A newly constructed home should be inspected when it’s finished, but there’s an additional inspection I offer that happens during the construction phase. It helps make sure the frame of your house has been done correctly and that further construction is ready to move forward.
A pre-drywall phase inspection provides a close examination of your house during an important part of its construction. It’s a chance to inspect the work quality of the home as it’s being built. Any issues that builders and their contractors may have missed can be pointed out so they can be corrected before the drywall goes up.
Any home inspection is designed to observe what is visible and accessible. Once the drywall is installed in a home, certain parts are no longer visible and can only be seen through invasive means – like cutting out portions of the drywall.
This inspection is one last chance to make sure best practices have been followed before these areas become hidden.
A pre-drywall phase inspection provides a close examination of your house during an important part of its construction. It’s a chance to inspect the work quality of the home as it’s being built. Any issues that builders and their contractors may have missed can be pointed out so they can be corrected before the drywall goes up.
Any home inspection is designed to observe what is visible and accessible. Once the drywall is installed in a home, certain parts are no longer visible and can only be seen through invasive means – like cutting out portions of the drywall.
This inspection is one last chance to make sure best practices have been followed before these areas become hidden.
Here are some examples of issues that might be discovered:
✔ improper bracing (such as defective, warped, or even missing framing) ✔ inadequate moisture barriers on the exterior ✔ missing anchor bolts or fire blocking ✔ broken roof trusses ✔ missing framing fasteners ✔ improper flashing for windows and doors |
And that’s just a partial list.
Sometimes, a subcontractor may do his job perfectly, yet another subcontractor comes along and unintentionally creates a problem. That problem may compromise the first person’s work. This would be the best time to discover that.
When I do a pre-drywall inspection, I’ll take pictures and make specific notes about any issues I see that should be addressed with the contractors. If there are issues, it’s much better to correct them during this phase than after the home is finished when it will be more costly.
Hopefully, when you hire someone to build your home, it is someone you can trust and count on to do a quality job.
If a builder knows that a home inspector will be coming in during the construction, they’re likely to be even more focused on all the little details, making sure everything is done exactly as it should be. It’s only human nature if we know our work will be checked.
You want someone who will advocate for YOU, and as a home inspector, that’s my job.
Most people only have an inspection of a finished home, but there is value in inspecting during the construction process. The goal is that no big issues will be discovered, but if even one is, it will save you money in the long run.
Sometimes, a subcontractor may do his job perfectly, yet another subcontractor comes along and unintentionally creates a problem. That problem may compromise the first person’s work. This would be the best time to discover that.
When I do a pre-drywall inspection, I’ll take pictures and make specific notes about any issues I see that should be addressed with the contractors. If there are issues, it’s much better to correct them during this phase than after the home is finished when it will be more costly.
Hopefully, when you hire someone to build your home, it is someone you can trust and count on to do a quality job.
If a builder knows that a home inspector will be coming in during the construction, they’re likely to be even more focused on all the little details, making sure everything is done exactly as it should be. It’s only human nature if we know our work will be checked.
You want someone who will advocate for YOU, and as a home inspector, that’s my job.
Most people only have an inspection of a finished home, but there is value in inspecting during the construction process. The goal is that no big issues will be discovered, but if even one is, it will save you money in the long run.