Do You Need an Inspection on a Brand-New Home in Texas?

New doesn't mean perfect. It means nobody's lived in it long enough to find out.

Buying a new home is exciting, and most builders around Tyler, Lindale, Bullard and Whitehouse do good work. But a new home is built by a lot of different crews in a short time, and the city inspector is checking minimum code on a tight schedule. Nobody on site works for you. That's the gap an independent inspection fills.

The three times to inspect

1. Before the drywall goes up

This is the one buyers skip and later wish they hadn't. Once the walls are closed, the framing, plumbing, wiring and ductwork are hidden for good. A pre-drywall inspection looks at all of it while it can still be fixed easily.

2. Before closing

A full inspection of the finished home: roof, attic, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, appliances, grading and drainage. You get a documented list to give the builder before you sign, while they still have every reason to fix it fast.

3. Around month 11

Most builder warranties have a one-year window for many items. By month 10 or 11, the house has been through a summer and a winter, and settling cracks, small leaks and HVAC issues have had time to show up. An 11-month warranty inspection documents them so you can file a claim before the window closes.

Common things I look for in new homes

• Attic insulation that's missing, thin or pushed aside
• Bathroom exhaust fans that aren't connected to the outside
• Grading that slopes toward the house
• Missing or loose flashing on the roof and walls
• HVAC condensate lines and drain pans set up wrong
• Outlets and GFCI protection that don't work

Will my builder let you in?

Most will, and good builders welcome it. Check your purchase contract and talk to your builder early so the pre-drywall visit can be scheduled before the walls go up.

More details on new construction inspections.