New Construction Building Inspector (real estate, new house, home inspection)

[Brucifer]

Getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger, so is there a service where someone can act as my agent during the construction of the home to take pictures and make sure everything is being right and what extras we want are being installed?

I know a home inspector is the way to go before signing off on a new house, but someone to make sure it's done right before the next phase of construction.

Thanks.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by Brucifer

Getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger, so is there a service where someone can act as my agent during the construction of the home to take pictures and make sure everything is being right and what extras we want are being installed?

I know a home inspector is the way to go before signing off on a new house, but someone to make sure it's done right before the next phase of construction.

Thanks.

An Inspector is not just for the final home inspection but also for inspections from ground breaking to the final. This would be called "Phase Inspections".



When hiring an Inspector for phase inspections ensure you hire one that is not only knowledgeable in the Building Codes, other standards, and manufacturer use requirements for the area you are building in, also make sure they will quote those references in your report since you will need them when approaching the Builder. The Builder does not care about your Inspector's opinions but quoting these references gives a more credible basis for what they are calling out.


One way to help ensure the Inspector is knowledgeable on the Building Codes is to ensure you hire one that has been certified by the International Code Council (ICC) on all four areas of the Codes; Mechanical (Heating/Cooling or HVAC), Electrical, Plumbing, and Building (all other aspects). The Inspector can obtain all four certifications and also if they choose the Residential Combination Inspector R-5 rating which is the same as having all four. You can verify their certifications at the ICC WEB site listed here. Just enter their last name and find the one you are looking at to verify their credentials.


https://www.iccsafe.org/search-for-c...professionals/



As for the "extras" you are concerned with speak with the Inspector about checking for these and providing them the information they would need to look for them. For example if your Builder offers a car charging outlet as extra and the Inspector is not aware of it they would not necessarily know it is suppose to be there if it isn't.


Be very careful of who you hire for this service and check them out thoroughly. One of the best ways to ensure you are getting what you expect is to request a sample report of an actual inspection. You might not understand the whole report from a technical perspective but if written properly you should have a very good understanding of what the Inspector found and wrote up. You can also see if they are inspecting by the Codes and standards by looking if they are adding those references to the report.



A word of warning on adding code and other references to a report. Many, many aspects of building are covered by the Codes and the Codes rely on other standards as well as manufacturer's requirements for use of materials and systems. However not everything is covered by codes and these other sources so when reviewing the report you might see items without references but they are typically very few.


Good luck on your build and let us know how it progresses. If you have any other questions do ask them.

[Brucifer]

Thank you. I knew there was a term what I was looking for.

I'll check the link out.

[Marc Middleton]

I take it you didn't employ the free services of a realtor? They would be the one doing this. The inspector isn't going to drive there all the time for photo updates. They do the final inspection for you and note the items the builder messed up.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by Marc Middleton

I take it you didn't employ the free services of a realtor? They would be the one doing this. The inspector isn't going to drive there all the time for photo updates. They do the final inspection for you and note the items the builder messed up.

That would depend on the Inspector and what the OP wants to contract for. Of course that would come with a fee and may be prohibitive just for that type of activity.

[JPrzybylski07]

Originally Posted by Marc Middleton

I take it you didn't employ the free services of a realtor? They would be the one doing this. The inspector isn't going to drive there all the time for photo updates. They do the final inspection for you and note the items the builder messed up.

I didn’t know about phase inspectors till this thread but googled a few and was reading up on it.

https://www.gpiservices.com/construc...e-inspections/

These inspectors do much more then just the final inspection.

[Brucifer]

Originally Posted by Marc Middleton

I take it you didn't employ the free services of a realtor? They would be the one doing this. The inspector isn't going to drive there all the time for photo updates. They do the final inspection for you and note the items the builder messed up.

Apparently the only free service a realtor offers is to collect their commission check. If you're lucky, they might even splurge and put a big, red bow on the door.

Thank you to everyone else that understood the question. I have some leads now.

[Marc Middleton]

Originally Posted by Brucifer

Apparently the only free service a realtor offers is to collect their commission check. If you're lucky, they might even splurge and put a big, red bow on the door.

Thank you to everyone else that understood the question. I have some leads now.

Says the guy looking on a forum for help on inspections vs asking the professional he hired?

[Brucifer]

Originally Posted by Marc Middleton

Says the guy looking on a forum for help on inspections vs asking the professional he hired?

Who said I hired anyone? I'm looking to build a house from out of state and wanted to see if there was a service that would monitor the build as it happened and correct mistakes as they occurred.

A really good realtor would have such a service as an option for potential out-of-state clients as a way to help alleviate fears of builder mishaps.

Enjoy your Fed rate hikes.

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by Brucifer

Who said I hired anyone? I'm looking to build a house from out of state and wanted to see if there was a service that would monitor the build as it happened and correct mistakes as they occurred.

A really good realtor would have such a service as an option for potential out-of-state clients as a way to help alleviate fears of builder mishaps.

Enjoy your Fed rate hikes.

Hire a project manager… your real estate agent, unless they’re the builder, won’t offer what you’re asking and even then it’s not a guarantee.

Are you planning on doing any in person inspections of your own during the building process? If not, you should.