New Home Phase Inspection Details by IonHomeInspection.com
New Home buyers are seeking peace of mind and a quality assurance from their new home builder phase inspection. There is nothing worse than making the largest purchase of your life and something is wrong that is potentially very costly or dangerous. You bought a new home to get exactly the features you want and to avoid the head aches of costly home repairs. Ion Home Inspection specializes in new home builder phase inspections to help you get the home you will be happy with for many years to come.
Builders in the Houston area are building at a very rapid pace. As a result there are some disturbing trends in the quality levels in some of the new homes being built. Some builders are better than others, some of their sub-contractors are better in one subdivision than in others, and some of their managers are better on certain projects than others. You never know until you get it inspected.
We generally inspect your new home in three steps or phases. Pre-Pour Foundation, Pre-Dry Wall, and Final Walk Through. If that does not meet your needs please contact us. Communication is key during this process between the new home buyer and the phase inspector. New homes go up so quickly that an entire phase may be missed if the buyer is not communicating where in the construction process the builder has progressed.
Pre-Pour Foundation


- Proper foundation depth and thickness
- Type of compacted fill
- Moisture barrier installation
- Inspect plumbing connections
- Foundation formwork
- General site condition
- Foundation Cables
- Also makes the builder and sub-contractors aware that someone is involved in the process
Pre-Drywall


- Exterior walls and brick preparation
- Poor quality, warped, missing and misplaced framing members
- Anchor bolts, fire blocking and truss ties
- Slab and foundation
- Electrical wires and plumbing line installation
- HVAC rough-ins and duct conditions
- Air Handler condensation drain and overflow drain lines
- Exterior electrical and lighting fixtures
Final Home Inspection


Helpful Hints

Prerequisites for a home inspection:
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The home and owner should be set-up for an inspection.
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Access to all areas of the home to be inspected. Attics, electric panels, crawl spaces, heaters, A/C’s, water heaters, and garages etc.
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All utilities should be turned on.
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All appliances and HVAC systems should be ready to operate. Pilot lights lit. A/C unit should have power to it for at least 24 hours prior to an inspection.
Common Misconceptions About Home Inspections:
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Clients need to understand is that there are limitations to any home inspection. As hard as we try we cannot see through walls, see under the flooring, see under the ground, predict what will happen in the future, or tell you how long something will last. Home inspections are a visual evaluation of the home, lasting only a few hours, and are not intended to be technically exhaustive.
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Inspections are not building code compliance tests.
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The home inspection process is different from a home appraisal.
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Home inspections are not an extensive evaluation of any biological or environmental hazards.
Jeffrey Owen
Owner and Chief Inspector
Ion Home Inspection
Houston Metro, Katy, Sugar Land, Texas
5 Comments on New Home Construction Phase Inspections
Great info Jeffrey. There are so many details to keep in mind when building a new house and with multiple inspections it be challenge to get product on site in a timely manor. Builders and home owner will often call us in a panic days/hours before a pour needing to order anchor bolts or tie-downs in a RUSH. Luckily we're ready, but planning in all phases can make life on the job site less hectic.
Adam
Portland Bolt
Thank you Adam!
Good to have you as resource on Active Rain!
I did a pre-drywall inspection the other day and probably 2 of 3 anchor bolts were not actually bolted down! The nuts were either loose or just sitting beside the anchor bolt.
Out of curiosity how do you feel about straps as compared to bolts?
Jeffrey
I sold over 10 new homes this past year and made sure that all of the homes had a phase inspection, if the home was not already near completion. All buyers should consider this as a part of the new home purchase because I have yet to see a home "pass" inspection, even after the builder has passed his own third party, independent inspections - which by the way the buyer does not get to see. Why is a seller required to disclose all inspections for the past 4 years but a builder does not have to provide the same information for the past 6 months? Crazy. Inspect, inspect, inspect!!!!
www.ChristiBorden.com
Thank you Christi! I could not agree more.
I did a Phase II framing inspection today on a new home in Cinco Ranch. 8 pages worth of issues. Nothing major, just lazy things by the subs and builder.
Jeffrey
Ion Home Inspection
Indeed a very nice post, I also belong to Ac repair, Heating Repair, Industry. I love to enjoy reading fresh post on this subject. Thanks