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New Homes Under Warranty
We recommend new homeowners secure a professional
home inspection before their new home warranty expires.
No home, not even a new one is perfect, many defects that show up
after the house has had a few years to settle could have been found
during a professional home inspection. New Home and New
Home Warranty Inspections are performed to the same standards.
A study by the National Associations of Realtors
estimates
that one-third of the new residential and commercial construction
have significant structural defects. I can tell you that many
other types of defects abound in new construction.
Why? The problem is the
developer accepts the lowest bid from their contractors.
You get what they are willing to pay for. They’re not going to give
you the quality and the materials you would expect in your
home.”
Damaged trusses require
engineering approval, and repairs are very expensive.
Open chimney chases are a serious fire concern. Furnace
vent piping in contact with combustible material at the
roof line is very dangerous and can be very expensive to fix if
the roofing material and flashing has to be removed and
re-placed. I see these types of defects every week on homes
that are new, nearly new, and not so new, but
sellers are always shocked that the defects were not caught by the
County Building Inspector, and even more shocked at
the cost to repair these items.
We offer a limited safety
survey at a reduced cost. It includes an attic and garage
safety evaluation. I check all visible combustion vent
clearance points, water heater and furnace attachments, and the
visible portion of the air conditioner drains. Price is
equal to 1/2 of the standard home inspection price plus
$25.00. Call for details.
New Homes Under
Construction:
We know this by experience, most local
Building Inspectors have their hands full, they simply can not check
everything. It would surely help if they
carried ladders. Project Superintendents and Managers are
buried with administrative duties, and employee and
sub-contractor challenges, there are
no home-buyer advocates on the average construction job site. That's where we can
help. The inspections
process is not inexpensive, you will probably
spend in the neighborhood of two hundred to five hundred dollars for a
complete inspection as outlined
below.
1. Pre-Foundation Pour:
Inspect trench depth, steel
placement, overlaps, ties, and hold-downs, through-concrete
fittings, underground plumbing, water barriers, electric bonding,
slopes, and ground clearance.
2. Pre-Stucco: Inspect lath/moisture wrap
attachment, window/door flashing, weep screed clearances.
3. Pre-Drywall: Inspect structural
framing, fastenings, shear walls, anchors, hold-downs, roof/wall
sheathing, truss members, flashing, rough electric, gas, and
plumbing.
4. Final: This is a complete home
inspection as defined by the Standards of Practice and Code of
Ethics. I advise that you schedule this
inspection in a couple of months after move in. This will allow
the construction materials to settle, and for the
plumbing, electric, and major systems to break in.
You can have it done at walk-through if you want, the waiting period
is just a recommendation.
Inspections are limited to visual
observations of standard building practices; structural,
architectural, engineering and/or geological and geotechnical issues
are not within the scope of any home inspection. You will need
to secure permission from the builder in advance for phase
inspections. Be advised, private inspectors have no
jurisdictional authority over the builder. Written recommendations are based upon
Standard Building Practices, they carry no enforcement powers
within the building industry. New
construction inspections do not include sit down meetings
with the builder. We include one phone consultation with the
builder per phase, only after the builder has responded in writing
to a written request by you for modifications or repairs. All requests that you make of
the building contractor should be in
writing. Always insist that any denials or determinations
by the builder be in writing as well. Should there be problems in
the future, you will have evidence that you requested repairs be
made and they were denied.
New construction pricing varies with the
inspections you decide on, site location, size and complexity
of structure, and other site specific or builder considerations,
please call for fees.
Commercial and Industrial Inspections
Commercial, Industrial, and Apartment complex
inspections are performed to the Commercial Standards set by
the industry. We am fully trained and insured to perform commercial
inspections. Click on the Commercial Inspections Link below.
Please call for a site visit, and quote.
Your Only Choice for
Home and Building Inspections
CALL
TODAY Office Phone
(209) 304-2292
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