One Year Inspections are designed to give you, the new homeowner, an accurate picture of how the home's systems are functioning near the end of your first year of ownership. They are similar to other inspections with an emphasis on construction defects and deficiencies. We will also highlight any owner maintenance issues you may have overlooked or not been aware of.

We created this inspection because we found problems in new homes being resold after two or three years, Many of these problems should have been the responsibility of the original builder had they been discovered. The seller was now responsible for paying for the repairs.

Our One Year inspections are not a witch hunt, nor an attempt to project any builder or subcontractor in a negative way. But we do recognize the fact that new homes are not perfect for any number of reasons, including aging issues, changing conditions, overlooked errors and defective materials or workmanship. Most, if not all, of these issues are easily handled at this point in time but too often grow into major problems down the road if left uncorrected. For these same reasons, we highly recommend One Year inspections even if the home was inspected prior to purchase.

The types of problems that we search for are often hidden from most homeowners. Unless you have been involved in residential construction for an extended period of time, it is unlikely that you would even recognize them as problems or potential problems. It is our extensive residential construction experience that is our most powerful tool.

Even builders with good reputations often miss things when the homes are under construction. New homes are built fast, and by many hands, under all weather conditions. Today's construction process involves the use of a series of suppliers and subcontractors, many of whom have varying levels of commitment to the quality of their work. The builder's site supervisors are under pressure to keep costs low and production times short. While this process does help to keep the selling price of the home as low as possible, at the same time it increases the risk of mistakes to occur, and for those mistakes to be overlooked.

The vast majority of builders want nothing more than a satisfied client and are quite willing to fix legitimate issues when made aware of them. We provide you with clear, concise explanations of any problems we discover in a format that is ready to present to the original builder.

A One Year inspection offers you peace of mind. Ideally the inspection should be completed prior to the first anniversary of your closing date, which is the day you signed for the home. This is typically several days before the day you actually moved in. Most often these inspections are performed in the eleventh or twelfth month of ownership but can also be done sooner if special conditions exist.

Please contact us by phone (503-579-6962) or email fourwallshomeinspection@comcast.net for a more complete explanation.

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