New Construction Home Inspections
These Home Inspection consulting services are specially designed to assist the buyers of new residential homes in getting the best built home possible. There is no such thing as a perfect home, but by providing inspection services at specific stages of construction, you can get a better built, stronger, safer and more energy efficient home.
The New Construction Home Inspection includes all the items in the Structural / Mechanical Home Inspection as well as close inspection of cabinets, fit and finish items around the house and operation of all windows. The inspection also includes select references to the International Residential Code (IRC) and Texas Residential Construction Commission Performance Standards to help resolve any dispute about the need for a repair on a newly constructed house. The foundation and framing inspection reports are delivered via email only. The punch list inspection report is delivered onsite and/or via email.
New Construction home inspection services are available for;
- Foundation prepour
- Framing and
- Punch out inspections before closing on the house
- Elevational Survey to establish a base reference for future foundation movement
- 11 Monty Warranty Inspection
The newly constructed home incorporates many of the latest technology and newest designs in home construction. Everything is brand new and ready for you to move in when you sign the closing papers. The house met or pasted the quality control inspections of the builder and may have been inspected several times by the city Building Inspector. So why does it need a third party inspection?
This is a common question that can be best answered with some information about the building process and real estate transaction. A lot is riding on your purchase and you want to get it right with a minimum of problems down the road. A little money spent now may prevent costly outlays to make needed repairs after you live in the house a few years or go to sell your home to another buyer. Let’s start with the players typically involved in the closing of your new house.
The Developer is someone that you may never meet in this transaction. He or she would have purchased the large tract of property and negotiated with the city council and building department to put in the infrastructure necessary to subdivide the tract into lots that would be used for the newly constructed houses. They are also installing streets, parks, water, sewer and other utilities on this tract of land to build a community in which you will like to live. We use the word negotiate in describing the process of acceptance between the Developer and the City because there is definitely a lot of give and take in the process between the two parties. The Developer wants to improve the land at the lowest cost and the city wants the tax revenues that developed property can bring. Cost and quality are the trade offs in the negotiation. Seldom is a single standard measure or requirement applied to all developments within a city. Every tract of land is different as is every approval process. If the development takes place outside the cities jurisdiction (typically ½ - 1 mile outside the city limits), then the Developer can build their community and construct their houses without any involvement by city officials. This is a common occurrence in many parts of the county now. The down side to the current process could be poorly installed streets, utilities and property drainage characteristics. The infrastructure may look great now, but have significant problems in the future.
The City is represented by the City Council who is charged by the voters of that city to help their city grow while maintaining a high standard and quality of life. The City Council is a political body that negotiates and approves all decisions of the city. The political nature of the body can result in poor quality developments when cost and quality are traded for the best deal available while meeting the financial commitments of the city. The Building Official is the head of the City Building Department that inspects improvements to property that take place within the city’s limits. The Municipal Building Inspector is charged with performing a series of inspections at specific stages of the construction process. Because of budgetary limitations (from the City Council), Building Inspectors often perform 30-40 inspections each day. Do the math. Eight hours / 30 inspections a day gives about 16 minutes for each inspection. Include drive time, paper work and office time and you may be down to 5-6 minutes per inspection. How much can someone see in 5-6 minutes? Is it a surprise that many items that are required in the International residential Code – IRC (the state adopted building code) are missed in a newly constructed house? Builders would have you believe that the purpose of the municipal building inspector is to protect the consumer from poor construction practices. Municipal Building Inspectors are charged with enforcing the 2000 or 2003 International Residential Code (IRC). This building code is a set of standards adopted by the state to insure that a minimum safety standard is met in the construction of new buildings. The Building Inspector is not there to insure quality of construction or adherence to the best building practices. You cannot rely solely on the municipal inspector to protect your interests. Further, the International Code Council's (developer of the IRC 2000), Legal Aspects of Code Administration, encourages home buyers to determine the soundness of the building prior to the finalization of the purchase or to hire a professional inspector.
The
Builder is someone who purchases one or more lots in the
development to build houses to sell. The Builder is actually
numerous people who collectively work together to get the project
done. The days of a Builder actually building the house are pretty
much over. Now the Builder appoints a Supervisor who will
oversee the construction of several houses in the subdivision. The
actual construction of the house is performed by various trade
persons who are often the lowest bid Contractor. The
Supervisor coordinates the construction between the Contractors and
may know very little about the construction trade. In the
February 2004 issue of Journal of Light Construction,
the Chairman of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation
states, "Builders large and small, their bottom lines increasingly
defined by speed and volume rather than quality and craftsmanship,
are churning out second-rate structures by unsupervised
subcontractors using unskilled, untrained laborers. Rampant code
violations go undetected because individuals charged with conducting
inspections are unqualified or corrupt or, sadly, both, or are
simply overwhelmed by their workload." The article also found "a
systematic lack of quality control by builders who are producing too
many homes too fast, with not enough trained workers and inadequate
oversight." Similar articles can be found in other publications
like the January 2004 issue of Consumer Reports "House wrecked" and
local newspapers. Please review these articles for more information.
