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New Construction Inspections

"Do I really need them?"

It is unfortunate that I get phone calls all the time from people who have trouble with a new home.  As soon as he/she tells me about the problem they are having, I always wonder why they didn’t have the house inspected during construction.  New construction is supposed to be without problems, right?  After all, there is a code official who oversees the project and a bank inspector.  The sad truth is that new construction buyers need someone who represents them during the construction process.

Before construction ever begins, just after you sign the contract with the builder, detailed plans (blueprints) are submitted to the local building inspector for what is called “Plan Review”.  What this does is allow the inspector or authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to review those drawings to make sure that the structure planned will meet the building code.  It is during this phase that all of the requirements of the municipality are shared with the builder.  Pennsylvania has a statewide building code called the PA-UCC or Uniform Construction Code.  This code is based on the International Residential Code (IRC) for one and two family dwellings.  Each municipality can have requirements that go above and beyond the PA-UCC but never below.  Pennsylvania adopted a statewide building code on April 9, 2004 so the requirements are not new to builders or inspectors.

After construction begins the AHJ comes out in phases to inspection the structure.  They usually come out about five to seven times to approve the footer, foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy, and last but not least issue a certificate of occupancy.  Everything is covered, right?  Wrong, everything is not covered.  Most AHJs are on a strict schedule therefore limited on the amount of time they can spend at the jobsite.  In addition, most are multi-certified in many areas and only strong in one or two.  Gone are the days when you had a different inspector for each system of the house.  Some have no construction experience at all; they just took some courses and passed an open book test.  Yes, I said open book.  Just like all of us, the AHJ is human and will not catch every defect.  This does not mean that all AHJs are incompetent.  Many if not most are very competent as code officials.  But remember, they are limited on time.

Next we have the bank inspector.  I still cannot figure out for the life of me why the bank calls them inspectors.  Inspectors they are not.  They should be called verifiers for the bank.  All that the bank wants to know if what percent of the job is done so they know how much money to release to the builder.  Many of these inspectors have absolutely no training or experience in construction.  They are low paid picture takers, nothing more and nothing less.  I can attest to this because a very small portion of my business is working for banks doing these very “inspections”.  I use them as a filler if they are conveniently located between regular inspections to pay for gas money.  At one time when construction was at its peak I had three people on the road taking pictures for banks.  There were times when I did see problems and reported them to the bank, only to fall on deaf ears.  The moral of this paragraph is to let you know that the person sent out by the bank is there for the builder.

Every single new construction inspection that I performed defects were found.  Whether it is during a particular phase, or at the end for a final inspection, there were always problems.  Not all problems are big ones and just about all of them are easy fixes since the home is still under construction.  Once in awhile there are big problems that need extensive repairs.  There was one instance where the home and foundation needed to be torn down and started from scratch.  That one ended up with the builder being fired and eventually ended up in litigation.  Yes, you read right, the home and foundation had to be torn down.  Things can get that bad.  A case like that is an exception, not the rule.  Most of the time the builder and code official are happy to have another set of eyes.

It is advisable to communicate and hire your inspector as soon as you can, preferably prior to the start of construction.  Get an extra set of blueprints made for your private inspector to keep.  If you are near the end of the construction process then try to hire an inspector prior to the certificate of occupancy being issued and most definitely before closing.  Once you close and release your money to the builder, you just lost your power of persuasion.  There have been cases where buyers were successful in getting a certificate of occupancy rescinded with our help, but you don’t want to be past that point.  A proactive approach during construction is the best way to go.  Plan, think ahead and don’t sign off on anything until you are satisfied.

Make sure you keep in contact with your builder, let them know you hired an inspector and make sure they keep you up to date on all progress or lack of progress.  A red flag should be raised whenever a builder resists when the buyer wants to use a private inspector.  Make sure there are no restrictions on the use of your own inspector in your contract with the builder.  Avoid builders who want to control every aspect of construction other than what their insurance company requires.  Finally, get all changes in writing and signed by the builder and you.  This will make for a smoother process for all involved.