$2.5M New Build Inspection Finds A Kicked In Door, Loose Window Trim And Short Roof Flashing, And The Inspector Says For That Price He Expects It Fixed

A brand new house with a $2.5M price tag should hand buyers the keys and a clean slate. When home inspector @constructioncheckhq walked through one, the first thing he spotted was a front door that looked unfinished, even though it was supposedly done.

A close-up of a black coat hook with a camera caption on the left, and a new house under construction with exposed wooden framing at sunset on the right, illustrating a new build inspection that finds door, trim and flashing problems.

It was not unfinished at all. According to the inspector, the door had simply been kicked in. “Wonder what all they stole that they hid,” he quips as he starts the walk-through.

@constructioncheckhq

“For 2.5 Mil, I’d Expect That To Be Fixed” Says The Inspector About Unfinished Trim Work

Inside, the inspector points to the electrical panel, the hardwood flooring and the tile. He says there are still several pin nails that were never finished and sealed.

He is the first to admit it is small stuff. “Yes, that’s minor, but for 2.5 mil, I’d expect that to be fixed,” he says.

That line is the heart of the whole video. Nobody expects a custom home to be flawless, but at this price, tiny finishing steps are the least a buyer should get.

Roof Flashing Comes Up Short Of The Four Inch Minimum On This New Build

Then he moves to something that matters a lot more than a nail hole. The flashing details on the roof are short, he says, and they should extend a minimum of 4 inches past the sidewall.

He holds up a good example of what knockout flashing should look like when it is done right. Flashing is the thin metal that steers water away from the spots where a roof meets a wall, so when it comes up short, rain has a path toward the framing.

He also explains the difference between a proper install and a bad one, and he uses the term “kick out” for the piece that sends water away from the wall and into the gutter. Here, he says, the flashing does not measure up.

Metal Window Trim Is Loose Because The Material Never Stuck

The metal trim around the windows is loose, according to the inspector. He says the material they used did not quite adhere to the metal.

Trim like that is not only about looks. Window trim and the seals around it are part of how a house keeps water and drafts out, so loose pieces are worth fixing before anyone moves in.

Why New Construction Still Needs Its Own Inspection

Plenty of buyers assume that a new house has already been checked by the city, so a private inspection feels like a waste of money. This video is a handy reminder of why many buyers hire one anyway.

Local building officials do inspect new homes at set stages, but their visits are about meeting code at that moment. A private inspector works for the buyer and goes through the finished house looking for the kind of workmanship problems that show up in this story.

Builders also have crews rushing to finish a dozen different jobs at once. Things like unsealed nail holes, missed caulk and short flashing slip through when trades are in a hurry.

What To Do Before You Close On A Brand New House

Hire an independent inspector of your own, and do not rely only on the builder’s checks.
Ask the inspector to look at the roof flashing and the exterior trim, since water problems often start there.
Do a slow walk-through of your own, with a notepad, before closing day.
Put every item, even the small ones like pin nails, on a written list, often called a punch list, and ask for a date by which each one will be fixed.
Take photos of everything so there is a record if the work is disputed later.

Most builders offer some kind of warranty on workmanship, though the length and terms vary by contract. Read yours before closing so you know what is covered and how to file a claim.

Think about how a buyer feels at closing on a house this expensive. They have signed stacks of papers and handed over a fortune, and the last thing they want is a second job chasing contractors for loose trim.

That is why the order of operations matters. Problems found before closing are the builder’s to fix. Problems found a year later can turn into back-and-forth about who is responsible, and water damage from short flashing does not wait for the paperwork.

The inspector also shows how a trained eye works. He moves room by room, compares what he sees to what a correct install looks like, and keeps a running tally. Anyone can copy that habit on a walk-through: look at the edges, the corners, the places where one material meets another.

Small Flaws Add Up When The Price Is This High

The inspector is not calling the house a disaster. His point is that each item is fixable and that the price sets the bar. A buyer paying $2.5M has every right to expect the door to be intact, the trim to be tight and the roof details to be done correctly.

The caption asks the question many viewers will have in mind: would you buy this house? The better question may be whether you would buy it before the builder fixes the list.

If you are shopping for a new build, treat the inspection as part of the price of doing business. A few hundred dollars for a careful look can save a lot of money, and a lot of arguments, down the road.

Willow and Hearth