Does a Newly Constructed Home Need a Home Inspection?

Without question, the majority of home inspections are performed for persons buying used homes, where the importance having of a home inspection seems to be a given. But what if the home is newer, or even brand new? Is it only after a certain age that home inspections become warranted? Here's some information that will help you answer that question for yourself:

Locally, we have the good fortune of being able to draw upon the resources of an extremely talented and professional group of builders when seeking a new home. Regardless, one must accept that this is an imperfect world of imperfect people, working with imperfect materials and generally under imperfect conditions. Further, the process of home building involves the skills and labors of many, including framers, plumbers, roofers and so on. It can be an arduous task to coordinate, supervise and make it all come together, especially in one perfect package. If you were to ask any home inspector if they had ever, "not found", any conditions on a new home, the answer would likely be, "no". This is not to say new construction is bad, contractors don't care, or workmanship is poor. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is simply an imperfect world.

So while you expect your new home to be flawless and outwardly it may appear so, some details can be overlooked. Generally, these items are of no serious consequence and are easily remedied, such as missing insulation, disconnected heat ducts, or uncompleted trim. On occasion, however, a condition may be identified during the inspection which represents a safety hazard, such as an electrical breaker connected with too small a wire, uncompleted plumbing on a water heater pressure relief pipe, or a misadjusted auto-reverse mechanism on the garage door opener. Other conditions may lead to related issues later such as excessive water pressure which can damage ice makers and dishwashers, or missing foundation vent screens which allow animals to enter the crawl space, destroying heat ducts and insulation.  Sometimes even absent flashing details left unnoticed may ultimately cause extensive rot damage to the structure or concealed mold infections. 

Lastly, consider a very common and insidious condition: When the toilet was installed in your new home the wax ring failed to seal properly. With every flush, water has been leaking beneath the vinyl where you cannot see it or feel it. By the time you do notice, it may be too late to just change the wax ring. The vinyl, the under-layment, and possibly even the sub-floor may need replacement. A properly trained and certified professional home inspector, utilizing a sophisticated moisture meter could have detected the condition before any damage was done. Flooring repairs on an' "average", bathroom can range from $500.00 to $1500.00 or more. The cost of a professional grade moisture meter, about $500.00. The cost of a professional home inspection... a lot less than either. 

Larry Stamp AD, BS, RREI

Cameo Home Inspection Services