About those NRS inspections

As many of y’all know - It is not uncommon for some Realtors to suggest to their buyer client that a brand new home really doesn’t require the NRS inspection - because “it’s brand new, and the builder is providing a 1-year warranty anyway”.
SEE PHOTO. Yesterday’s NRS insp. Exhaust flue was never attached to the gas-fired furnace (located in the unvented crawlspace). Would this awesome family of 5 have lived until their 1-year warranty inspection? Maybe. Just sayin.detached flue

Good catch Mark, bet that client is glad they didn’t take the agents advice to waive the inspection.

I get the same thing here. Our market has a lack of resale inventory, so new construction sales are busy. I’ve done several 11-month inspections for neighbors of people who had me do an inspection when new and at 11-months. They always say they just didn’t think they needed an inspection, but the neighbors are all finding problems so they figured they should get someone to look at it. With the way social media is, I’m honestly surprised that the word isn’t out that not getting an inspection is just not a wise move.

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What’s NRS?

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New Residential Structure. Here in VA, HIs must have the the DPOR certified NRS license to inspect a new home. It is illegal to inspect a new home without the NRS license. Includes a home of any age that has not been previously occupied.

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Where are you located Brent?

Near Boise, ID.

The RE market is pretty much the same here. More newly constructed homes than existing. Most older homes only last a day on the market before they are under contract…

Yessir. What the civilians (non-superheroes) don’t realize is - on any given day, the price of their home inspection can be justified in a single moment.
Some day, when I have more time, I will describe the 1-year warranty inspection with a bathtub that had been draining into the crawlspace for 10 months. :flushed:

Home inspection is 50% education - carry that a bit further and educate the Real Estate Agent AND the agents broker. Their advising AGAINST an inspection could really come back and bite them! Can you imagine; “Honest your honor, I did not think an inspection is needed for a never occupied home. I am really sorry their child died from carbon monoxide poisoning”.

I had the same… a water heater gas exhaust vent pipe was never connected to the extension in the attic, to exit out the roof. The super had given the buyer a hard time, telling her paying for a home inspection was a waste of money because they have already checked everything. I had one last week… I flipped a light switch and the switch ‘popped’ and you could hear the short sizzling behind the switch. I ran outside and flipped the breaker off. The ‘what ifs’ are scary. (the same house had a defective Ecobee thermostat… didn’t have an option for heat). Odd/rare… but the first time the temps drop is not when you want to find that out.

Effective July 1, 2017, home inspections of NEW Residential Structures (NRS) should be performed only by licensed home inspectors with the NRS specialty designation. In order to obtain the NRS specialty, the licensed home inspector must first complete an 8-hour, Board-approved NRS training module on the Virginia Residential Code, and then apply to the Board to add the specialty to the license.