My home builder has an inspector. Why should I hire another one?

New subdivisions are popping up all over the Austin – San Antonio corridor, and likely will continue to be for the foreseeable future.  If you’re in the market for a newly constructed home, please consider these thoughts about New Construction Inspections and Phase Inspections.

Whether your home is almost completed and you need a New Construction Inspection, or you’re still in the earlier phases and need Phase Inspections, hiring an independent professional inspector provides great value to the homebuyer.

My home builder has an inspector. Why should I hire another one?

Because by hiring your own third-party inspector, you’ll get…

A Fresh Set of Eyes

In this high-pressure housing market, new homes are going up extremely quickly.

Sometimes a construction crew or builder’s inspector looks at so many similar homes every day that it becomes easy to miss small details that could cause major problems in the future.

Just like a college student may hire a proofreader to edit his thesis paper, a fresh set of eyes may find mistakes that aren’t caught by the original builder.

An Advocate for the Buyer

In a construction environment with many details at play, it's always helpful to have an expert advocate for the buyer. If you hire an independent professional inspector, that inspector works for you, and not the construction company.

Your inspector views homes being built in many different styles by many different builders. He/She is required to adhere to state adopted Standards of Practice and required to carry professional insurance.

He/She may also be running a small business and is therefore highly tuned in to customer service. It never hurts to have a professional in your corner when making one of the largest purchases of a lifetime!

A Teacher

An independent Professional Inspector should also take time to explain any problems he/she finds in the inspection process to the buyer. Communication and education are important in the home ownership process!

It is highly unlikely that the buyer will ever get to actually meet with the construction company’s inspector or municipality’s inspector, much less have time to spend learning about the process or problems.

By hiring an independent inspector with your interests in mind, you also have a direct line to someone who can explain, teach, and advocate for you.

A Liason

An independent professional inspector is often a valued partner to real estate agents on the technical aspects of the home’s construction.

Your inspector can be a liaison between the construction foreman, your real estate agent, and you when it comes to construction issues.

Inspectors are often “copied” on emails regarding the construction progress of homes so that the homes can be inspected and re-inspected at appropriate times.

A Professional

Many builders construct beautiful, strong, safe, and functional homes.

Unfortunately, some builders aren’t concerned about details and are most concerned about getting the house built and getting paid. Some excellent, some not—You just may not know until its too late. For example, one missing nail blocking plate that would normally protect an electric wire, gas line, or water pipe in the wall could mean disastrous results five years down the road when a picture is being hung. Many future issues can be prevented!

Whether construction mistakes stem from honest oversight, mistakes, or true carelessness, its always better to know about deficiences before they cause a problem. A Professional Inspector can be your "building consultant" and share his/her expertise throughout your construction process.

At SmartGuard Professional Inspections, PLLC, we have extensive knowledge of the home building process.   We have interacted with builders that have shown a high level of integrity in their work, but also have had to correct builders who have made major mistakes in construction.

We would like to provide you with personalized service to help you have confidence in the soundness and safety of your home’s construction.  Please Contact Us with any questions you may have about our Services!