Brand-new does not mean flawless. Even in well-built Dallas-Fort Worth homes, inspectors routinely find issues, many of them tied to our North Texas climate, expansive clay soil, and the sheer speed of construction here. Here are ten of the most common.
- Roof and flashing problems - missing or improperly installed flashing, a big deal in North Texas hail and storm country.
- Poor grading and drainage - soil sloped toward the home, pushing water at the foundation.
- Foundation and clay-soil prep issues - our expansive clay is unforgiving of shortcuts.
- Undersized or under-charged HVAC - systems that can't keep up with a Texas summer.
- Disconnected or crushed ducts - hidden above ceilings after drywall.
- Missing or thin insulation - gaps that spike energy bills.
- Reversed hot and cold water lines - a surprisingly frequent plumbing mix-up.
- Electrical defects - reversed polarity, missing GFCI protection, loose connections.
- Window and door seal or flashing gaps - future leaks waiting to happen.
- Attic ventilation and safety items - improper venting, missing detectors, unfinished details.
None of these mean your builder did a bad job, they mean a home built by dozens of crews on a deadline needs a second set of eyes. The best time to catch the structural and mechanical ones is at the pre-drywall stage, before the walls close up.
Related reading: do I need an inspection on a brand-new home?, should I trust the builder to inspect their own home?, and the top mistakes buyers make.
