What if your buying new you ask? Too easy. I am doing at least one new construction inspection every week, either pre-pour frame or final walk through. In every situation, the line, “You don’t need a home inspection.” comes up or is used. Usually it starts with the sales agent representing the builder. “You won’t need a third party inspection.” Then comes the construction supervisor “You won’t need a third party home inspection. This house gets inspected every day by me.” or “ Your home goes through 13 different home inspections from the city inspectors and there the Final say on how its done!!”
This is true to some degree, however, few if any municipal inspectors spend anywhere near enough time in the home to fully check it out. Furthermore, there could be problems with the home that are not necessarily code violations, yet have serious consequences for you the new home owner. 90% of what I find in new homes is honestly poor craftsmanship. Not necessarily the builders fault, but the trade itself. Doors or windows that are not flush that a year or two down the road squeak like a stuck pig or rub and pop the door jamb when closing. You know what I’m talking about moms, the infamous squeaky door that is out to get you and that new born baby. The one that wakes your precious, tightly wrapped sleeping ball of swaddled goodness (which minutes before you wrapped after YouTubing “How to swaddle a Screaming Newborn Baby”) and you just spent the last three hours putting down. Or the chimney cap flashing that is not completely sealed and after about three years your shelling out $600 to $1000 to a handyman to re-side your chimney all with the words echoing in the back of your head from the construction supervisor. “You wont need a third party home inspector this house gets inspected every day by me.” Ha Where were you then Mr. Builder? Never mind the fact that on most new home constructions the supervisor changes two or three times. Why not invest a little now and save so much later?