New construction still needs an inspection

The objection is always the same: it passed the municipal inspection, so what is left to find? Quite a lot, as it turns out. A municipal inspector confirms the house meets code. That is a floor, not a finish, and it is not the same as confirming that everything in the house was actually completed.

Punch-list items are routine

Missing insulation in a corner of the attic, a bath fan venting into that attic instead of outside, a downspout that was never connected, a reversed outlet, a missing pan under the upstairs heater. None of these are scandals. They are what happens when a dozen trades work in sequence under a deadline.

The point is the timing

Every one of those items is the builder’s to fix while the warranty is live and the relationship is current. Twelve months later they are yours, and the difference between those two situations is one inspection scheduled before closing.

If the build is still in progress, a pre-drywall inspection is worth as much again — framing, bracing, and rough plumbing are visible for a few weeks and then never again. After the walls close, confirming any of it means opening them.

What we look at that the municipal inspector does not

Code compliance and completed work are different questions, and we are only asked the second one. That means attic insulation depth and coverage, every bath and dryer vent traced to its termination outside, grading and downspouts around a yard that was landscaped last week, and every fixture and appliance actually operated rather than observed.

Bring the list to the builder before closing, in writing, and keep a copy. Punch lists get resolved on the strength of the paperwork behind them.