?

nital · October 2011

worth every penny. in our first home we did a preconcealment and final inspection. our new house is a spec home, so we didn't get to do a preconcealment inspection, but did the final inspection last week.

Is it necessary to get a home inspector for a new build?

Re: Is it necessary to get a home inspector for a new build?

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