what to look for during pre-drywall walk through for your new home

IP has been trying very hard to prevent pre-drywall inspection, but more and more buyers have realized that they have the right to do so to protect themselves. we just need to be firm on this and keep pushing them.

there are also some things we can watch out by ourselves during the pre-drywall wall through. here are some points that i can think of after doing some research online:

1.  bring your spec sheet and upgrade sheets and check.
2.  check to see if the framing is square.
3.  check if HVAC tubes in the attic are straight. every sharp turn decreases pressure.
4.  take picture of each wall in every room with different angels if possible.
5.  check if the house is built according to the plan.
6.  check on the place you are going to add any shelf/tower rack and see where the shelf/rack should be added.
7.  make note of any plumbing drainage clean-outs.
8.  take picture of every electrical box.
9.  do check the insulation (this has to be done at a later time) for squished edges, holes, gaps etc. and make sure insulation don't overlap onto the wall side of the studs.
10. check that  joints in heat ducts are taped properly.
11. bring a measuring tape check the measurement.
12. bring a lever and check floors, stair treads etc.

pls add yours to this.

Put a straightedge (e.g., 6 feet or more) across the studs/joists and make sure walls are flat.  If not, it will become obvious after the drywall is hung and require texture to hide.  "Flat" is a relative term, but I don't like to see more than about 1/16" gap anywhere on the walls/ceilings.  If there are gaps, make sure drywall shims are used to fill them prior to hanging drywall.

Take a picture of all walls, showing electrical runs.  Make sure all cables through studs have protector plates over them, or are centered in the stud per code (max 1-1/4 from either stud surface for 4" wide stud).  If cables are centered and not protected, pictures will help give peace of mind later if you want to bolt heavy things to the walls, like a flatscreen TV mount. 

Floor level, mentioned above, is most important in areas where there will be cabinets.  Kitchens are the most important.  I personally find it hard to visually notice less than 1" out-of-level over 10 feet, though new construction really ought to be much better than that; if not, it may be indicative of deeper problems.

It's very likely that at the time of your walkthrough, the house won't be completely at the pre-drywall stage.  when we went on ours, the guide pointed out that the next step was to make sure all the studs were aligned properly and shave/fill to create close to straight walls.  Also, insulation wasn't quite done at that point. 

I don't have the massive distrust that all of you guys seem to have of Irvine Pacific..I trust that they'll build things to proper codes not give me a half-assed product.  End of the day, these are tract homes, and the construction workers have probably built dozens of the same exact unit before they built yours, so they probably know what they are doing.  I think if this were a one off custom designed and built estate with architectural features and custom electrical work for high end theatres and media rooms, then you should really worry about a full predrywall inspection.

I treated this walkthrough as a educational experience, learn about what went into building my home and know where important things will be behind my walls (main drainage pipes, how the water and gas lines were routed, and things like that) more than likely you'll stop trying to take pictures half way through, and then forget the rest of what they tell you 20 minutes after.

i tend to be most concerned on the framing... this is cause even after the home is built, the foundation takes about a year to settle so until then everything will still shift a bit... so even perfect areas will warp a bit in the long run so poorly aligned areas or already warped areas will get exponentially worse later on

water areas and potentially leaky areas are the next big thing for me

studs n protector plates would be the final thing particularly if its in areas that are above ur waist since thats the minimum height most ppl hang/attach things to their walls...

beyond that, im not too knowledgeable so i rely on the inspector to check for other important things like if the 1st fl is bolted properly to the foundation and what nots... lol

Well to expand on the distrust of IP, just look at the design process.  You pick your cabinets before your counter tops.  What they don't tell you off the bat is that if you purchase optional cabinets, that price is not include counter tops.  Yes if you did your research, you'd know this.  But let's be realistic here...the average home buyer which definitely make up the majority are not going to do extensive research.  They are going to trust the "design team" to help them.

