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View Full Version : When inspecting new homes, what are the 5 most common issues?



John C Hansen, LEED AP
02-11-2016, 05:36 PM
What do you experience in the field when inspecting new homes?
Are the homes complete? (except during the winter when exterior grading and seeding might be deferred.)
Are the homes clean?
Are the homes ready for the move-in?
What are the biggest concerns of the new home buyer?
What do you see that you feel should be caught by the building inspectors?
Please keep it to a short list but if you feel more than 5 items are worth mentioning, go ahead and comment.
I put this under the sub-heading of structural, but I am hoping you will mention all significant reported issues related new homes such as plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.

Bruce Ramsey
02-11-2016, 08:29 PM
Most builders want the inspection done about a week before their final walk thru to give them time to make repairs. As such, they are typically still tiding up loose ends including paint touch ups, final flooring, replacing broken windows (surprisingly frequently), kitchen appliances, etc.

Most findings are "punch list" minor stuff.

Others are incomplete installations. HVAC and kitchen appliances are two most common. Next would be "powder rooms" For some reason they are often missing the vanity, sink and toilet.

Decks often do not meet the AWC Prescriptive Residential Deck Construction Guide.

John C Hansen, LEED AP
02-11-2016, 11:01 PM
Most builders want the inspection done about a week before their final walk thru to give them time to make repairs...

Thanks Bruce. When you do these inspections, is your client the buyer? Or the builder? Are the builders relying on your list to know what they must do to finish the house? Your scenario makes me curious if the city inspectors will also catch the issues with the deck.

Raymond Wand
02-12-2016, 04:59 AM
What are the biggest concerns of the new home buyer?

1. They want to ensure their house is finished as per our provinces home warranty schedule.
PDI Checklist (http://www.tarion.com/New-Home-Buyers/Your-Pre-Delivery-Inspection/Pages/PDI-Check-List.aspx)


What do you see that you feel should be caught by the building inspectors?

1. Not much since the inspectors do not inspect every house, they may inspect a representative sampling if its a development.

Purchasers are always the client, never the builder. The client signs for the inspection, hence your duty and standard of care are paramount legally.

Some builders or their reps can be real jack-a**es. Indifferent, in denial, incredulous.... while others can be very charming and meeting their clients expectations.

John Kogel
02-12-2016, 08:57 AM
Thanks Bruce. When you do these inspections, is your client the buyer? Or the builder? Are the builders relying on your list to know what they must do to finish the house? Your scenario makes me curious if the city inspectors will also catch the issues with the deck.We can't comment too much on the AHJ, some are too busy to check everywhere. We get the hidden stuff mostly, and the paint blemishes.

Most builders are ok with your inspection because it is a step towards completing the sale. A word of praise goes a long way if the builder happens to be around, like sometimes when they provide access. "Nice door".

No, the builder does not rely on your list. Usual screwups are by subcontractors so in that way you help the builder, who is usually busy on another home he's started.

I like to mark the paint blemishes with a bit of the green painter's tape. That helps the painter fix it, and it scores points with the clients. Blemishes are a big deal in the new home, ignored everywhere else. ;)

Attic - missing insulation, very occasional truss or sheathing fault, loose plumbing vent stack, check exhaust vent hoses too, E panel - neutral bond in the sub panel, live wires in the cabinets from unfinished installations, Plumbing - hot,cold reversed. If the WH is not working yet, turn off the tank water supply to guess which side of the faucet will be hot. Always check for a sink drain before turning on faucets. ;)
Check all doors and windows for poor fit.
Watch for goofy stuff like a glass shower door that strikes the granite counter top - needs a little rubber bumper. The rest of the place checked out good. I have done lots where there were no repairs, just finishing to do.

Mary Knox
05-02-2016, 10:45 PM
What do you experience in the field when inspecting new homes?
Are the homes complete? (except during the winter when exterior grading and seeding might be deferred.)
Are the homes clean?
Are the homes ready for the move-in?
What are the biggest concerns of the new home buyer?
What do you see that you feel should be caught by the building inspectors?
Please keep it to a short list but if you feel more than 5 items are worth mentioning, go ahead and comment.
I put this under the sub-heading of structural, but I am hoping you will mention all significant reported issues related new homes such as plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.

Yes I agree with you.

Gary Burnett
05-03-2016, 11:37 AM
Roof - Toe board holes through shingles from the painters or chimney guys. Exposed nail heads at flashings that have not been sealed. Unpainted pvc plumbing vents where they are not visible from the ground. Dryer vent termination that still has screen attached.
Exterior - Brick expansion joints that are not caulked. Gaps under soffits/fascia where they intersect the roof where birds or small animals can enter (they usually add some trim boards. Gaps around window caulking.
Gutters - Downspouts that discharge water sideways across the shingles
Interior - Windows not square in the frame or won't latch without forcing latch closed. Doors that need the strikeplates adjusted to remove the play when closed (they rattle when the AC comes on or someone opens the front door).
Attic - HVAC ducts crimped or restricted where they pass through the floor. Insulation blown in too close to the water heater flue and chimney flue.
Plumbing - Usually don't find issues except maybe a slow drain where the painters washed out their stuff.
Jetted tub does not have an accessible panel.
Electrical - Paint in the interior of the panel at the electrical bus bar.
HVAC - AC temperatures do not meet a 15 to 22 degree differential. ( Installers open the valves to what ever the condenser is pre charged and do not check cooling ).
Appliances - If they are installed usually no issues.
Kitchen Vent Hood - Flex duct in cabinet over range.

Markus Keller
05-05-2016, 11:57 AM
Buying a new construction should be considered like buying a new Mercedes. Would you buy a new Benz with a dent in the trunk lid? Probably not. So why should you buy a new construction house that is less than perfect just so the slime ball developer can stick more profit in his pocket?
New construction issues:
- Inherent construction defects
- Incompletion issues
- Non-compliant or substandard workmanship that will allow for or bring about premature component failures and/or deterioration that will result in the new homeowner spending funds on maintenance costs years before they should have ever had to.
Do your NC inspections per those 3 primary criteria and you'll smoke your competition.

Raymond Wand
05-06-2016, 04:49 AM
Unless one is at the construction site everyday, there can by a myriad of issues which can be covered up or installed improperly only to found to be in the wrong locations such as plugs, plumbing, heating ducts. There will always be concerns during construction that cannot be anticipated down the road.

And don't count on the inspection services of your municipality to find or address all concerns.