NationSpec, headquartered in Katy, Texas, performs commercial and home inspections within a 75-mile circumference of our headquarters.
There’s a misconception that home inspections are only performed on completed homes – whether newly-completed or a few years old. However, it’s a good idea to have a home inspection on homes (or condos or townhomes) periodically through the construction process itself.
Why inspect a home under construction?
The time to find out if there are any building mistakes or structural problems with a home is before it’s actually completed. If problems are caught soon enough, they can be rectified by the builder without too much inconvenience by the home owner.
If the problems are not found in time, they will manifest themselves long after the builders have moved on to other homes. While there may be legal recourse regarding their shoddy work, that involves a lot of inconvenience and hassle that could be avoided.
Building contractors vary in quality, it’s as simple as that. Home builders in Texas are not regulated by the state (unlike home inspectors!). For condos or apartment buildings, the contract may have gone to the lowest bidder rather than to the best bid. For a new home, the same concept applies.
And then, frankly, even the best and most experienced of builders can sometimes make mistakes.
So, no matter how good the references of a construction firm and its subcontractors, it simply makes sense to inspect the structure to make sure that all building codes are being met.
Municipal inspections
When a new house is to be built, a permit was applied for and plans for the home were submitted. A municipal inspector is then sent out at each phase of the construction process to also verify that the building in process meets all codes.
NationSpec double checks the municipal inspector’s work and goes further.
Who orders a construction-phase inspection?
The person having the new home built is the one who will order a construction-phase inspection.
We offer many types of construction-phase inspections – beginning at the very beginning by checking zoning, permits, set back requirements (how far the home must be from the street) and parking compliance.
When we inspect each home under construction, we check to make sure that state-mandated regulations are being followed from the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as well as the Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) – which deals with the quality of the building slab on which your new home is to be placed.
How many construction-phase inspections are there?
We offer three construction-phase inspections.
- Pre-pour inspection
- Pre-drywall inspection
- Final inspection
Pre-pour inspection
As the name implies, a pre-pour inspection should be done before the foundation for the home is poured.
Our inspectors make sure that all building code compliances have been met, and that the foundation is in compliance with the engineer’s design, and that the forms have been properly placed using good quality lumber. We check other items such as proper subterranean termite control and electrical conduit positioning.
Pre-drywall inspection
Once the building’s foundation has been laid, the building will be framed and the plumbing and electrical rough-ins will have been performed. That means plumbing pipes have been laid and electric outlets and switches have been put in position – but nothing has been covered up by the drywall yet.
Again, we check for all building code compliances.
We check a wide variety of elements including the quality of the foundation and for any slab repairs. We check the wall framing and the wind bracing, the installation of any exhaust fans, furnace placement, water heater placement, and so on. If there are fireplaces and chimneys, we check those.
Final inspection
Once the builder has completed your home, but before you have your final walk-through, we will inspect the home once more.
Because the home is now “existing,” we perform our regular residential home inspection, but also check out such things as the quality of the interior and exterior finishes.
End-of-builder warranty inspection
We also offer an end of builder warranty inspection.
Home builders typically warranty their work for one year.
It’s important to have your home inspected at least a month before that warranty is due to expire.
You may think, “Well, I’ve already had the home inspected three times!”
Consider, however, that although we may have caught mistakes during any of the previous three inspections, we did not inspect to ensure that corrections were made. A reputable builder will have done so, but they may have missed a few things.
A final inspection before the end of the warranty ensures that nothing will be missed.
