The Single Biggest Setback When Ordering A New Construction Home Inspection In The KC Metro Area

You’re excited about your brand new Kansas City area home and its new construction home inspection.

You’ve imagined yourself waking up in the morning, driving your kids to school, or making new friends around the neighborhood. You expect the home to be nearly perfect. After all, it’s brand new. What could go wrong?

A lot, actually.

New homes don’t come with a guarantee that everything was built right. On the contrary.

Between your builder being up against tight schedule and subcontractors juggle multiple jobs, mistakes happen. And if you’re not paying attention, those mistakes become your problem the moment you move in.

That’s why getting a home inspection—even on new construction—is one of the smartest things you can do before you sign off.

Today I’m going to share why it’s important, why most people skip it, and how to avoid the biggest setback to getting a new construction home inspection done right the first time.

3 Good Reasons To Get A New Construction Home Inspection

First, no house is perfect. Not even a brand new one.

It’s built by imperfect humans using imperfect materials under imperfect conditions. Sometimes the plumber is tired. Sometimes the electrician’s mind wanders. And sometimes the roofer doesn’t show up, so someone else finishes the job. Any one of those can lead to slip-ups. Some are small, and some are big.

Next, this is the one and only time you can buy a home with a full one-year warranty on workmanship and defects. The sooner you find the issues, the sooner someone you can get them fixed while you still have your builder’s full attention.

Finally, a home inspection report is a powerful tool produced by an objective and professional third party that lets you attend your builder walkthrough with a more in-depth and detailed punch list of items to fix beyond the blue tape.

5 Biggest Reasons Most People Skip A New Construction Home Inspection

In truth, most people do skip the inspection on a brand-new home. And it usually comes down to one (or more) of these five reasons:

1. They’re face-to-face with the source
   In other words, they are the ones with all the answers because they picked the lots, broke ground, purchased the lumber and materials, and supervised all the work from start to finish. And as the new buyer of this home, all the answers to any of your questions are only a phone call, text message, or email away. Knowing this can be a very comforting feeling.
2. They think it’s already been inspected.
   And to a certain extent, it has. Each city has its own inspectors who check for code compliance. But those guys don’t care about any problems that pop up after you move in, and you can’t call them with questions. Their job is to make sure something is installed correctly.
3. They trust the builder.
   And you should. Otherwise, why are you letting them build your home? But here’s the rub: your builder isn’t the one who hammered nails, wired the panel, and turned screws. His subcontractors did. Either way, even great builders sometimes miss things. Not because they don’t care, but because there’s a lot to keep track of.
4. They don’t want to offend their builder.
   Builders are a strong and bold bunch who exude competence while radiating trust in their ability to build a solid home. This makes some new construction home buyers hesitant to order a home inspection out of fear that it will appear they don’t trust them. In reality, any builder worth their salt knows a home inspection is just a prudent part of the process.
5. They think it’s a waste of money.
   As a consequence of what you’ve just read, most people are convinced that a professional home inspection is a waste of time and money. But it’s not. A good new construction home inspection costs between $400–$600. And with one significant issue — like a broken sewer line or missing attic insulation — can save you many times that amount within a few months.

The Single Biggest Setback Of A New Construction Home Inspection

That’s easy. The house isn’t ready.

And by “ready,” I mean all the work is finished and there are no more subcontractors in the house to get in the way of your home inspector – or him in theirs.

When a home isn’t fully complete, your inspection turns into a punch list of what’s left to finish, not actual defects left to repair. That means you’re paying hundreds of dollars for a report that doesn’t give you any valuable information that can protect you from headaches and disaster after you move in.

Plus, when your home inspection is scheduled too soon like this, you have no one left to go over the remaining work to make sure it was done correctly.

What Really Snags A New Construction Home Inspection?

In a word: Time.

People rush. And since the builder (and their agent) want to get paid, they tell you the house is done without a care in the world that you might waste hundreds of dollars inspecting a home they know isn’t ready.

And you trust them because you should. They’re building your home that’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (sometimes millions), and since they do this all the time and have all the answers, they know exactly when your new home will be ready.

At least that’s what you believe at first, so you schedule the inspection thinking everything’s good to go.

But as soon as you walk in, you see the hustle and bustle of guys talking and working. They’re installing light fixtures, grouting tile, and unpacking appliances. Their drink cups and tools are everywhere, and it instantly becomes evident that their job’s not done.

Now you’re in a predicament. The inspector is already there and ready to start.

Do you stop? Do you continue, anyway?

If you move forward with it, you’ll end up with an overpriced punch list while you watch your inspector step over and around the subs rushing to finish their work.

Hint: one of the biggest reasons I don’t want to do a new construction home inspection until the work is complete is because I DON’T want them rushing and cutting corners.

The Right Time To Schedule A New Construction Home Inspection

The right time to schedule a home inspection on new construction is after the work is 100% done, but before your final walkthrough with the builder.

That gives you a small window — usually just a few days — to catch the problems before the window closes on the day of your builder walkthrough, where afterward you become just another buyer who’s out of sight and out of mind.

The Most Common Unfinished Items In A New Construction Home Inspection

When we walk into a new construction home that isn’t ready, it’s usually not just one thing; it’s a list. And most of that list includes stuff that needs to be fully installed before we can test, operate, and inspect it the right way.

Some of the most common things still missing:

• Electrical outlets
• Light fixtures
• Light switches
• Plumbing hookups
• Gas lines
• Furnace
• A/C unit
• Water heater
• Oven
• Microwave
• Dishwasher
• Roof vent nails
• Gutters and downspouts
• Splash pads

These items either get overlooked or go in right before the builder walkthrough.

How to Guarantee Your New Construction Home Inspection Gets Done Right the First Time

Start by confirming the home is 100% done.

Not “it will be ready by that day” or “they guys will finish up over the weekend.” That’s a gamble you’ll lose 9.5 times out of 10.

Next, don’t just take their word for it. See it for yourself with your own two eyes. Walk the house, operate the thermostat, turn on the faucets, check for hot water, and check the garbage disposal.

Look for tools, supplies, missing appliances, and any signs of work still in progress. If workers are there, it’s too soon to inspect.

Once it’s ready, schedule your inspection, but try to do it before your builder walkthrough. This ensures you have a fully functioning professional home inspection report in hand to add to your blue tape list when you both tour the home for the last time.

And if you’re ever unsure, ask your inspector what to do. We’d rather delay a few days than give you a half-done inspection. You have one shot to catch everything while the builder still owns the problems so don’t waste it.

New construction homes aren’t immune to problems. They’re just newer. And when you skip the inspection or schedule it too soon, you’re setting yourself up for surprise repairs, missed opportunities, and headaches that were completely avoidable.

If you’re buying new, slow down and make sure the home is actually finished before you inspect it. This one simple step can save you thousands and make your final walkthrough something that can erase countless headaches for years to come.

Need help figuring out if your new Kansas City area home is ready for its inspection? Contact us and ask.

You’ll get honest answers with no pressure so you can get your new construction home inspection gets done right the first time.