The 2019 NC Home Inspector Licensing Board Survey reported that Above Par inspects more new-construction homes than any other home inspector in North Carolina — about 10× the typical inspector. Over 400 new and 11-month inspections in 2022 alone.
Homes today are built by up to 40 different subcontractors, with as few as four of them being licensed contractors. Your typical county building inspector spends just a few minutes at the home per visit. Issues from original construction often turn into decay, unsanitary conditions, or unsafe conditions within a few years — and many homeowners are shocked at what their buyer's inspector uncovers when they later try to sell.
I look at the home before drywall, while everything is still visible, and again before you close. If something needs attention, the builder addresses it on their dollar — not yours.
As a licensed general contractor and home builder, I know what each trade is supposed to deliver — not just what the building code minimum is. That gap is where most new-construction defects live.
Walls open, everything visible. Framing, structural straps, plumbing rough-in, electrical rough-in, HVAC duct routes, window flashing, vapor barriers. Catch issues before they're buried for the life of the home.
Cost: $0.16 / sq ft ($300 minimum). See cost page.
A full inspection of the finished home before closing. Same standard as a resale inspection, with extra attention to the items new builds commonly miss — punch-list items the builder should still address.
Cost: per resale rate guideline.
New homes in NC carry a mandatory One-Year Builder Warranty, but it's left to the homeowner to surface issues. Eleven months in, I deliver a comprehensive repair list the builder addresses on their dollar — before it becomes yours.
Cost: per resale rate guideline.
Houses settle. Caulking shrinks. Grading shifts after the first heavy rains. HVAC runs through a full season. Items that were borderline at closing become real defects by month eleven — and most homeowners don't realize the builder is still on the hook for them.
An 11-month re-inspection produces a single document you hand to the builder before the warranty closes. You don't have to argue. You hand them the list.
If you're considering a new build — or your one-year warranty is approaching — call or send the address. I'll explain which inspection stages fit your timeline and quote each one fairly.