ABOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME INSPECTION SERVICES
Our Certified Home Inspector in Fort Washington, Maryland offers Pre/Post Drywall Inspections
Why should anyone need a home inspection for a new home? No one’s lived there yet. Shouldn’t it be in pristine condition?!
Don’t be fooled: new doesn’t equal perfect.
During a new construction home inspection, DS Home Inspection Services help you fully understand your newly-constructed home before making the final walkthrough.
Builders and contractors have municipal building inspections done to ensure minimum building code standards have been met. These inspections do not inspect for quality, workmanship, system performance, completion of finish work, and many other aspects of construction of a new home. Ours do.
This allows you to understand anything that the builder or contractor missed, made mistakes with, or any other issues that might have been overlooked during construction. This inspection is also critical in helping you develop a comprehensive “punch list” that you can bring to the builder for completion.
You are our priority. Not the builder, not the contractor, not the city. You.
This is your home and potential your first real look at the almost completed property. You’re welcome to join us on inspection day to get a firsthand look at what we uncover, ask any questions, and get familiar with your new home. We also provide a 11 month home warranty inspection so any repairs that are covered by your builder’s one year home warranty can be addressed. Save more when you add this inspection to your new construction package.
New Construction Package
We offer three new construction inspections. They can be scheduled individually based on the square footage of the home or bundled them together for greater savings. We offer a packaged flat rate of $1,400 that will be paid in three stages...
- Pre-Drywall Inspection - $425
- Post Drywall Final Inspection - $550
- 11 Month Builder's Warranty Inspection - $425
Pre-Drywall Inspection
“Pre-drywall” refers to a phase during the home building process just after the installation of certain elements – such as the doors, windows, foundation, flooring, wall and roof components, plumbing and electrical rough-in – and right before the drywall is hung. We will inspect...
- electrical wiring and junction box placement;
- framing;
- foundation slabs, walls and drains;
- footings;
- notching of floor joists;
- firestop material;
- pier pads;
- crawlspace;
- retaining walls;
- plumbing pipe placement;
- waterproofing;
- flashing for windows and doors;
- wall studs;
- any missing metal clips; and
- the placement of HVAC air ducts and registers.
This in-progress or construction-phase inspection is useful because drywall can obscure some aspects of the interior and make identifying or fixing any problems both difficult and expensive, once the new home is completely finished.
Post Drywall Final Inspection
Now that the drywall has been hung, appliances and fixtures have been installed moves us to the full inspection of the home. Here is where we provide our Standard Inspection (for more details, visit our Your Inspection page) to inspect for any defects that can be addressed prior to your final walk-through of the home. We will inspect...
- exterior grading;
- exterior wall coverings;
- built-in appliances
- heating system;
- central air conditioning system (temperature permitting);
- interior plumbing system;
- electrical system;
- the roof, flashing, attic and visible insulation;
- walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; and
- the foundation, basement and structural components.
Our Standard Inspection addresses everything above and includes a free termite inspection, comprehensive report with pictures and videos, full package of warranties and a home energy report.
11 Month Builder's Warranty Inspection
A Warranty Inspection is a comprehensive evaluation of the interior and exterior of your new home and its major systems and components. It’s conducted during the 11th month of your occupancy – before your builder’s warranty expires.
Most builders offer a one-year warranty on a new home. We’ll come out during the 11th month and perform another Standard Inspection before the builder’s warranty expires. Our non-invasive inspection is based on observations of the visible and apparent condition of the interior and exterior of the structure, including its major systems and components. Following your inspection, you will receive a comprehensive report, complete with photos and videos, that includes information on any material defects observed on the date of the inspection. Armed with this information, you can take any necessary steps to hold your builder and his subcontractors to their warranties while they’re still in force.
