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-   Structural pest inspection included  
-  Infrared imagery included  
-  14+ years Home Inspection experience  
-  25+ years new construction experience  
 
Serving King and Snohomish Counties

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  SHOULD I GET AN INSPECTION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION
 
 
     
  Most new homes are well built. The quality of construction and errors will typically vary from builder to builder. A common response to the question of obtaining a new construction home inspection is "everything is already inspected by the building department". The building department will only inspect for plan an code compliance and will not care about functional or cosmetic defects. The building department inspectors also do not have 2-3 hours to inspect every home.

  
  Below are a sampling of construction defects identified during the past few years during several new construction inspections. Cosmetic defects or functional defects were not included in this list. The homes were built by small builders, national builders and ranged from starter homes to homes priced over 3 million dollars. Most of these home had received the certificate of occupancy ("building final").

  
  It is always best to have the home as complete and clean as possible for the inspection. Most builders will push for the inspection when the home is really not ready.  
     
  Plumbing  
     
 

 - A clogged primary waste line which resulted in water pouring out of the ceiling of the basement. Clogged or damaged primary waste lines have occurred at least 8 times; most of these were very high priced homes. Below is an image of water that rose out of a floor drain.

  
     
 
Waste water rising from a floor drain		  
     
- Hot water plumbed to the toilet.
     
     
   
     
     
  - Disconnected plumbing waste line support straps.  
- Leakage of shower pans.
     
     
  Heating  
     
 

- Furnace system installed backwards. The heated air was blowing out the cold air return (a personal favorite !).

  
     
 
Heating system installed backwards
Heat coming out of the return air intake		  
     
  - Gas leaks.  
  - Heat registers buried under carpeting and tile floors.  
 

- Improperly installed furnace drip pan resulting in condensation leakage onto the floor 2 ceiling.

  
     
 
Condensation leaking onto the ceiling
due to an improperly located drip pan		  
     
     
  Electrical  
     
  - Disconnected electrical system grounding wire.  
  - Improperly wired electrical outlets.  
  - Circuit breakers that trip immediately when reset.  
 

- Garage disposal that poured smoke out of the cabinet (electrical fire).

  
  - Overheating electrical wires.  
     
 
Overheating electrical wires		  
     
     
  Exterior  
     
 

- House identification numbers missing or incorrect.

  
 

- Chimney cap that does not extend over the siding.

  
 

- Plumbing vent flashings improperly installed as they were set on top of the roofing.

  
  - Missing roof shingles.  
  - Missing roof flashing for a furnace flue.  
     

Missing roof shingles
     
 
Missing Furnace flue flashing;
 this home was ready for occupancy		  
     
  Attic  
     
  - Roof vents were not installed.  
  - Attic was not insulated (a very common issue).  
     
 
Lack of attic insulation		  
     
  Interiors  
     
  - Fall safety hazard due to unsecured attic spaces accessible from the second floor.  
  - Inconsistent window grid patterns.  
  - Lack of tempered glass where required (the builder had ordered the correct window, but it was installed at the wrong location).  
  - Bedroom window sill height too high to meet current egress requirements.  
  - Leaking shower doors.  
  - Stairwell balusters that fell out when lifted (this house had a building final).
  - Hole cut thru the shell of a dishwasher to accommodate a countertop electrical outlet.  
     
 

Unsecured ballusters		  
Hole cut in the shell of a dishwasher

 
 
  Garage  
 

- Garage door safety reverse photo cell sensors not installed. They were taped together to trick the opener into working

  
     
 
Photocell sensors set on top of the opener		  
     
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  Home Inspections throughout King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties