The Importance of a Phase Inspection During New Construction Projects

Building your dream home is a complex and multi-faceted process that requires extensive coordination between your builders, sub-contractors, architects, engineers, and inspectors. The necessity for a phase inspection during each milestone of new construction projects cannot be underestimated. These three phases occur pre-foundation pour for monolithic foundations, at the framing and pre-drywall phase, and a final inspection to ensure your project is safe, up to code, and will pass any state or local permitting regulations. Each phase inspection ensures that your home is built to the highest industry standards. Having these inspections conducted by an experienced, impartial third party is the most effective way to guarantee that your home is solidly built.

The foundation inspection is performed before the concrete pour and is one of the most crucial phase inspections. Prior to pouring concrete, each plumbing, beams, in-ground electrical, sewer, and drain lines need a thorough inspection to avoid costly damage or repairs in the future. Due to the scope of these systems, it’s essential to choose an experienced third-party inspector who can identify potential deficiencies so that inadequate systems are not laid in a permanent foundation which can lead to serious issues if a faulty pipe or wiring goes unnoticed before the foundation is poured.

The second phase inspection is conducted after the framing is completed but before any drywall is hung or insulation is installed. This allows an inspector to examine the mechanical and electrical rough-ins, including HVAC systems, structural components, including framing, beams, columns, and ductwork. Some examples of common deficiencies include cracked or warped framing structures, crimping in ductwork, improperly notched floor joists, and inadequate fire retardant materials between framing and flooring structures. The only way to ensure that these systems are properly installed is to inspect them before insulation or drywall obscures them. After drywall goes in, any deficiency is invisible and will go unnoticed until it’s too late to remedy the issue. These deficiencies can not only cause expensive repairs, they can result in dangerous situations, including gas leaks and electrical fires.

The final inspection is the one most homeowners are familiar with, whether it’s a custom project or spec construction. This complete walk-through inspects every inch of mechanical, HVAC, plumbing systems, and appliances. This can also include a blue tape walk-through to provide a comprehensive punch list to your builder to be completed before move-in. This inspection can also ensure that your project passes city code inspections the first time to avoid costly delays.

Third-party inspectors are able to give an impartial report on these systems to allow homeowners the peace of mind they deserve during every phase of their construction project. The best way to avoid costly repairs in the future is to identify and remedy them during the initial phases of construction. Using an impartial third-party inspector, you can ensure that your project is built to all local codes and safety standards.