Pre-sheet rock - Third party inspection. (League City, Howe: how much, house, contractors)

[Katy0612]

Is it important to do a pre-sheet rock third party inspection ? Can anybody share their experiences.

We are building a house and wanted to check if its advisable to do a third party inspection prior to sheet rock stage ? Can anybody give me the insight if anybody did it and was there any major finding that had to be rectified ?

My builder told me we can get it inspected but they will make changes only if its a code violation. Recommendation from the inspector are not incorporated.

Thanks.

[spm6110]

We just had a third part inspector do our framing inspection and he found two rolled studs and improper bracing on a main support. From his words, it was nothing that would make the house fall down but when you're building new shouldn't it be done right. Better safe than sorry.

[Katy0612]

Did the builder accept those and did the changes ? How much did it cost for the inspection ?

[Reader529]

We paid 500 for a three phase inspection; our inspector went out of his way and checked the home weekly. Although he didn't find much pre-sheetrock our builder was easy to work with and made all the necessary adjustments. This was also true when it came time for the final inspection, including all comestics. I'd be a little concerned if your builder is being difficult.

[davidtk]

It's always a good idea to have a third party inspection done pre-sheetrock. We had one done on our current house and he found a few areas that were missing hurricane straps, a few areas where water pipes should be secured (to prevent noise), and a few other small things that I can't remember. It's been almost 10 years.

I actually think the pre-sheetrock inspection is more important than the final in many ways because you can still see the guts of the house. I would expect to pay $200-$300 for the inspection.

About your builder only correcting code violations, I bet if you push he will make additional changes recommended by the inspector, assuming they're reasonable. You still have leverage until you close on the house, so don't be afraid to complain.

[tiffaneem]

Please don't let the builder talk you out of not getting the inspection.

Yes, they will argue about it not being a code violation, but that's b/c they think you don't know any better. If you have a great Realtor and Inspector, you should have no problems getting anything fixed.

[MaxH]

I agree whole heartedly you should have a third party inspection done before sheetrock but after all mechanicals and electrical wiring has been done. Many times the mechanical and electrical contractors can weaken framing while boring holes and/or cutting away framing members in order to facilitate their respective installations.

If I were you I would hire a licensed P.E. rather than a building inspector. The engineer is going to be far more competent and more aware of structural issues. His report is certainly going to have a greater impact on the builder as far as getting the corrections done. If you shop around I believe you will find a number of local P.E.'s willing to perform an inspection for a competitive price as compared to others.

MaxH

[spm6110]

I paid about $270 I believe for the sheetrock inspection. The major issues were fixed. My inspector did find some other "small" issue that the builder would not correct. However, even my inspector told me that unless you were using a semi-custom or custom builder that he didn't expect these to be fixed. My view was better safe than sorry. $500 or so for sheetrock and final inspection was cheap considering what i'm paying for my house. It would be nice to think that just because a builder is reputable everything goes right but we all make mistakes.

[jas1999]

Reader,

Could you tell us who your inspector was?

I'm looking to find someone to do a phase inspection in the League City area.

Thanks

[Reader529]

jas1999

We're up in Cypress. I just sent you a PM. Best of luck!