FAQ New home inspections

Delighted you asked! New home inspections are quite different from our Residential Resale inspections. Our Residential Resale inspections are focused on condition and functionality. In a new home inspection we not only review the property for condition and functionality but we also review the home for conformance to the minimum standards for workmanship and craftsmanship that are required to be provided by any Nevada State licensed contractor. These standards are “performance standards” and Spectrum Inspection Group provides the very best Performance Standards Review (PSR) inspection in the valley.

The standards any state licensed contractor is required to observe are promulgated by industry standards where we utilize the RS Means Residential and Light Construction Performance Manual for reference. We also utilize the Nevada State Contractors Board Residential Constructions Performance Guideline manual as a reference for assessing conformity to the applicable minimum standards.

Many consumers mistakenly believe that because the home is new and has been reviewed by a municipal inspector nothing of any significance could be awry with the home. This is generally a costly assumption. “Skilled labor” is a very loosely used term in Las Vegas Valley construction and, with many home builders, supervisory oversight is often lacking. Many times our inspections will reveal the installed attic insulation to be less than the minimum required R-30 value. Many times air conditioner refrigerant levels are found to be low. Just these two issues alone can equate to thousands of dollars in higher energy costs for the homeowner in just one year. (We have inspected many new homes where the attic area was found to be devoid of insulation)

Finding damaged roof trusses is also a very common issue in Las Vegas Valley homes. Improperly installed carpet seams, warped cabinet doors, improperly spaced grout lines, improper painting, visible wall and ceiling joints, reversed or missing Low-E windows are but a few of the issues typically found in the course of our PSR inspections. An average PSR inspection will reveal between 60 and 120 builder responsibility issues.

A PSR inspection costs a few cents more per foot but the level of the review that is provided is nearly twice the depth as a Residential Resale inspection. If you desire this type of inspection you must call our office for a price quote and scheduling. Generally we prefer to perform the inspection when it is in the condition the builder intends to convey the property to the Buyer. Some people know this inspection as a “Fit and Finish” inspection.

Be advised: Some builders do not allow an independent inspector to be on the property as long as the builder owns the property and will not allow us access until title transfer occurs. You should be wary of these builders but also know that you do not lose any rights to have performance standards issues corrected in a timely manner if the builder conveyed a home with substandard workmanship issues or materials existing in the home.