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Warranty Inspection  There are two times during the purchase process of
a new build home where you will want to have an inspection performed. The first time comes as soon as the home has received
the Certificate of Occupancy and before the final walk through. This inspection provides you with a wealth of information
to assure the builder has completed the job satisfactorily. The inspection report can serve as your final punch list”
before closing.
The second time comes before the end
of the first year. Most builders provide a one-year warranty for new construction. Generally during this period of time the you
will develop a "punch list" of corrections for the contractor to repair under the warranty coverage. The builder
will want your warranty “punch list” submitted by the beginning of the 11th month. You should conduct
this inspection the month before to allow you time to complete the forms. Some defects will not be obvious to the untrained
eye,so my warranty inspection creates a list of those items that most likely would be missed. You will be reassured
knowing that potential problems were addressed before they grew into something that could cost you a great deal down the road
after the warranty has expired. Maintenance Inspection
 Closely related to the warranty inspection is the maintenance
inspection. The maintenance inspection is probably the most overlooked of all the inspection services. We think
nothing of taking our car to the mechanic several times a year for servicing and preventive maintenance, but we rarely think
to bring in an inspector to "service" our homes. Yet if you consider that the value of our homes are easily
10-20 times the value of our cars. It is a good practice to have your home inspected at least once every 2 years.  Here is a classic example of a builder making a huge mistake with this stucco home. The timing
on this project was not correct as the gutter installation should have occurred after the stucco team had finished. Several
problems exist here. The roofer failed to install a kickout flashing that would have diverted the water into the gutter, and
the gutter is buried into the stucco to name a couple. Water coming down this roof will eventually go behind the stucco at
the gutter causing extensive water damage as well as potential mold problems.
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