Even new homes need a thorough inspection before a new owner takes possession, according to home inspector John Hagan. With more than 10 years of experience in the custom home industry, and now as the owner of Hagan Home Inspections in North Carolina, Hagan has first-hand knowledge of the reasons why homebuyers should ask for inspections—even on newly built homes. In this article, he explains why it is imperative that homebuyers get an inspection before the drywall goes up in their new home.
A pre-drywall inspection is an inspection that takes place while the home is still being built—ideally right before the drywall goes up. This can be an inspector’s best chance to catch any major flaws or potential defects before the home is finished being built and those problems are covered up for good.
Usually what happens with a pre-drywall inspection is that a person who has purchased a home that is not yet built will call my office and ask for me to look at the jobsite. During the inspection itself, we are looking at the framing, the mechanical issues, the electrical issues, the heating and air conditioning systems, and the plumbing.
Getting these things looked at before they are covered up is a homebuyer’s best chance at catching defects and mistakes before they turn into costly problems that take time and energy to fix.
A pre-drywall inspection is really the only time when, as an inspector, you are ever going to be able to see these things up close before they are hidden from the naked eye. And once they are covered up by the drywall, there is really no fixing a problem until it damages the home. Just having someone come and look around gives you another set of eyes who can look at everything and make sure the job was done right.
The pre-drywall inspection is also a good time for an inspector to check the insulation going into the home, as well. In fact, this is the only time when an inspector is going to be able to see the insulation itself, to know that the house is energy efficient and to know that the home has been done properly and built up to code before everything is covered up.
There is no comparison in looking at the benefits of a traditional full inspection and a pre-drywall inspection. If you’re able to have it done — which basically only is the case if you are building a home of your own — then a pre-drywall inspection is your best safeguard against trouble.
As an added benefit to homebuyers, a pre-drywall inspection is actually a little less expensive than a regular home inspection, too. This type of service is usually about two-thirds of the cost of a full-blown inspection.
In addition, I typically offer my clients a package deal. For people who are building their own homes, I will generally offer a deal that gives them a pre-drywall inspection and also a final inspection for a reduced price compared to what they would be paying otherwise.
