A new construction inspection checklist is what an independent inspector carries onto a building site on behalf of the person buying the house: a look at the work at the moments when it can still be seen and still be fixed cheaply. This one covers the three visits most buyers book — before the foundation is poured, before the walls are closed in, and the final walkthrough — and shows only the checks for the visit you choose. Fill it in here and download a finished PDF, no account needed.
Three visits, three different jobs
Before the pour, the questions are about what will be buried for good: the excavation, the reinforcing steel and how it is held up, the vapor retarder, the pipes coming up through the slab, the anchors that will tie the walls down.
Before drywall, the house is a skeleton and everything is in view: framing, connectors, the house wrap and window flashing, and the rough plumbing, wiring, ducts and gas pipe. Once insulation and drywall go up, almost none of it can be checked again without cutting.
At the final walkthrough the systems are live. Run the heat and cooling, every tap and toilet, test the GFCI outlets and the smoke alarms, open every window, and look at the finishes in raking light.
This is not the code inspection
The building department's inspector signs off each stage against the code they enforce. An independent inspector works for the buyer and looks for workmanship and installation problems the buyer would want fixed — some of which are code matters, many of which are not. Neither replaces the other.
Say so in the report. Where you think something may not meet code, describe what you saw and recommend the builder or the building official confirm it; do not certify compliance.
Getting on site, and getting things fixed
Most builders allow independent inspections if they are asked early and in writing — ideally in the purchase contract. Confirm the date with the site supervisor, wear boots and a hard hat, and stay out of the way of the trades.
The correction list at the end is the part the builder acts on. One line per item, with exactly where it is, a photo and how serious it is, so the supervisor can hand each line to the right trade. Bring the last list to the next visit and check it off before starting the new one.
What each visit cannot see
- Pre-pour: soil bearing and compaction, which are engineering questions.
- Pre-drywall: anything not yet installed, and the inside of walls already insulated.
- Final: everything now behind drywall, under flooring and above finished ceilings.
- Every visit: the design itself. Spans, loads and engineered systems belong to the designer.
Common questions
Do I need an inspection on a brand-new house?
New houses are built quickly by many different trades, and the municipal inspector has limited time on each stage. Independent inspections routinely find missing connectors, unflashed windows, disconnected ducts and drains without slope. They are cheapest to fix before the walls close.
Which visit matters most if I can only afford one?
Pre-drywall. It is the last time the structure, the weather barriers and all the rough-ins are in plain view. The final walkthrough is a close second because it is the last chance to have problems fixed before closing.
Can the builder refuse an independent inspection?
Some contracts limit or forbid site visits before closing. Read the purchase agreement, and if it is silent, ask for permission in writing before you sign. Most builders agree when asked early.
Does this checklist confirm the house meets code?
No. It records workmanship and installation problems the inspector saw. Code approval comes from the local building department, which issues the permits and the certificate of occupancy.
What happens to the correction list?
It goes to the builder, usually through the buyer or their agent. At the next visit, or at a re-inspection, each item is checked and marked done or still open.