What Inspections Should I Get on a Brand New Home?

The highest-value inspection on a new build happens while the walls are still open, before the drywall closes everything in. This is the only time you can see the framing, the wiring, the plumbing, and the insulation, and it is when framing errors, unsecured ductwork, missing insulation, and plumbing mistakes are cheapest to fix. Arrange it through your own inspector, not the builder's, and schedule it with the builder's superintendent so the site is ready and accessible.

Most builders are used to this request and will welcome a professional on site, because it catches problems before the warranty process does. Your contract should grant the right in writing. If the builder says buyers' inspectors are not permitted, consider that a warning about the builder's confidence in its own work, and about the quality of what the drywall will soon hide.

The Mid-Build and Final Checks

Beyond the pre-drywall pass, schedule a foundation and grading check after the slab or basement walls are in, an inspection before settlement that covers the finished systems and cosmetic completeness, and a re-inspection after the punch list work is done to confirm the fixes landed. Pennsylvania homes also justify a radon test, since radon is common in the region's soils, and a pest or termite inspection is standard on many purchases, including new construction in wooded communities.

The inspections only protect you if they happen at the right moment, and the derailing enemy is the builder's schedule. The pre-drywall inspection must be booked before the drywall trucks arrive, not after, so confirm the framing window with the superintendent and reserve your inspector early. The foundation check belongs between the excavation and the framing start, and the final inspection belongs after the punch list work, not before the builder says the home is ready.

Ask the builder for the milestone schedule at contract and map the inspections onto it, with your inspector booked as a placeholder. Builders respect buyers who calendar properly, and a scheduled inspection that arrives on the wrong week is a lost opportunity that no warranty later replaces. If the build accelerates, move the inspection forward rather than skipping it, and if it slips, hold the date with the inspector.

Build in one more appointment that buyers forget: the re-inspection after the punch list is complete. The final inspection catches issues, the builder fixes them, and someone should verify the fixes actually landed before settlement. The re-inspection fee is small, the peace of mind is large, and it is the only way to close with confidence that the list you approved matches the home you own.

At pre-drywall, inspectors check the size and spacing of the framing against the engineered plans, the fastening of the roof, the plumbing layout of the rough-ins, the wiring and panel work, insulation coverage and grade, and the condition of the ductwork. At the final inspection, the focus shifts to the finished layers: code compliance on egress windows and smoke alarms, proper ventilation, appliance installation, and the exterior grading that routes water away from the foundation, the single most common new construction defect in the region.

Your inspector will produce a written report with photos. Use it to build the punch list you hand the builder before settlement, and photograph the repairs yourself as they are completed. Inspectors do not pass or fail a home; they document conditions, and the documentation is what makes your follow-up leverage work.

Hire an inspector who works for you, ideally one familiar with Pennsylvania code and with new construction specifically. Ask for a sample report before you book, confirm the inspector carries liability insurance, and agree on the scope and the fee in writing. Costs vary with the home size and the number of inspections, but a pre-drywall and final inspection package is a small fraction of the value it protects, and the best inspection bargain in real estate.

One caution: do not rely on the municipal inspections alone. The township's code official checks the building against the permit, not your interests, and enforcement depth varies. Your own inspections are the ones timed and scoped for you: before the drywall closes, before you close, and after the fixes are done.