Do I Need a Home Inspection on a New Construction Home?

Yes. It is worth every penny to get a home inspection on your new construction home. No doubt. As we posted a few years ago in "Do I Need a Home Inspection for a New Construction Home?" and as Realtor.com published in Should You Hire a Home Inspector for a New House? you do not want to rely on the builder to tell you if the house is built to code or has defects. According to Realtor.com, a real estate publication that does not profit from home inspections:

In fact, if you’re buying a home under construction, you should hire an inspector twice. The first time is so he can look over the home before the walls are closed, and inspect framing and systems installation. The second should be after the home is complete, so he can inspect everything else.

Home inspectors typically charge $300 to $500, depending on the size of your home and where you live. While hiring one twice might seem like costly overkill, think of it this way: If you spring for an early pre-drywall inspection, the inspector will make sure the studs, insulation, home systems, beams, and posts have been installed properly. That’s a sneak peek most home inspectors don’t get to make with homes once the walls are up. And if problems turn up, you can take the list of complaints and concerns—an early punch list—to the builder to correct before the walls are closed.

Once construction is complete, ask your inspector to review the house a few days before your final walk-through with the builder. The inspector is trained to notice details that escape the unpracticed eye. Add these issues to your final punch list, and don’t fork over the final payment until each problem is solved.

From Mike Vakos, owner and head home inspector:

... I wanted to talk to you about new construction home inspections. I'm here at a house, new construction, and you know most of the times when we do these things we don't find anything major. In this case, I wouldn't consider this major, but it's something you want to get addressed.  This condensate line here and here are draining into the floor drain which is all clogged and causing a backup. A lot of people think it's not important to do a home inspection on a new construction but usually most of the things we find are what I consider punch list items.  However there are some situations where you find major things.  I do always recommend getting a home inspection, whether it's new construction or an existing pre-owned home.