Transcript New Construction Home Inspections

New Construction
Home Inspections
Presented by:
Nathan L. Buckley
Buckley’s Inspection Services, Inc.
A.I.I.™ Certified Master Inspector
P.O. Box 222, Midland, OR 97634-0222
Phone: 541-882-6588, Toll-Free: 1-866-269-7931
Copyright 2007, Buckley’s Inspection Services, Inc.
A brand new home
doesn’t need an inspection…
…OR DOES IT?
Each photo in this presentation is from actual new
construction inspections we have performed in Klamath
County, Oregon.
Some inspections were performed prior to the homes
being occupied by their owners.
Other inspections were performed as “eleventh month”
inspections, after the owners had taken possession and
occupancy of the homes but prior to the end of the first
year.
FRAMING
This photo shows two missing cripple wall studs. The floor
was already sagging and the house was less than 3 months old!
The house had also never been occupied!
This is another house where some studs have been removed
from several of the cripple walls in the crawl space. Again, this
will allow the floor to sag in these areas over time.
Several pony wall studs were removed to allow installation of
crawl space vents. Obviously, these studs should have been
replaced adjacent to their intended positions, or a different
style of vent should have been installed that would have fit into
the space without needing to modify the framing.
There was an approximately 4” round depression in the
subfloor that had been carpeted over and was not visible
from inside the house. The hole could only be felt from
the inside if you stepped in the exact spot.
This photo is from a
brand-new home that
had never been
occupied. The cripple
wall stud had been
removed and had not
been re-installed.
This photo is of the same home, from a different
angle, at the first re-inspection. The stud had
been removed from the crawl space but still was
not installed into the cripple wall.
This is a new photo of the same home at the second reinspection. The wall is still missing the stud! We were
told that after each visit to the property, the builder was
supplied with a copy of each report noting our findings.
Upon the third re-inspection the framing was finally made
correct; that was our fourth trip to the property! Luckily,
however, such an extreme example is out of the ordinary.
Of course, it is only reasonable to expect that proper
construction techniques would be used throughout all
phases of building. However, framing is particularly
important as that is a major determining factor in how
durable the home will be throughout its life.
If framing errors are not noted and corrected, the home
will eventually be prone to sagging in the floor above the
area where the framing is missing.
HEATING,
VENTILATION
& AIR
CONDITIONING
(HVAC)
Although the specific type of flexible gas line entering
the furnace cabinet in this specific scenario is an
approved material, it will wear through much faster than
solid pipe.
Can you see the wear mark developing already? This
photo was taken in a never-occupied home although the
furnace had been running some as it was early spring.
This photo shows improper drip leg installation on the
gas line. The drip leg should be between the flexible gas
line and the appliance.
You can see the soot on this gas fireplace vent hood. It
was caused by operating a natural gas fireplace on
propane fuel. The gas fireplace had to be replaced and
the home had not yet been occupied!
There are many HVAC items that are part of the
inspection process but are difficult to illustrate with a
photo. A few examples are:
 Low air flow at registers in some rooms
 The heating unit too small or too large for
dwelling
 Cosmetic damage to gas fireplaces & inserts
 Fans not working on gas fireplaces & inserts
PLUMBING
This photo shows a plumbing leak inside a finished wall.
Notice the staining on the lumber. This view is looking at
the foundation and bottom of the floor framing. The
leak was only visible from inside the crawl space.
This photo shows that the master tub drain was never
installed. Any water from the tub was draining from the
tub right into the crawl space.
This is a different house than the previous slide, however
it has a similar defect. The plumbing drain line for the
shower in the master bathroom had never been
connected.
During the inspection, the homeowner stated that the plumbing to
the kitchen sink had frozen four times since she moved in. A small
section of the foundation had been removed to allow installation of
the plumbing for the kitchen sink which created a small gap
between the foundation and the framing. Cold air was entering the
crawl space and appeared to be the cause of the freezing pipes.
There are many plumbing items that are part of the
inspection process but are difficult to illustrate with a
photo. A few examples are:

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
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Hot water lines plumbed to toilets
Poor water pressure
Shower fixtures that do not operate
Hot & Cold water lines reversed at sinks & tubs
ELECTRICAL
This is a live electric wire on the ground in the crawl
space. The home had originally been wired for a floor
outlet that was never installed. Clearly this is a shock
hazard to an unsuspecting person entering the crawl
space
We typically find fewer issues with the electrical system
than with the other systems in the house. This is likely
because the training and licensing is more stringent,
making it more difficult to become a licensed electrician
than to work in the other trades.
INTERIOR
This granite countertop sits more than 1 inch above
the stovetop despite having the legs on the stove
already adjusted up all the way. The buyer had paid
extra for the granite countertop upgrade offered by
the builder.