So about inspections.  I asked 10 times about getting home inspector for pre-drywall aka dusty shoe inspection.  Everytime they discouraged me the stated they have their own 3rd party inspector come in and do an inspection.  I asked if I can get a copy of the report and the said no, it's against policy.  So if I don't get a copy of the report, what makes me want to trust your 3rd party inspector?  They said the city does an inspection too.  I asked if I get a copy of that report too?  They said no, they do not provide that to the customer.  So there are all these inspections done with no access to any of the reports.  TIC owns 91% of the city, you think they don't have a few inspectors in their back pockets who'll look the other way?

You're not going to win a lawsuit against a company that large, unless you have a lot of money to fight it.  So might as well throw a hissy fit before your house is built instead of a hissy fit and a losing battle after it's built, they have their money and could give 2 $h!ts about you.

thedude111222 said:

It's very likely that at the time of your walkthrough, the house won't be completely at the pre-drywall stage.  when we went on ours, the guide pointed out that the next step was to make sure all the studs were aligned properly and shave/fill to create close to straight walls.  Also, insulation wasn't quite done at that point. 

I don't have the massive distrust that all of you guys seem to have of Irvine Pacific..I trust that they'll build things to proper codes not give me a half-assed product.  End of the day, these are tract homes, and the construction workers have probably built dozens of the same exact unit before they built yours, so they probably know what they are doing.  I think if this were a one off custom designed and built estate with architectural features and custom electrical work for high end theatres and media rooms, then you should really worry about a full predrywall inspection.

I treated this walkthrough as a educational experience, learn about what went into building my home and know where important things will be behind my walls (main drainage pipes, how the water and gas lines were routed, and things like that) more than likely you'll stop trying to take pictures half way through, and then forget the rest of what they tell you 20 minutes after.

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well i think most ppl mistrust IP is because they start with high expectations... it takes 2 to tango so its sometimes the buyers fault and sometimes IP's fault... the buyer thinks he/she is coughing up lots of money so they expect more but they dont realize or are in denial that much of that is going into the premium just to be in california and not the house... IP is at fault too for setting expectations they cannot fulfill like making buyers feel the home is fully customization (which isnt true) and/or not fully telling ppl at the design center that alignment maybe "a little off" in areas for certain upgrades... if i was IP i would tell them the nature of the construction business is that in order for things to be perfectly aligned or done at 100% to code, someone needs to be out in the yard with the contractors while they are building 24/7 dictating every minor aspect... so its a communication issue between IP and buyers... if i didnt understand some qualms that builders have to go through, i would probably be just as pissed and even more mistrustful towards IP ... its also not just directed towards IP, but ANY builder in this business that doesnt communicate well with their customers... dont get me wrong, i like IP and their products, but the whole buying experience thus far has been full of misdirected expections...

the attitude of the sales office is so disappointing. misleading, dishonest and full of crap (of course, that's after u signed yr documents).

if i were IP, i would welcome the third party inspection. isn't the work of the inspector going to benefit IP more because the fix b4 drywall is so much cheaper and easier ? and it's paid by the buyer!

broda said:

Well to expand on the distrust of IP, just look at the design process.  You pick your cabinets before your counter tops.  What they don't tell you off the bat is that if you purchase optional cabinets, that price is not include counter tops.  Yes if you did your research, you'd know this.  But let's be realistic here...the average home buyer which definitely make up the majority are not going to do extensive research.  They are going to trust the "design team" to help them.
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You're not going to win a lawsuit against a company that large, unless you have a lot of money to fight it.  So might as well throw a hissy fit before your house is built instead of a hissy fit and a losing battle after it's built, they have their money and could give 2 $h!ts about you.

