Pre-Close Inspections
There are good reasons to have a professional inspection performed on the brand new home you are buying.
Buying a new house is likely one of, if not the largest purchase decision you’ll ever make. The whole process is fraught with emotion and stress. A professional home inspection will substantially reduce the risk for your large investment in a new home. It just makes sense to learn as much as you can about the quality of your new home, before signing off on everything.
Building a new home is a tremendously complex endeavor. It involves many people, usually split up into sub-contractor groups, each working on different parts and systems of the house. Even for the best builders, it’s nearly impossible to complete this process without missing something. Relying solely on the City or County Building Inspectors is not recommended. While these Municipal Inspectors do an admiral job for the few minutes they spend on site for each of their inspections, they just do not have the time to spend for in-depth inspections of all aspects of the house.
Maybe it’s a major problem like improperly installed floor joists or improperly installed brick veneer. Maybe it’s a plumbing fixture that didn’t get tested for leaks, maybe it’s an electrical box that isn’t working, or any one of dozens of other problems that can easily be overlooked in such a major undertaking. I will try to find such problems while it is still early enough for you to bring them up with the builder and have them corrected before you sign-off and start moving in.
For a relatively small cost, a professional inspection of your new dream home using ‘THE INSPECTOR’ can pay big dividends in peace of mind and getting any problems identified and corrected before they can become an unpleasant surprise.
Approximately one to two weeks prior to closing I will inspect the structural elements and systems of the home. Items that will typically be included in an inspection are:
Roof and Gutters
Exterior Walls - Siding and Trim
Porches, Decks, Driveways, Sidewalks and Retaining Walls
Attic Framing, Insulation and Ventilation
Foundation - Interior and Exterior
Framing and Insulation
Interior Components - Walls, Floors, Ceilings, Windows and Doors.
Electrical system and Smoke Detectors
Plumbing system
Heating and air conditioning systems
Kitchen
Bathrooms
When the inspection is complete, I will tell you of any problems that were discovered and discuss them with you. I will also tell you about any future routine maintenance that should be performed, as well as answer any questions you may have. You'll also receive a full written Inspection Report Summary later that day that itemizes the problems that were discovered during the inspection.
Call THE INSPECTOR for a price quote.
Construction Monitoring Inspections
Something to consider early in the building process are phased ‘construction monitoring’ inspections. Monitoring the construction process helps to ensure that everything is proceeding properly and if not, it can give the builder a chance to make proper corrections.
While some clients opt for 10 or more phased inspections, much can be accomplished with as few as two inspections. While obviously not as thorough
and not as costly as a monitoring with 10 or more inspections, a Pre-Drywall Inspection and a Pre-Close Inspection can do wonders for you. 99% of my clients building homes opt for these two inspections.
The Pre-Drywall Inspection is just that, a complete inspection of the interior and exterior of the house just before the drywall is installed. This lets me see the ‘rough’ installations of the HVAC systems, plumbing systems and electrical wiring. It also lets me see the framing, the visible foundation, roof, exterior wall coverings and rough grading.
The Pre-Drywall Inspection must be followed up with a Pre-Close Inspection a week or two before you close on the house. This will allow me to completely inspect the entire house and check the operation of all of its systems and components.
Construction Monitoring Inspections by The Inspector will help to ensure the house is properly constructed and meets your expectations.
Please feel free to call me for a customized price quote or for any other questions you may have about our services.
Mike Wolfert
