It may come as a shock to residential and commercial buyers that new construction can have just as many, if not more, issues than already existing structures in Connecticut. Indeed, defective architectural designs can cause an entire building to collapse over time. A lack of planning, supervision and improper construction techniques can also cause similar types of failures.
Design defects
Inspections should start before construction at the planning stage. Every architectural design and engineering blueprints need defect inspection. This will help ensure the subsequent construction can be done correctly.
Subsurface defects
Another pre-construction item is the subsurface preparations. These inspection prior to foundation pouring to ensure that your building has a stable foundation. You do not want your home to end up on YouTube because it fell into a lake or down a hill. You may need additional subsurface and surface inspections to check for drainage issues as well. A lack of drainage can cause foundation and flooding issues too.
Material defects
In addition, make sure you have the materials inspected prior to use. This includes your finishes, like cabinets, light fixtures, fans, etc. For a residential property, if you expected fans in every room, and you get builder-grade orb lights, switching them out after construction could cost thousands. For a warehouse, ventilation and fans can be the difference between a usable or unusable warehouse. Therefore, all the materials and finishes should be inspected.
Deficient construction techniques
Finally, during construction and before each draw, the construction site and buildings need inspection periodically. This will ensure that construction techniques comply with building codes and that there has not been poor workmanship that could cause issues later.
Solutions when defects found
If your inspectors find construct defects, let your general contractor know, and they will normally fix the issue. Have the inspector verify the issue has been fixed, but be cautious about allowing another draw until all the construction defects have been corrected. If a construction contract violation occurs, you can always contact an attorney.