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Is The Name of Your Builder Called Close Enough Construction ?

By
Home Inspector with Fairfield County Home Inspection LLC HO1-579

Close Enough Construction,

I live in a area where it is common practice for some one to come in and buy a home and tear it down.

 In fact two home up the street from mine this is going on at this moment. So when I drive by I find my self glancing over to see the progress the builders make on a daily basis. After they poured the foundation this home has bloomed over night. In fact I think they must have been building in the middle of the night with out any lights. I could see from the street That is at least a football Field away from the house some thing did not look correct to me. But again I was at least a football Field away and could not see the home very clear. So today I stopped in to see what I thought might be the case. This is what I found with the structure and foundation.

 This Is what they have torn down to build there New Home.

 Building officials today issued a demolition permit for this house . Built in 1961, the 4,386-square-foot contemporary-style house is situated on a one-acre property. It sold last month for $1,725,000.(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

 www.FairfieldCountyHomeInspection.com

Comments(7)

Bob Elliott
Elliott Home Inspection - Chicago, IL
Chicago Property Inspection

Peter could you explain the issues here?

I assume those are some kind of temporary supports.

Oct 11, 2007 11:44 AM
Peter M . Christopher
Fairfield County Home Inspection LLC - Fairfield, CT
Residential & Commercial Inspections in

Sorry Bob

 I know I did not due a great job with the photos. This is the home siting on the foundation. The problem is that the home is off the foundation by at least one foot, So they have put wooded block in to take up there mistake.

Oct 12, 2007 02:16 AM
Bill Duncan
Home Status Inspection Company, LLC - Haymarket, VA
Peter,  Unfortunately they will enclose a fudged foundation like that and it will be a couple of years before the real effects begin to show.  Catch them early or pay for them later.  One thing I catch quite often down here in Virginia is builders that dig a pit and bury their construction debris right next to the house.  Unless you catch them doing it, or some one sees them and reports it, they get away with it.  You have to watch them every step of the way.  
Oct 12, 2007 02:51 AM
Bob Elliott
Elliott Home Inspection - Chicago, IL
Chicago Property Inspection

Guess these were not union guys. Yikes.

Bill what type of debris are you talking about ,and how far are they burying it.

Oct 12, 2007 12:44 PM
Peter M . Christopher
Fairfield County Home Inspection LLC - Fairfield, CT
Residential & Commercial Inspections in

We also have that same problem with builders and there debris.

 Five years after the home is build the home owner has a large sink hole in there yard. The home owner will fill the large hole with soil thinking they are all set just to find the same problem accruing again a years later.

Oct 13, 2007 01:57 AM
Steven Turetsky
Comprehensive Building Inspections & Consultants - Staten Island, NY
Building Moisture Analyst

Burying debris was a very common practice in my neck of the woods. The termites love it. Yes, sink holes can also be a problem. If the owner complains, maybe they will underpin the areas where the foundations fall short.

There is a "favorite" expression that is very common in situations like this... "I can't see it from my house". I can't tell you how many times I've heard carpenters say those words... builders too.

It is for reasons like this that an unsuspecting owner should hire someone to do progress inspections of projects.

Oct 14, 2007 12:18 AM
Mary McGraw
GLREA - Rockford, MI
2015: Solar Energy Is Still A Simple Machine!

Scary stuff. You  make a strong case for hiring an inspector! 

Oct 22, 2007 12:46 AM