Pre-drywall inspections (phased)

[Jeff Zehnder]

I have been doing more pre-drywall inspections this year (along with a final inspection) and I was wondering what format, checklist or templates any of you that do these types of inspections use or just general comments to improve the quality of phased inspections. I started phased inspections slowly a few years ago and never though i would be doing as many as i am currently.

Just to add to the discussion i have included a few photos from this week.

Thanks for your comments in advance

[Markus Keller]

I had put together a template years ago for these, used it a few times and then left it alone. I found it was more useful to just do a defect list with pictures. Look for the issues that tend to cause drywall cracking and movement concerns, etc.
- lack of cripples over doors or windows, lack of corner studs, lack of tie-ins from one plane to another, think floating joist ends, loose or damaged OSB/CDX, long lines of floor nails that didn't go into joists but an inch next to the joist, depending on joist/span etc see if they used glue or not on the cdx to joists, nails used on vertical at big soffits instead of screws
- plumbing pipes outside the thermal envelope, holes to exterior, lack of up wrap at those stupid handmade shower bases, lack of full enclosure wrap if there is a steam unit, cut trusses
From my perspective its about reducing the amount of poor construction issues that will later on cause nuisance problems that no one will be able to figure out since its all drywall covered. Unless the crew is made up of complete morons the house isn't going to fall over.

[Scott Patterson]

ASHI developed a good SOP for Pre-Drywall inspections. This is the only recognized SOP for pre-drywall inspections and it went through several years of development which included a public comment period, it was released in 2010. You can find it toward the middle of the Standards page on the ASHI site.
Standard of Practice | American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI (http://www.homeinspector.org/Standards-of-Practice)

[Raymond Wand]

https://books.google.ca/books?id=BVgWa1y2jxgC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&dq=pre+drywall+inspection+form&source=bl&ots=q6ceWSMcIL&sig=ppCsLby5irB023rsbS1HEs6mhzI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=83wiVf2ICojIsATe3oD4CQ&ved=0CFYQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=pre%20drywall%20inspection%20form&f=false

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=17&ved=0CEMQFjAGOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fkawarthalakesconstruction.com%2Fw p-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F01%2FPre-Drywall-Inspection.pdf&ei=83wiVf2ICojIsATe3oD4CQ&usg=AFQjCNG1DNX1PsH8vKM0PVBbkedm-St6Dg&sig2=cJDpSy1POKbnrw6cCPFygQ&bvm=bv.89947451,d.cWc

[Nick Ostrowski]

I have found it helps me when compiling the report to have preprinted sheets of paper to use during the inspection that has the name of the room I am in next to the picture of the defect. Stick framing all looks the same so holding a sheet of paper up in the pic that says KITCHEN or BEDROOM #1 next to the area of missing draft stopping or a cut I joist flange makes it easy for me when writing the report and also for the buyer and builder so they know which room they need to go to for repairs.

[Jim Luttrall]

I don't use a template. I just document everything with photos and create a document on my letterhead. Sometimes I will mark a defect with tape or spray paint if it is hard to get a good photo or hard to explain where/what I am trying to convey.
If I did more, I would be more likely to create a template but the problems are so varied a template would take quite a while to develop and get comfortable using and the overall time savings would be negligible.