# Construction Defects I Found in a Brand-New Two-Story Home

- Link: https://propertyinspectionsplus.com/new-build-construction-defects-inspection/
- Published: 2026-10-25T03:42:37+00:00
- Author: homeinspectordan

Builders are offering low interest rates right now, so a lot of buyers are choosing
new homes over resales. That is fine, but new does not mean perfect. On this two-
story new build I was looking for safety issues and installation defects, not paint
touch-ups. Here is what came up.

## Outside

 * **Extra roof tiles stacked right above the front entry.** If the wind moves them,
   they come down on someone. Those need to come off the roof.
 * **The side yard swale needs cleaning out** so water from the backyard can reach
   the street.
 * **A gap in the stucco with chicken wire sticking out** around a water heater 
   discharge pipe. No metal lath should be exposed.
 * **Window gaps.** Fresh stucco shrinks away from window frames as it cures. Those
   gaps are normal, and they are a big item to get sealed at your 1-year warranty
   visit.
 * **Dry plants.** I ran the irrigation, and several bushes were not getting enough
   water from their emitters.
 * **Unfinished wood gates** will turn black in a year or two without a sealer.

Good items: 60 PSI of water pressure with a pressure regulator and expansion tank,
a 200 amp panel with arc-fault and GFCI breakers, flat concrete roof tiles that 
protect the underlayment well, and a termite pre-treatment on file.

## Inside

 * A kitchen drawer that was badly crooked and would not open properly.
 * An unfinished outlet with no cover.
 * The water heater was not connected yet, so there was no hot water to test anywhere.
   It also sat slightly out of level.
 * The door from the garage into the house would not close and latch on its own.
   That door is supposed to self-close for fire safety, so the hinges need adjusting.
 * Missing covers on the garage door sensor boxes and an outlet upstairs.
 * A loose return register, a fallen blind and dirty, scratched fixed windows.

## The laundry room

There was no drain pan under the washer, and the washer had rubber supply hoses.
If a hose bursts or the washer overflows on the second floor, there is nothing to
stop the water. I recommend a washer pan and stainless braided hoses.

## Bathrooms and finishes

The primary shower had a gap where the tile was never finished along one side, open
all the way down. That needs to be sealed before anyone showers in it. The stair
treads were consistent, which matters more than you would think. On the cosmetic
side, I pointed out bad paint, missed texture and holes cut in drywall. That is 
your job on the blue tape walk, but I note what I see.

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