Yes. A brand-new home in Texas should be inspected by an inspector you hire and pay, ideally three times: before drywall, at the builder's walkthrough, and again before the one-year warranty expires. Municipal code inspections are not a substitute — they check code minimums, not workmanship or completeness.
The most common objection we hear is that the city already inspected it. That is true and it is beside the point. A new construction home inspection in Texas answers a different question than a code inspection does. The city asks whether the framing, electrical, and plumbing meet the adopted minimum code. Your inspector asks whether the house was actually finished correctly — and at The Agency Dallas we have yet to see a new construction home inspection in Texas come back with nothing on it.
What does a city inspector actually check?
Municipal inspectors in DFW jurisdictions perform staged checks — foundation, framing, rough-in mechanical and electrical and plumbing, insulation, and final — against the code the city has adopted. Those inspections are real and they matter. But understand their limits:
- They verify minimum code compliance, not quality, and not the builder's own specification.
- They are fast. A code inspector may be on site for a fraction of the time a private inspector will spend.
- They do not test appliance operation, HVAC performance under load, drainage away from the slab, or whether your selections were installed as ordered.
- They have no obligation to you. Their client is the jurisdiction.
Passing final inspection means the home may legally be occupied. It does not mean the home is finished well.
When should you inspect a new build?
Three points, and the first one is the one buyers skip.
- Pre-drywall (frame-stage) inspection. Once framing, wiring, ductwork, and plumbing are in but before insulation and sheetrock go up, everything structural is still visible. This is the only moment in the home's life when an inspector can see cut or notched framing members, missing straps, plumbing penetrations, duct runs, and firewall separations without opening a wall. Problems found here are cheap to fix. The same problems found in year three are not.
- Pre-closing (builder walkthrough) inspection. Schedule your own inspector before or alongside the builder's orientation walk. This covers the finished systems, grading and drainage, roof and flashing, windows and seals, HVAC balance, GFCI and AFCI protection, and the punch list of cosmetic and functional defects. Bring the report to the walkthrough rather than relying on painter's tape and memory.
- Eleven-month warranty inspection. Most builder warranties provide one year of workmanship coverage. Have the home reinspected at roughly month eleven, while that coverage is live. A Texas slab and a Texas summer will have moved the house by then, and settlement cracking, sticking doors, drainage failures, and grout separation show up in year one far more often than buyers expect.
What do inspectors most often find in DFW new construction?
Patterns we see repeatedly across North Texas builds:
- Negative grading — soil sloped toward the slab instead of away from it
- Missing or improperly installed attic insulation at eaves and above garages
- HVAC ducts disconnected, crushed, or delivering badly unbalanced airflow room to room
- Flashing gaps at roof-to-wall intersections and around chimneys
- Missing GFCI or AFCI protection on required circuits
- Framing members cut or notched by trades running plumbing or ductwork
- Windows that are not sealed or not operable
- Selections installed that do not match the signed design-center order
None of these are exotic. All of them are cheaper to correct while the builder is still on site and the warranty is fresh.
Who pays for a new construction inspection in Texas?
You do. A private inspection in the DFW market is typically a few hundred dollars per visit, and a three-visit schedule is a modest fraction of one percent of the purchase price on most new homes. Builders do not pay for it, and they are not required to allow it — which is exactly why the right to inspect belongs in the contract discussion, not in an argument at the job site. We cover that and the other clauses worth reading in what to know before signing a builder contract in Texas.
Does the builder have to fix what the inspection finds?
It depends on the contract and the warranty, which is why the two documents have to be read together. Broadly:
- Before closing, most builders will address items on a walkthrough punch list, and your leverage is highest here because you have not yet funded.
- In year one, workmanship items generally fall under the warranty, subject to the builder's tolerances — and those tolerances are written down. A crack the builder's standard calls acceptable is not a warranty claim, however irritating it looks.
- After year one, coverage typically narrows to systems and then to structure only.
If a defect claim goes nowhere, Texas Property Code Chapter 27 requires written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 60 days before you file suit or start arbitration, referencing Chapter 27 and describing the defect. Most contracts also route the dispute into binding arbitration. That is a slow, expensive road, and the reason we push buyers toward pre-drywall inspections is that it is far easier to avoid it than to travel it.
How do you choose a new construction inspector?
- Hire someone licensed by TREC as a real estate inspector or professional inspector, and confirm the license is current.
- Ask specifically how many pre-drywall inspections they perform per year. It is a distinct skill from resale inspection.
- Ask whether the report includes photographs keyed to locations. Builders act faster on documented, located defects.
- Ask whether they will attend the builder walkthrough with you.
- Do not use an inspector the builder recommends. Use one you selected.
If the new home is an investment rather than a residence, the inspection schedule feeds directly into your carrying-cost math. We work through that in how property taxes and insurance affect rental returns in Texas and short-term versus long-term rental in Dallas.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a home inspection on new construction in Texas?
Yes. City inspections confirm minimum code compliance only. An inspector you hire evaluates workmanship, completeness, and system performance, and reports to you rather than to the jurisdiction.
When is the best time to inspect a new build?
Three times: pre-drywall while framing and mechanicals are exposed, again before closing alongside the builder's walkthrough, and once more at about month eleven while the first-year workmanship warranty is still in force.
Can a builder refuse to let me bring an inspector?
Some try, and contract language varies. Raise the right to inspect before you sign rather than after. Access at pre-drywall stage in particular is worth confirming in writing.
How much does a new construction inspection cost in DFW?
Typically a few hundred dollars per visit, with a full three-visit schedule still amounting to a small fraction of one percent of the purchase price on most new homes in the market.
Does a passed city inspection mean the house has no problems?
No. It means the home meets the jurisdiction's adopted minimum code and may legally be occupied. It is not a statement about quality, finish, or whether your selections were installed correctly.
What is the eleven-month inspection?
A reinspection performed near the end of the typical one-year workmanship warranty, so that settlement, drainage, and finish defects that emerge during the first Texas summer and winter can be submitted while coverage is still active.
How does The Agency Dallas handle a new construction home inspection in Texas?
The Agency Dallas builds the three-visit new construction home inspection in Texas schedule into the transaction timeline from the start, confirms inspection access in writing before the contract is signed, and carries each report into the builder walkthrough and the eleven-month warranty submission.
