New construction inspection: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering new construction inspection
You inspect newly built homes at stages such as framing and before closing, looking for defects, unfinished work and code concerns to raise with the builder. Buyers hire you for an independent look at the work while it can still be corrected.
What customers ask
- Can you inspect at the framing stage, while the walls are open?
- Are you licensed, and what is your insurance?
- Will you check the plans against what was built?
- Will you re-inspect after the builder makes the corrections?
- What do you check in the insulation and the air sealing?
- Do you test for air leakage or radon?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for the builder, the plan, the stage of construction and the closing date, then propose the stages you will inspect and the dates
- Get on site while the framing and the rough-in are open, and photograph the layout, the bracing, the headers and the connections
- Put each inspection stage, its scope and its date in the proposal, so the buyer can plan with the builder
- Compare the plans and specifications against the work, and note any change the builder made without a written approval
- Separate the report items into defects, unfinished work and code concerns, with photos and the stage each was found at
- Offer a re-inspection of the corrected items, with a written confirmation for the buyer and the builder
What to put on your profile
- Post sample stage inspection reports with photos from framing, rough-in and final, with personal details removed
- List your license or certification numbers and the state where they were issued
- Show the stages you inspect and the add-on tests you run
- State your report timing for each stage and your re-inspection terms
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer a one-year post-closing review of the systems and the drainage, while the builder's warranty is still active
- Suggest a grading and drainage check after the first heavy rain, since new soil settles
- Offer to keep the stage reports and photos on file for the buyer's records
Licenses and permits
Home inspectors are commonly licensed or certified by the state and often carry errors and omissions insurance. Check with your state licensing board for your license, continuing education and insurance requirements before you take new construction work.
Questions
How do I handle a builder who will not give access at the framing stage?
Tell the buyer in writing that access was refused and what stages were not seen. Recommend the buyer ask the builder to provide access in the purchase contract or to schedule the inspection at a later stage.
What if I find a code concern that the permit inspector passed?
Report what you observed with photos and the stage. Note that the permit inspector's approval is separate from your findings, and suggest the buyer ask the building department about the item.
How do requests reach me on infinibell?
Customers describe the job and pick the pros they want by name, and only the pros they picked see the request. Joining is free. You pay only for the leads you accept, and you can decline a request for free. Every pro is reviewed before going live.
About this guide
This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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