New home construction has skyrocketed again. In the suburbs surrounding Des Moines (Ankeny was listed as the fourth fastest growing city in the country by a recent U.S. Census), new homes are popping up everywhere.
We often get asked why an inspection is needed. It’s helpful to know and appreciate the complexities of what we call a house. According to the National Association of Home Builders, more than 3,000 components are employed in constructing a house. That’s a lot of parts, and that number doesn’t even include the fine details of how critical components such as screws, nails, adhesives and sealants are selected and installed.
These more than 3,000 components are likely to be installed by roughly 20 different subcontractors and each subcontractor may employ as many as four to five different employees working on the house. That means upon completion, your house could have had more than 100 different people touching the more than 3,000 components, including subcontractors

for roofing, framing, painting, drywall, electrical, flooring, appliances, insulation, etc. etc.
Think an inspection isn’t necessary? Think again. In our experience inspecting new construction homes, we’ve found issues such as gas and water leaks, roofing, siding and stone installation problems, malfunctioning plugs, and broken windows just to name a few. It’s well worth the additional $350-$450 for the average inspection. All homes, both new and old, have attributes and vulnerabilities that an inspector can help the buyer identify. Know someone building a new home? Share this information with them.(Data taken from an article at redfin.com)