There are many interior items that are part of the
inspection process but are difficult to illustrate with a
photo. A few examples are:
 Bowed walls from using poor quality studs
 Sagging floors in homes built during the winter
when the OSB sub-floor was exposed to wet
weather for an extended period.
 Paint defects
 Missing sections of trim
 Stain grade doors and trim not clear coated
ATTIC &
CRAWL SPACE
This home has no attic insulation. R-38 (approx. 15
inches) of insulation is the minimum standard. Most
homeowners rarely go in their attics; how many years
would this have gone unnoticed? How many heating
dollars would have been wasted?
This slide shows an incomplete vapor barrier & wood debris
in the crawl space, which you might recognize as reportable
pest & dry rot inspection issues. Additionally, although the
amount of crawl space ventilation did meet minimum
standards (code), it was not adequate for this home built
near the lake. See the next slide.
The incomplete vapor barrier and lack of ventilation
mentioned in the previous slide has contributed to the
mold-like growth on the pony wall sheathing and rim
joist in this crawl space. This home was less than three
years old at the time of inspection.
A damaged crawl space vent screen. This house was less
than 6 months old and raccoons were already living in
the crawl space! We were told that it cost over $3,000 to
repair the damage to the insulation and to remediate the
urine and feces odors.
EXTERIOR
In this photo, there is no kick-out flashing at the roof-towall connection. Without the flashing, water is allowed
to drain behind the siding. This scenario is from a new
home that had been lived in for about one year.
This is a closer view of the previous photo. It is easier to
see how snow and rain can drain behind the siding and
get trapped inside the wall cavity. Just think of the
cumulative effects of this happening every time there is
water on the roof.
The siding is showing an elevated moisture level. The
moisture meter is reading 77. Typical readings are
approximately 13-15. To clarify, these percentages do
not indicate the percentage of moisture present but
rather a comparison of one area to another.
When should
the home be
inspected?
Benefits of inspecting prior to closing:
 The builder is typically more willing to fix items promptly
to accommodate a timely closing.
 Sometimes buyers live out of the area and plan to use the
home as a vacation home or to only relocate after the home
is completed. These clients may not be able to be as
“hands-on” involved in the process and to comprehensively
complete their own assessment prior to closing as they
would otherwise do if they lived closer and these clients
need a professional inspector to protect their interests.
 The average client has a perception of everything being
perfect with a new home. Even buyers who live do live
locally can benefit from a professional inspection that can
identify possible deficiencies that would otherwise go
uncorrected.
 The buyer has a chance to re-negotiate or back out if
significant defects are found.
 It reduces the inconveniences of having contractors in the
home after the buyers have taken possession and moved in.
Benefits of an “11th month” inspection:
 The owner has had a chance to live in the home for a few
months and will have had time to discover random
oddities about the home that may not have been readily
apparent previously. They can point out and discuss these
items with the inspector.
 An inspection prior to the close of the first year is an
independent assessment and written report that the owner
can use to document their concerns and work with the
builder to correct the defective items prior to the
expiration of that period.
 Under Oregon law the builder must warranty the for one
year. We certainly hope no one would have to go to these
lengths; however in the event that the owner is unable to
satisfactorily resolve their concerns with the builder, a
professional inspection report can be a valuable piece of
information to present to an arbitrator or court.
SUMMARY
New construction inspections can be a very useful tool for
the client.
Many builders in our area are known for their quality
work; our new construction inspections are in no way
intended to discredit any particular builders or the
industry as a whole.
Regardless of whether we are inspecting a brand new
home or a previously occupied home, it is never our intent
to nit-pick but it is our responsibility to identify and bring
attention to deficiencies or items in need of repair.
If buyers of a new home do not have an inspection
sometime in the first year when they can work with the
builder, many of these issues would go otherwise
unnoticed for several years most likely until the home
would be put up for sale.
A potential buyer might have an inspection at that time
and the seller would expect that the inspection would be
just fine because the home is so new. Imagine everyone’s
surprise to find some of these issues that may add up to
a few thousand dollars and could have been remedied
with the builder if they had been identified in the first
year. Think of some issues, such as moisture intrusion,
that could become more serious and costly over time.
The owner will likely end up paying for the repairs.
We truly feel that by choosing to have a new construction
inspection either prior to closing or prior to the end of
the first year of ownership, clients can have a feeling of
greater satisfaction with their purchase and can enjoy
their home for many years.
It is not expensive. We have yet to perform a new
construction inspection when the cost of the defects
identified did not exceed the cost of our services.
We strongly recommend
new construction inspections
when clients are considering the purchase of a new home.