One way to ensure that a house is built according to its specifications is by performing a pre-drywall inspection. “Pre-drywall” refers to a phase during the homebuilding process just after the installation of certain elements – such as the doors, windows, foundation, flooring, wall and roof components, plumbing and electrical rough-in – and right before the drywall is hung. This in-progress or construction-phase inspection is useful because drywall can obscure some aspects of the interior and make identifying or fixing any problems both difficult and expensive, once the new home is completely finished.
A pre-drywall inspection can be performed after the insulation is installed, which is convenient because it allows the home inspector to determine whether it was done properly. However, the insulation may conceal some components in much of the same way that drywall does.(InterNACHI 24)
During a pre-drywall walk-through, the areas of the house that the inspector can check include:
When performing a pre-drywall walk-through, the home inspector may inspect:
There are many common concerns that a pre-drywall inspection can address. These questions include:
An important element to a pre-drywall inspection is the inspection report. Most home inspectors typically include photos and/or video. These are especially beneficial to the client because of the level of detail that they can provide. When it comes to documentation, more is more! So, as long as you have permission to do so, record everything that you can. ( Pre-Drywall Inspections – InterNACHI®)