336-575-6558   jon@jonnyspot.com

New Construction Inspection

It is a question I get all the time, “Dear Jonny, this is a brand new home that has been inspected countless times by building inspectors from the county, do I really need a home inspection?” The answer to this question is simply yes. New homes that are built are never perfect. There are many reasons why defects exist in brand new homes. From unskilled laborers performing work, builders trying to save on cost, missed code violations, and simple errors in construction material use that can cause serious issues in a new home.

Many times a builder trying to sell one of their new homes will try and convince a potential buyer that a home inspection is not needed. A builder does not want someone like Jonny on the Spot Home Inspections coming out to their newly built home and starting to point out defects. This can cost the builder money when they have to make repairs or add additional materials to a house to rectify an issue. Builders dislike home inspectors because not only do home inspectors cost them money, they can also tarnish a builders reputation as being a superb builder. Below are pictures of defects that were taken from brand new houses that were just put up for sale.

New construction home inspection services

This deck is over 30 inches high. North Carolina code requires decks above 30 inches to have guard rails. It is possible anyone or more importantly a small child could slip of this deck and have a serious injury. The builder was required to add railings around the entire deck.

 

This is a picture of the same brand new deck with screws installed incorrectly.

Screws

The nails and screws on the deck were severely over driven. When fasteners are sunk to deep into the wood, it will shorten the life span of the wood and cause board lifting years down the road. Hundreds of these defective nails were found during inspection and the builder was forced to replace many of the wood decking boards that were installed incorrectly.

You would probably assume the HVAC system was installed correctly also. Not so much, many times the duct work is not properly attached and sealed with air trapping mastic. Defects like the one in the picture below can literally cost a new homeowner thousands in loss of efficiency in the ventilation system.

Duct

This duct work is mangled and almost falling out of the plenum box. Also, it is not properly sealed with air trapping mastic. This duct system was passed by the county inspector!

These are just a couple of examples of shoddy work that is found all the time in brand new homes. In all the cases the builder paid for and fixed all these issues before the new homeowner moved in. Please do not get trapped in a brand new home with you having to pay the out of pocket expenses to fix these defects. Call Jonny on the Spot Home Inspections to prevent you from buying a new home with lackluster craftsmanship.