Your Builder may tell you that they do not allow 3rd
party inspectors. If they attempt to use this ploy, then we strongly
recommend that you pursue purchasing the house from another Builder.
Regardless what their company "allows" you have a rights as a
consumer under Federal Law. Builders and Supervisor may employ a
Home Inspection Company as an independent firm that inspects all of
their houses for their clients. This could be a blatant and obvious
conflict of interest. Some Builders will even use "independent
inspection companies" that are simply the builders' employees being
paid by the builder to act as third-party inspectors.
Builders may use the tactic of allowing you to have your own inspector, but contends that they are under no obligation to fix anything mentioned in his report. If the issues observed in the report are obvious code violations, your builder is obligated by the laws of the State of Texas to bring these items into compliance. Builders are notorious for playing a scheduling game where he fails to give you any or adequate notice of readiness for inspection and upgrades. The builder may inform you that the home is ready to be inspected at a particular phase when it is actually not ready. Your inspector will be unable to perform the full inspection for that particular phase and will still charge you for the trip. The design of this ploy is to damage the relationship between you and your inspector. After a couple of these incomplete inspections and additional fees you may simply resign yourself to forego the inspections and rely solely upon the Builder and Municipal Building Inspector.
Builders are registered by the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC). There are no education or testing requirements to becoming a Builder. Fill out the application and send in the $125 fee and you can be a builder also. Someone who knows nothing about construction, building codes or manufacturer’s installation instructions may be supervising the construction of your new house. This is a significant concern when the quality of the construction is an issue. The TRCC has a dispute resolution process that provides an inspection and arbitrational process to resolve construction problems between the builder and buyer. The TRCC has published Performance Standards that determine the acceptable quality of the construction of the house. These Standards are available by following the above link. The entire process is designed to keep problems out of a court of law. It is important that everything be address up front in the process before closing.
The Real Estate Sales Agent or Broker are professionals who represent their clients’ interest during the negotiation and transaction process during a real estate transaction. They may have considerable knowledge and experience about the real estate market and industry that can increase the value of the purchase. They are licensed and regulated by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) and subject to laws, regulations and ethical conduct rules that are designed to protect the public. In comparison, the Sales Agent in the Builders office may not be licensed, regulated or bound by a Code of Ethics. It is important that all communications with the Builder be in writing.
The Professional Home Inspector is a 3rd party specialist who is licensed and regulated by TREC. A Real Estate Inspector is someone in training for their Professional Inspector’s license. There are published Standards of Practice that dictate what is to be covered in the inspection. The Inspector may have special knowledge and tools that are used to evaluate the condition of property at the time of the transaction. They are limited by conditions of the property and access to different areas of the house while performing their visual inspection. A Framing Inspection on a new house would provide visible to the interior section of a wall. These are components that would not be visible at any later point in time. Catch problems early before the wall is closed up and you can improve the energy efficiency of the house and prevent structural problems that could cause cosmetic damage later.
Phased Inspections
A New Construction Inspection is intended to provide a review of the building systems as they are constructed. A phased construction inspection will visually examine the building under construction at three to five separate milestone events. These inspections evaluate the quality, workmanship and execution of the design and construction. The milestone events are:
|
Foundation Phase |
Foundation layout, footings, perimeter walls, rebar, supports and materials |
|
Rough Framing Phase |
Framing layout, connections, materials and execution |
|
Utility Rough-In Phase |
Utility Layout, coordination of utilities, sizing, materials and execution (Optional) |
|
Pre-Drywall Phase |
Insulation, utility connections, coordination of utilities, appliance and cabinetry (Optional) |
|
Pre-Closing Phase |
Punch list development |
|
Pricing |
|
|
Phase 1 - Foundation Pour Inspection |
$ 200 / 350 |
|
Phase 2 - Framing Inspection (with elevations) |
$ 300 / 400 |
|
Pre Closing Mechanical/Structural Inspections on New Residential Homes prices are based upon the square footage of the home and the type of foundation (either slab or pier and beam). All square footage is calculated on living area plus garage. Pre-Closing Inspection discounted 10% if all three inspections are performed. |
|
|
Up to 1500 square feet |
$ 325 |
|
1501 to 2000 square feet |
$ 350 |
|
2001 to 2500 square feet |
$ 375 |
|
2501 to 3000 square feet |
$ 390 |
|
3001 to 3500 square feet |
$ 425 |
|
3501 to 4000 square feet |
$ 440 |
|
4001 to 5000 square feet |
$ 405 |
|
Above 5000 square feet |
.10¢/sqft |