This is the second post of two about pre-drywall things you really like to see. And, these things certainly represent a best practice by any builder.
These are a few more things that were not only impressive about this new construction, but could be looked for in any pre-drywall inspection.
First, from the moment I arrived in the garage, and viewing all three floors, including a basement, the place was spic and span.
There was no debris anywhere. NO nails to step on. NOTHING for clients to trip on. Even the dust had been swept.
The guardrail and handrail constructed for both staircases was high, secure and protective. Although there are no vertical balusters, they still look like guardrails!
Clients, even clients' grandparents, could have walked safely up and down stairs.
This is not the norm.
This is terrific to see.
Often the guardrail is wobbly and I am removing debris from the stairs before my clients come up and down.
Master bathrooms always have lots to look at.
In this one two things stand out. The shower drain is not merely glued down, but bolted. And the bolts are stainless steel. They will last a long, long time.
Secondly, the seat in the master shower has its waterproof membrane as a single sheet. It is fitted properly, nailed with stainless steel nails and overlaps the bottom pan without being nailed through it!
Further, in the bathrooms there is more good to see.
There are three bath tub/shower assemblies. All of them are secured! They don't wobble! When CPVC tubing is used, not as strong as copper, it must be supported so it does not move. Often the supports are little plastic clips. Notice how the handle assembly is metal. Often they are plastic too! This is a device that in the master bathroom can be used over 800 times a year! Do you think plastic everything is going to last? Do you think wobbly is going to last? This plumber actually measured, drilled holes and fitted his tubing and clipped it after that! This is a secure installation.
Also, the master bath tub, a big one, is set on special pads, foamed to them so it is level and does not move and all the gaps are protected with metal and fire foam. These pads are best practice. They are an excellent solution to the unlevel or insecure bath tub that can crack over time.
Usually exterior doors do not have the Energy Star sticker left on them. The pink demonstrates where this door stacks up.
This door has its sticker. It is an efficient door in all 50 states.
So many times I have seen a front porch that has been hardly attached to the house. Toe nails, a few, seem to reign. This porch is secured very well, with many bolted beams at the edge. This roof is not going anywhere.
My recommendation: these few photos do not represent all things to look at on a pre-drywall inspection, by any means. But these were all found on the same house! What a lesson in best practice! I was impressed with the house, impressed with the supervisor and impressed with the builder in general. Certainly I would recommend Augustine Builders to anybody considering buying a new home.
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.
Office (703) 330-6388 Cell (703) 585-7560
I like this series of posts with an inspection where the home was built correctly. I was starting to think there wern't any in VA. :-)
We have to think how many there are anywhere Gabe!
Hi Jay,
About time builder do things the right way. Could it be it was because you were going to show up for the inspection? Or is this builder a really good one who pays attention to detail?
I was discussing yesterday with a Realtor about a pre drywall inspection and the local builders.....they will not allow any inspectors outside the local building officials.
No private inspectors allowed at all.
Have a great day in Bristow my friend.
Best, Clint McKie
Ha! They didn't know I was coming. Builders are making it harder for pre-drywall inspections around here Clint, adding layers of requirements and insurances. But this builder only wanted to know that I am bona fide.
Nice stuff. Good to hear there are some quality outfits around. I bet they are as busy as they want to be.
Sturdy and good Jim. I understand they don't have any trouble selling their homes.
Jay -- it is fantastic that you were able to blog a couple times about the quality workmanship, that shows in this home -- instead of writing for an entire week about how poorly a home was put together (as you have nearly done in the past).
That is why I started the group Best Practices, Steven. To be able to say good things is important and relavant in today's market.
Again good to see smart practices, the most important of which is the clean up and the safety railings. People just do better work in clane safe environments. It pays.
Such cleanliness is a good sign of careful work Robert. So often I am kicking stuff out of the way of the clients, including boards with nails in them.
You need to take lots of photos and teach a class in this is how you -----. then show pictures of Uncle Bob's work to show how not to do this
We inspectors do that every day here on AR, James!