Why a brand-new house still has defects
A new home is built by a long chain of trades working in sequence: site crews, framers, roofers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC installers, drywall, painters, flooring, cabinets, finish carpentry, landscapers. Each crew is focused on its own scope and its own schedule. That setup produces good houses, and it also produces a predictable kind of problem: small misses at the handoffs, work that was done right and then damaged by the next crew, and details that nobody owns because they sit between two trades.
The building department's inspections do not catch all of that, and they are not designed to. They check the code's minimum requirements at set stages of construction, and much of the finish work goes in after those stages are signed off. (If you want the detail on what permit inspections and a certificate of occupancy confirm, see certificate of occupancy vs. home inspection.)
InterNACHI, the inspector association whose standards High Tide follows, puts it simply in its article on material defects: defects can come from poor construction practices, improper installations, neglect and time, and "these causes can affect a home of any age." New construction is no exception.
Below are the categories of issues inspectors look for on a finished new home, what each one tends to look like, and why it matters. This is not a ranking and there are no percentages here. How often each shows up depends on the builder, the crews and the house.
Finish work: flooring, trim and cabinetry
This is the category buyers notice first and builders are most willing to fix, because it is visible and it is plainly theirs. Typical items:
- Chipped, cracked or scratched tile or plank flooring, gaps at transitions, missing or cracked grout
- Trim and baseboard with open joints, missing caulk or unfilled nail holes
- Cabinet doors and drawers out of alignment, damaged finishes, missing hardware
- Countertop chips and poorly sealed seams or backsplash joints
- Drywall damage and paint that was touched up but does not match
These are the same kinds of items we flagged on a recent new-construction walk-through: in May 2026, the blue-tape items marked for the buyer to have fixed before closing were flooring, interior doors and trim, and cabinetry.
One point worth knowing: the InterNACHI Standards of Practice do not require an inspector to evaluate cosmetic items or floor coverings. They are a minimum standard. On new construction, ask your inspector how finish items are handled so you know what to expect in the report.
Doors, windows and hardware
The standards call for opening and closing a representative number of doors and windows, inspecting the garage door and opener with normal controls, and reporting photo-electric safety sensors that do not work and windows that are fogged or show broken seals. On new homes, look for:
- Interior doors that rub, will not latch, or swing open or closed on their own
- Exterior doors with daylight at the weatherstripping or thresholds that are loose
- Windows that are hard to lock, missing screens, or have scratched glass
- Garage doors whose auto-reverse sensors are misaligned
These are quick fixes for a finish carpenter or installer who is still on the job. After closing, they become warranty tickets.
Grading and drainage
This one matters more than it looks. The Florida Building Code, Residential, Section R401.3 requires lots to be graded so surface water drains away from foundation walls, with the grade falling at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet. Where lot lines or other barriers make that impossible, drains or swales must carry water away instead, and hard surfaces within 10 feet of the foundation must slope at least 2 percent away from the building.
Final grading and landscaping are among the last things done on a new house, and they can change after the site crew leaves. InterNACHI's article on grading and landscaping notes that flower beds built up against the house and mulch piled too high can hold water and moisture against the walls. Things an inspector watches for:
- Soil, sod or mulch sloping toward the house instead of away
- Landscape beds or edging that trap water next to the foundation
- Downspouts, where installed, that dump water right at the wall
- Irrigation heads spraying the stucco
The inspection standards call for inspecting grading and surface drainage "where they may adversely affect the structure due to moisture intrusion," which is exactly this.
Roof and attic details
From the attic, an inspector can see things nobody else will look at after the drywall is up. Under the standards, the inspector checks insulation and ventilation in unfinished spaces like the attic, and the mechanical exhaust systems for the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry. On new builds, typical findings include:
- Insulation that is thin, displaced or missing in spots, often where another trade worked in the attic after it was installed
- Bathroom exhaust fan ducts that are disconnected or end in the attic instead of outdoors
- Debris, damaged trusses or unsealed penetrations
- Signs of an active leak at a roof penetration
From the outside, the visible roof covering, flashing and penetrations are inspected, and anything that suggests water getting in is reported.
HVAC and ductwork
The standards call for operating the cooling and heating systems with normal controls and reporting a system that does not run. They do not require the inspector to measure airflow balance or system capacity. Within that scope, inspectors on new homes look at:
- Whether the system starts, runs and produces cool air at the registers
- Flexible ducts in the attic that are crushed, kinked or disconnected
- The condensate drain line and its termination
- Registers that are blocked, loose or missing
A crushed or disconnected duct in the attic is easy to fix before closing and easy to miss for years after.
Electrical: GFCI, AFCI and devices
The InterNACHI standards require testing all GFCI receptacles and breakers observed with a GFCI tester, testing AFCI-protected receptacles with the test button where possible, and reporting any tested receptacle with no power, incorrect polarity, a missing cover, or a GFCI that did not trip. They also call for checking for the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. On new homes, typical items include:
- GFCI devices that do not trip or do not reset
- Outlets with reversed polarity or no power
- Missing cover plates, especially in closets and the garage
- Fixtures or fans that do not work
Plumbing leaks and fixtures
Water is the defect that gets worse the longer it goes unnoticed. The standards require running water at fixtures and faucets, flushing toilets, checking functional drainage at sinks, tubs and showers, and reporting active leaks, loose or leaking toilets, and poor functional flow when two fixtures run at the same time. On new homes, look for:
- Slow drips at the trap or supply lines under sinks
- Toilets that rock or run
- Hot and cold reversed at a faucet
- Tubs or showers that drain slowly
Sealants and exterior penetrations
In Southwest Florida, the outside of the house takes a lot of rain and sun. Every place something passes through the wall (hose bibs, light fixtures, dryer vents, electrical boxes, pipes, the line set for the air conditioner) needs to be sealed. The standards cover exterior wall coverings, flashing and trim, and windows and doors. Common items: missing or incomplete caulk at penetrations and window perimeters, gaps where trim meets stucco, and cracks in stucco. Note that flashing hidden behind the wall covering cannot be seen, which is one reason visible sealant details matter.
Why it is easier to fix before closing
Before closing, the builder's trades are usually still working in the community, the house is empty, and the builder wants a clean sign-off. After closing, the same repair means a warranty request, a scheduling window, and crews working around your furniture. Some items, like a disconnected attic duct or a slow leak inside a vanity, may not show up at all until they have caused damage.
That is the case for getting an independent inspection of a brand-new home before your final walkthrough. High Tide's reports are digital, with photos, and delivered within 24 hours, typically the next morning, so findings can go straight onto the builder's list. Joanna is also a certified thermographer, and a full thermal imaging scan is available as a $250 add-on; infrared can point to temperature differences worth a closer look, such as missing insulation or moisture.
If you are planning your own walkthrough, the new construction final walkthrough checklist covers what to test yourself.
The short version
- New homes have defects mostly at the handoffs between trades and in finish work done after the last permit inspections.
- The categories to watch: finish work, doors and windows, grading and drainage, roof and attic, HVAC ducts, electrical devices, plumbing, and exterior sealants.
- Florida's residential code requires the grade to fall at least 6 inches in the first 10 feet away from the foundation, or drains or swales where that is not possible.
- Nearly every item is simpler to get fixed before closing, while the house is empty and the builder is working toward sign-off.
