Why this stage matters.
By the time the finishes are complete and the home has been cleaned, it looks finished. But a finished-looking home still deserves a closer look. The last month of a build is the busiest, with a dozen trades working in the same rooms on the same days, and it is where touch-up work, missed punch items and systems that were never actually run tend to collect.
This is the first visit where everything can be turned on. Water runs, the air handler cycles, accessible outlets take a tester, windows open and latch. Items found now go onto a list while the builder's trades are still in the community and the work is still routine for them. After closing, the same items become warranty claims, scheduled around your work week and your furniture.
The point is not to build a case. It is to hand you and your builder one clear, photographed list so you are working from the same document instead of trading emails about what you thought you saw.
What we look at
- Every system operated, not just observed
- Roof covering, flashing, penetrations and exterior finishes
- Windows and doors, operation, locks, screens, seals and flashing
- Attic framing, ventilation and any work left unfinished up there
- Insulation coverage, depth and gaps at the attic perimeter
- Thermal imaging of ceilings and walls for thin insulation, air leakage and signs of moisture
- HVAC performance, including supply and return temperatures measured at the air handler
- Electrical panel, breaker labeling, outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection
- Plumbing fixtures, supply, drainage, venting and water heater
- Installed appliances, operation and connections
- Cabinetry, countertops, doors, trim, paint and flooring finishes
- Grading, drainage, downspout discharge and slope away from the foundation
Thermal imaging, included
Thermal imaging is part of the standard pre-closing inspection, not an add-on. An infrared camera reads surface temperature differences across ceilings and walls, which is how thin or missing insulation, air leakage at the attic perimeter and cooler patches that can indicate moisture get found without opening anything. Where the camera shows something, the thermal image goes in the report beside the photograph, so the builder sees the same thing we saw. The 11-month sample page shows one.
360° imaging of the finished home
360° imaging is an optional add-on at this stage, not part of the standard inspection. When added, it gives you a walkable record of the house exactly as it stood before you closed and before a single box was moved in. That record settles a surprising number of later conversations about when a mark, a gap or a stain first appeared, and it is delivered with your report. What the imagery is good for after you move in.
Sewer scope of the drain lines
The sewer scope is also an optional add-on at this stage, not part of the standard inspection. When added, we run a camera through the drain lines to look for construction debris left in the pipes and for any damage or blockage, and the footage goes in your report. On a new build the line has never carried water in service, so this is the one chance to see it clean before a problem shows up as a slow drain a year later.
When it happens
7 to 10 days before closing is the useful window. It needs to be late enough that the house is genuinely complete and power and water are on, and early enough that there is working time before the walkthrough and the closing table. The inspection typically takes 3 to 5 hours, depending on the size of the house. Send us your closing date as soon as you have one, even a tentative one, and update us when it firms up. We coordinate access with your builder's construction manager.
What you receive
A PDF report within 24 hours, with a photograph and a location for every item and a plain-language note on why it matters. It is written so you can forward it to your builder without editing anything. We follow up with a call to walk through what is significant and what is routine, and you have a direct line to the inspector until the items are closed out.
Because even a new home deserves a second set of eyes.
