Pre-Drywall Inspection
Pre-Drywall Inspections are important because once drywall goes up, these components will likely never be seen again. It’s a good idea to have us take a look at this stage.
These should be performed AFTER the electrical, plumbing and HVAC rough ins have been completed, but BEFORE insulation and drywall are installed.
After the framers have finished framing the home, the mechanical rough ins start. On our inspection, we check to make sure that as they ran their material through the house, they didn’t compromise any framing. Sometimes they cut into studs or drill holes and it’s important to make sure they didn’t weaken anything in the process. Additionally, there are protections that should be installed such as nail guards so that things aren’t damaged during the drywall hanging process.
We also check for common framing practices and build quality. Sometimes, metal hangers should be used but are missed. Or nails are missed. Sometimes roof trusses are damaged during delivery and install. These can ONLY be repaired according to a structural engineers design. Field repairs are not permitted without an engineer prescribing the repair. This can be a costly issue if not done correctly so it’s best to get this address by the builder prior to closing.
Other things we’ll look for are proper ventilation of the roof as well as bathroom, dryer and range hood exhaust. We’ll check the exterior moisture barrier and window installs to make sure they’ll be water tight. We’ll also check to make sure safety glass (tempered glass) is installed where required.
There are lots of things that go into building a home and any of them can cause frustration or added expenses. Although we can’t eliminate ALL risk, a pre-drywall inspection can help to mitigate it and give you peace of mind..