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Thats like buying a car, getting the wheel upgrade and expecting it come with upgraded tires as well just because the go on top of the wheels...I'm not sure where all you guys have bought, but our process where we did has been smooth...might just be luck fo the draw getting a designer who actually had decent taste and never tried to upsell IP upgrades.  In fact on several occasions when we were debating whether or not to add an upgrade, the designer told us that she felt it was overpriced and changing it out afterwards might be a better option.  Even the guy who led us through the framing walkthrough gave us contacts for plumbers who have installed water softeners and reverse osmosis systems in the neighborhood for a fraction of the cost of IP's upgrades.  Also, when we originally opted for j-boxes for fan prewiring, we indicated one location which as it turns out would have been less than optimal...before doing the work, the electrician notified the design center, explained why the other location was better and had them double check with us before installing the j-box...I'm fairly certain that a lot of builders would have just installed per the original directions and blamed the buyer for picking that location when all was said and done.  And as far as fit and finish...most of the IP homes I've been have felt considerably upscale, even if they technically didn't use the best materials...I've been in several new construction homes built by reputable home builders and routinely notice switches that aren't connected, electical outlets and switchboxes that are crooked, hell I've even seen electical outlets placed 6 inches away from a bathtub about 4 feet off the ground in a bathroom that is meant for kids...

Also, IP has no incentive to build shoddy houses. As long as Irvine still has land to build, IP is going to be the builder on the majority of those projects...meaning they want higher resale values of their homes to push the market higher for new construction.  I'm not an IP fanboy, and I'll always be one of the first to criticize their lack of creativity and their artificially inflated prices...but I just can't say that I've ever felt mislead or cheated at any stage of the process so far as it relates to my individual house. 

sentosa said:

the attitude of the sales office is so disappointing. misleading, dishonest and full of craps (of course, that's after u sign yr documents).

if i were IP, i would welcome the third party inspection. isn't the work of the inspector going to benefit IP more because the fix b4 drywall is so much cheaper and easier ? and it's paid by the buyer!

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My favorite statement by the sales rep...your inspector is going to purposely find anything wrong just so you feel like you are getting your moneys worth.  Yes...that is exactly what I hope they do.

thedude111222 said:

Also, IP has no incentive to build shoddy houses. As long as Irvine still has land to build, IP is going to be the builder on the majority of those projects...meaning they want higher resale values of their homes to push the market higher for new construction.  I'm not an IP fanboy, and I'll always be one of the first to criticize their lack of creativity and their artificially inflated prices...but I just can't say that I've ever felt mislead or cheated at any stage of the process so far as it relates to my individual house.

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I think you're blowing this out of proportion.  We aren't saying they are building houses out of toothpicks and selling it as a luxury home.  But if you're spending 700, 800, 900K on a home, and they constantly toot how customized your home is.  You'd expect the sales staff, design staff, etc to be more accommodating than they are.  Yes it sounds like you've had an amazing experience with no issues, but that's not to say that many have not had the same experience.

If you have read through the numerous posts through the forums, many instances where IP as the builder failed to make the proper checks on simple items and tried to write it off as nothing.  They have been nothing but inconsistent with their buyers.  Many have been told they cannot have a pre-drywall inspection where it seems now they are allowing it.  Maybe after the number of people have complained who didn't get it. 

To go back on your car analogy...what if when you're buying that car...they said you're allowed to pick out your wheels and steering wheel on this day, but you have to come back 2 weeks later to pick out your stereo and seats.  By the way, you can't install your seats unless you buy the frame option.  which you will choose in 4 weeks.  And that's going to cost you an extra 2000.  Sorry, can't go back and remove your seats because you already locked it in and they ordered it. 

The whole point of the complaints from people in this forum...unless you have done your research, IP is not fully disclosing everything.  If I had your experience I'd be more than excited too, but the truth is it's better for everyone if we post our horror stories here so people in the future can learn from this. Know what to ask, know what to look for and be an educated buyer. 

You can start a separate I love IP thread and talk about all the good times if it makes you happy.

lol i actually like IP even taking into consideration of pricing...

its just i have enough on my plate and these small things could easily be avoidable... home buying is already stressful as it is, and these small things just add on to the stress...

world chaos said:

lol i actually like IP even taking into consideration of pricing...

its just i have enough on my plate and these small things could easily be avoidable... home buying is already stressful as it is, and these small things just add on to the stress...

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HAHA...I have nothing against them in particular.  All builders will be this way.