Pre-Drywall Inspection

If you are having a house built and wondering if you should have a “Pre-drywall” inspection done.  The answer is YES.   Building a new home is a tremendous complex undertaking. It involves many people, usually split up into subcontractor groups, each working on different parts and systems of the home and even the best builders make mistakes.   The municipal building inspectors do a great job but they are often overworked and they don't work for you. You need someone who not only knows construction but has the experience to know what can happen to a home a few years later if the best practices are not followed or if errors are made,  that’s where John Cranor of Cranor Inspection Services can serve you and offer peace of mind that your home is built to the generally accepted construction practices.

Pre-drywall inspections are specific to houses currently under construction, and provides you, as the buyer, with an opportunity to have an independent third party assess the builder's work.

This inspection is performed after framing is complete, the windows and doors are installed, and the roof is on, but before the drywall is installed.  This is a critical point in the home's construction, as the interior components, such as the electrical wiring, plumbing, and HVAC ducts are not yet concealed.

John Cranor will inspect items such as that the wiring and plumbing are properly run, that the exhaust ducts are extending the exterior, and that the walls, windows, and flooring are all properly installed and square. While these items are normally inspected by the municipal building inspectors, it is a one time opportunity in the midst of construction that a you the buyer can have an independent third party inspector inspect for you to ensure things are being built to acceptable construction practices. The inspector does not work for the builder, so has no interest in keeping construction costs down or construction time lines met, being focused solely on making sure that your new home is properly within acceptable construction practices.   John will also likely spends more time on site than the municiple building inspector, as well as paying attention to non-code related details which the municipal building inspector may not be concerned with.

The pre-drywall inspection is likely the only time that you will have the ability to see the underlying structure of the home and to see directly how the systems are laid out and interact. Important elements to consider when hiring a home inspector for a pre-drywall inspection... there are many home inspectors who have never driven a nail and honestly are clueless in performing a "predrywall inspection" so make sure the inspector you hire is experienced and has the required New Residential Construction special endorsement on his/her license.  Many home inspectors who offer pre-drywall inspections either do not provide written reports or the report is so vague its near useless.  The report is critical and especially beneficial to the client so ask to see a sample report.   John Cranor follows the Standards of Practice for Predrywall inspections published by the American Society of Home Inspectors available at www.ashi.org  

At the conclusion of the inspection, John Cranor will furnish a comprehensive report describing what was inspected and any observations or recommendations. The report is somewhat different than the standard home inspection report, both in areas of coverage as well as information presented. A sample pre-drywall inspection report is available at request.   Just text me at 804-873-8534 or email at john@cranorinspections.com