Home Inspection for New Construction
3 Replies
- 1dDivin KanyamaBusiness MemberAccountant · Seattle, WA · Member since 2025 · 618 posts · 259 votes
@Toby Real Your concern makes sense—a walkthrough the day before closing doesn’t leave much room to address anything significant. I’d arrange your own independent inspection as early as the builder allows, ideally before the November 4 appointment so you can bring the report and discuss the findings. It doesn’t necessarily have to happen before the builder’s inspection; the important thing is having time to review the results and address issues before closing. The builder’s walkthrough isn’t a substitute for an inspector working on your behalf.
Since you mentioned closing may be later than November 12, I’d first get the actual schedule and inspection-access requirements confirmed in writing. Then request a written repair list with completion dates, and use the final walkthrough to verify the work—not as your first chance to discover problems. For significant findings, consider having your inspector return to check the repairs. What must be completed before closing, and whether closing can be delayed, will depend on your contract, so I’d review those points with your agent or a Texas real estate attorney rather than rely on verbal assurances. You’re right to get clarity now instead of waiting until the day before.
- Lender · McKinney, TX · Member since 2026 · 10 posts · 2 votes1d
Toby, you're right that a final walk the day before closing doesn't leave much room. Builders like Lennar generally allow your own inspector, but they want it scheduled through your new home consultant and the construction manager, so ask now, in writing, for a date before November 4. That way your inspector's report comes with you to the New Home Celebration and goes onto their repair list instead of turning up the day before closing. Get the agreed repairs and completion dates in writing, and if anything major comes up, have the inspector come back to check the work before the final walk. On the financing side, compare your rate lock expiration with the closing date; if closing slips, ask who pays for a lock extension and whether any builder incentives depend on closing by a certain date. And put an 11-month warranty inspection on your calendar for next fall. Disclosure: I'm a loan officer in Texas and Arizona.
- Chicago, Cook County · Member since 2026 · 25 posts · 7 votes1d
Toby, what I'd worry about is that new construction feels safe, so people skip their own inspection, and "new" doesn't mean nobody missed anything. Getting your own inspector in before Nov 4 is the right call.
- Ask the builder in writing when your inspector can get in, and book it for the earliest slot. You want the report in hand at the Nov 4 walk so you're working from a list, not trying to find things on the spot.
- Hire an inspector who does a lot of new builds, and have them check the attic: insulation depth and coverage, bath fans actually vented outside (not just into the attic), and any duct joints that came apart.
- Look at the outside: soil and grading should slope away from the slab on every side, gutters and downspouts should carry water away, and there shouldn't be gaps around windows, doors, or where pipes and wires come through the wall.
- Run everything: every faucet, shower, toilet, the AC in every room, the water heater, every outlet and switch. Use painter's tape to mark each issue, and take a photo of each one.
- Get the builder's repair list in writing with a date for each item, and use Nov 11 to check those repairs, not to find new problems.
- Find out what the builder's warranty covers and for how long, and put a reminder on your calendar for about 11 months after closing. A second inspection before the first year runs out catches things that showed up after you moved in, while the builder still has to fix them.
Kyle
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