Homebuyers of newly constructed homes may not be aware that inspection clauses are generally included with their new home contract. The fact is, a new homebuyer can greatly benefit from using a professional home inspector during the construction and completion of their new home.

Many people ask "Why does a newly constructed home need an inspection?" Some people assume that the builder and contractors are overseen by state or local government officials and that the local town or city building inspector checks the house out. This is true to an extent, however, few if any municipal inspectors spend enough time in the home to completely inspect it. Even more so, there could be problems with the home that are not necessarily code violations, yet have serious consequences for the new home owner. Ask any private home inspector about the deficiencies and safety issues discovered in newly constructed homes.

If the buyer of a newly constructed home takes advantage of the inspection clause, the first line of defense is the exterior wall and roof frame inspection followed by the open wall or pre-drywall and pre-insulation inspection which would be followed by the final walk through inspection. Be aware that some builders have prevented private home inspectors from inspecting newly built houses. If you are in the process of buying a new home and the builder does not allow you to bring a private home inspector on site, you must ask yourself why he will not let the inspector onsite. Is there perhaps something he is hiding? It is now that you should be thinking hard about proceeding with the purchase and spending more time thinking about consulting your attorney.

Even if the contractor you choose for building your house is known for quality work, the one following fact should motivate every new homebuyer to have a home inspection clause written into their contract to purchase.

FACT: The majority of construction tasks (foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical, etc.) are usually subcontracted out to the lowest bidder, with speed, not quality being an important consideration for the builder. With many separate activities going on at the same time, it's nearly impossible for the builder / contractor to personally monitor all phases of the home construction.