Pre-Drywall Inspection

When building a new home, having an impartial inspector who can evaluate the workmanship of your home before the insulation and drywall is installed can save you time and money. Pre-drywall inspections (also called pre-drywall walkthroughs or framing inspections) identify any defects when they are easier and cheaper to remedy.

While builders do their best, many tradespeople are involved when working on a house and issues can be missed. Once more, local code inspectors are often overworked with many homes to see, so they may not be able to take the care they would if they had more time. By hiring your own inspector, you can get an impartial evaluation that everything has been built to spec.

When Are Pre-Drywall Inspections Done?

Pre-Drywall Inspections are ordered after the framing, plumbing, electrical and HVAC have been roughed in. It’s recommended that the inspection happen ahead of the insulation being placed in which can obscure some aspects of the plumbing and wiring for example.

Rough-In generally refers to the stage of construction before the drywall and fixtures have been installed.

What do Inspectors Look For?

At this stage of construction, inspectors are looking at a variety of things. These are just a few:

  • Electrical – Has the wiring been placed correctly? Are the junction boxes placed correctly?
  • Framing – Do they spot any excessively warped framing? Does any hardware appear to be missing
  • Foundation –  Are floor joists properly placed?
  • HVAC – Are air ducts and registers located in the right places?
  • Plumbing – Are pipes secured properly and located correctly? Are drain angles correct?
  • Windows/Doors – Are the correct windows and doors installed? Has flashing been installed?
  • Roofing – Is ventilation correctly installed?

Let Us Inspect Your Home

A pre-drywall inspection is like insurance against defects that can be more costly to solve later in the construction process. We invite homeowners to walk through the inspection with us so we can answer questions and show you what we see. In the final report, we will document with pictures of what we find, so you can gather a checklist to be addressed by the builder. Contact us today or call us at 410-476-8144 to set up a Pre-Drywall Inspection and find out where we operate along Maryland’s Eastern Shore.