New Construction Inspection in Metro Detroit
A second set of eyes before final walkthrough and warranty deadlines.
15% off for active and retired military, first responders, nurses, and teachers. Any inspection — just mention it when you book.
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What It Is
What a new construction inspection covers.
New does not mean flawless. Production builders work fast, subcontractors rotate, and municipal inspections check code compliance — not workmanship or long-term performance.
A pre-drywall inspection happens after framing, rough electrical, rough plumbing, and HVAC rough-in, but before insulation and drywall close everything up. This is the only time these systems are ever visible. Missing fire blocking, improperly notched studs, unsupported ductwork, and drainage slope problems are all catchable here and effectively invisible later.
A final walkthrough inspection happens before closing and produces a punch list you hand directly to the builder while you still have leverage.
Both are also valuable near the end of your builder warranty period — catching covered defects before the window closes.
Scope
Systems inspected
Three Inspection Points
Pre-drywall, final walkthrough, and the 11th month.
A new build gives you three chances to catch problems while someone else is still on the hook for them. Most buyers use one. The ones who get the most out of it use all three.
- Pre-drywall. After framing, rough plumbing, rough electrical, and HVAC rough-in, before insulation and drywall. This is the only time the structure and the systems inside the walls are visible. Notched or over-bored studs, missing fire blocking, unsupported duct runs, unsecured wiring, and drain lines with no slope are all easy to see now and effectively invisible after this week.
- Final walkthrough (pre-closing). A full inspection of the finished home, done before your builder walkthrough so you go into it with a documented punch list instead of a blank page. The builder fixes far more when the list has photos.
- 11th-month warranty inspection. Most builder warranties cover workmanship for one year. An inspection in month ten or eleven catches the settling cracks, nail pops, failed caulk, HVAC problems, and grading issues that showed up after you moved in — and gets them on the builder's list before the warranty closes.
I hold InterNACHI®'s New Construction Inspector and 11th-Month Warranty Inspector certifications and inspect new builds to the same checklist discipline I used on aircraft: every item, every time, nothing assumed because it's new.
What I Find
What shows up in new builds around Metro Detroit.
Production subdivisions in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, Chesterfield, and Oakland Township go up fast, with rotating subcontractors and a municipal inspector who's checking code minimums, not workmanship. The defects are rarely dramatic. They're the things nobody went back to finish:
- Roof and exterior: exposed nail heads and nail pops, missing kick-out and step flashing, siding gaps at penetrations, unsealed window and door flashing, and grading that slopes toward the foundation because the final grade never got done.
- Attic: insulation gaps and bare spots, bath fans disconnected from their roof terminations, and duct runs that were never sealed. I put a camera on all of it.
- Electrical: missing GFCI and AFCI protection, reversed polarity, open junction boxes, and panels with labels that don't match the circuits.
- Plumbing and HVAC: registers with no airflow because a duct was never connected, water heater relief lines run wrong, sump discharge dumping at the foundation, and hose bibs that were never pressure-tested.
- Garage and interior: penetrations through the garage firewall, doors and windows that bind, and the cosmetic stuff — which is real money when it's your house.
Every one of these is easier to get fixed before you close than after. The report is built to hand straight to the builder's warranty department.
Process & Pricing
How it works and what it costs.
1. Tell me the schedule
Send me the builder's timeline. I'll tell you which visits make sense and when. Book online or call 586-522-8733.
2. Give the builder notice
Most builders allow third-party inspections; many require notice and a signed-in visit. Check your purchase agreement and let your sales rep know. I'm used to working around their rules.
3. Inspection day
Pre-drywall visits run one to two hours. Final walkthrough inspections are a full inspection, two to four hours. Come along if you can.
4. Report in 24 hours
Photo-documented Spectora report organized as a punch list, so it goes straight to the builder without translation.
5. Follow up
Questions after the report are free. Schedule the 11th-month visit before your one-year warranty runs out.
Final walkthrough inspections start at $349, a pre-drywall inspection is $249, and an 11-month warranty inspection is $349. You get a firm price for each visit before anything is scheduled. New homes are built tight, which means radon ($175) can build up in a brand-new basement just as easily as an old one — worth testing, especially in Oakland County. A sewer scope ($199) is the only way to know the lateral wasn't crushed or bellied during backfill. Active and retired military, first responders, nurses, and teachers get a permanent 15% Heroes Discount.
One honest note: the InterNACHI® Buy-Back Guarantee and Inspection Warranty apply to buyer inspections of existing homes, not to new-construction inspections.
See the full price list — every size tier, the older-home and distance adjustments, add-ons and the Heroes Discount.
Questions
New construction inspection questions.
The city already inspected it. Why do I need another inspection?
Municipal inspections check code minimums at a few points in the build, in a few minutes each. They don't check workmanship, completeness, or whether the systems actually work as installed. Nobody in that process works for you. I do.
Will the builder allow an independent inspection?
Most do, and many purchase agreements say so explicitly. Some require advance notice or want a rep present. Check your agreement, tell your sales rep, and I'll work inside whatever rules they set. A builder who refuses any third-party inspection is telling you something.
When exactly is the pre-drywall inspection?
After framing, rough plumbing, rough electrical, and HVAC rough-in have passed their municipal inspections, and before insulation goes in. That window can be a few days. Ask your builder to tell you when insulation is scheduled and book for the day or two before.
What is an 11th-month warranty inspection?
A full inspection of the home done in month ten or eleven of ownership, before the builder's one-year workmanship warranty expires. It documents everything that's settled, cracked, leaked, or failed since you moved in so you can submit one complete claim while the builder is still obligated to fix it.
What if the builder pushes back on the findings?
Every item in the report has a photo and a plain description of what's wrong. Builders push back on opinions; they rarely push back on photos. Before closing you have leverage. After closing you have the warranty. The report is written to work for both.
Do you inspect custom builds at other stages?
Yes. For custom homes, foundation and framing visits before the pre-drywall stage are worth doing. Call and we'll set up a schedule that matches your builder's.
Service Area
Available across Southeast Michigan
Schedule your inspection.
Most requests answered same day.
Or send the details and I’ll quote it.