A Home Inspection is a Good Idea even for a Newly Constructed Home

Happy Thanksgiving.

Although today is Thanksgiving for Autodesk employees in the United States, it's also the one-year anniversary of my wife and I closing on our home in Cypress, Texas. As part of the purchasing process, our daughter asked if we were going to have a home inspection. Given that our home was brand new construction, we said no. Now that our one-year warranty is up today, I thought I'd list what has been corrected over the last year. Lennar Homes has been fantastic in responding to issues that were theirs to fix. Electrolux and Frigidaire were more challenging to work with, but both came through in the end.

• Fireplace Mantle Finish Needs Touch-Up

  

• Frigidaire Dishwasher Creaking Sound When Opening Door

  

• Shingles lifting

  

• Ridge Vent at the end of the gable is Lifted

  

• Exterior Fixtures need Sealant

  

• Damaged Eave Fascia Board

  

• Garage Door Improperly Framed

  

• Sealant around Exterior Windows

  

• A/C Units Adjustment

  An ambient air test was performed by using laser thermometer readings to determine if the difference in temperatures of the supply and return air was between 14 degrees and 22 degrees, indicating that the units were cooling as intended.

  The air temperature on the systems read:

  • Downstairs supply = 63 degrees, and the return air temperature was 73 degrees. Difference = 10 degrees. The low-pressure line was cold to the touch at the condenser unit.
  • Upstairs supply = 60 degrees, and the return air temperature was 72 degrees. Difference = 12 degrees. The low-pressure line was cold to the touch at the condenser unit.

• GFC Plug will not Reset

  

• Sprinkler System Leak

  

• A/C Continues to Run When Temperature Reached

  This turned out to be a humidity setting that caused the system to continue to run even though the desired temperature was reached because the desired humidity level was not yet reached.

• Sidewalk Crack

  

• Ring Doorbell Wiring Faulty

  

• Kwikset Lock Does Not Respond to Voice Commands

  

• Kwikset Lock Does Not Respond to Touch

  

• Missing Lutron Switch in NextGen Living Room

  

• Missing Lutron Switch in NextGen Bedroom

  

• Missing One Landscaping Rock in Front Garden

  

• Electrolux Dishwasher does not Work

  

• Thermostats not Programmed Correctly

  

• Shower in Guest Bathroom Upstairs Not Operating

  

• Missing Smart Thermostats

  

• NextGen Kitchen Floor

  

• NextGen Microwave Dented

  

• NextGen Kitchen Wall Touch-up behind Refrigerator

  

• NextGen Kitchen Sink Not Sealed

  

• NextGen Kitchen Sink Cabinet Door

  

• Refrigerator Ice Maker Line Too Short to be Connected

  

• Master Bathroom Sink

  

• Guest Bathroom Sink

  

• Kitchen Drawer Not Sturdy

  

• Kitchen Sink Drawer Crooked

  

• Family Room Windows caulked

  

• Wall Painting near Family Room Window

  

From this list, you can see the kinds of problems that can exist with a brand new home. The list demonstrates that a home inspection is a good idea, even for new construction. About two months ago, we had an inspector look at our home, and he identified some of the items listed above. The cost was only $550, which was well worth it. My wife and I appreciate how Lennar Homes addressed these problems as they were unearthed. Had we had the inspection done sooner, we could have had the problems addressed sooner.

The Scaled Robotics exhibit at the AU Expo for Autodesk University 2019 identified just how many aspects of construction can be out of tolerance. Inspection via robot or human is a worthy undertaking.

Inspection is alive in the lab.