On a pre-drywall inspection I noticed this plumbing clean out location - is this thinking ahead?
This is a two-level townhouse and you are looking at the lower level full bathroom. It abuts the garage.
This will be the sink and the sink cabinet.
Here is what I pointed out.
The garage will have the thicker, fire-rated drywall and insulation will go here.
There will be drywall on the bathroom wall, and a cabinet placed for the sink.
This clean-out port needs to be accessible such that the cap can be unscrewed and a snake put in there by a plumber if necessary.
The arrangement of everything makes this clean-out location very difficult at best. The hole exposing this port will have to be large and the insulation will have to be disrupted when this accommodating hole is created. This larger, and probably uninsulated hole, will be exposed and inefficient.
Fortunately the likelihood that it will ever be needed is minimal, but still, Murphy has a way of showing up at the most inconvenient times and in the most inconvenient locations!
My recommendation: pre-drywall inspections are essential. They are certainly a buyer Best Practice. There were a number of things on this inspection that I brought to the attention of my client. And listening to the supervisor's "explanation" and "verbal dance" was eye opening. Now I know why most builders do not want the home inspector present along with the supervisor on a walk through! And I don't have farmyard boots tall enough to get me through the manure anyway, so it's probably best that I don't listen to that stuff again! I was shocked...
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 
Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.
Office (703) 330-6388 Cell (703) 585-7560
I have never seen this setup but then I am not an inspector. I never realized the importance of a pre-drywall inspection until you started posting. Thanks!
I have been doing pre-drywall inspections for about 15 years Gary. Before then they weren't considered necessary. Certainly the professionalism in the trades has deteriorated, in thinking and skill, and now such inspections are essential.
Good morning Jay,
As usual you help open our eyes to problems even in new builds.
Make yourself a great day.
Many homeowners would not know what they were looking at....and there are builders who would prefer it stayed that way.
Raymond - there weren't that many things in this house, as compared to some, but what I pointed out were important. And the supervisor's follow up was comical.
That's the truth S&D. Some builders make it impossible to do an inspection by demanding certain "criteria" that the home inspector bring (certs and such). Once a builder said I could not make any comment on structural components unless I was a licensed engineer, and no comments on electrical or plumbing unless I had state certs in those areas. What?
Jay, Pre drywall inspections should be on everyone's radar if building a home.
Ay Me Lord.
Jay, you mentioned the supervisor's "explanation and verbal dance". We recently had a discussion with one of those fellows at a new construction home and hip boots were definitely required!!
I'm going to post tomorrow about one of his comments Tom. You will be amazed.
Interesting Jay I would have never given it any thought.
Well, I see stuff like this and it makes my antenna go up James.
Jay, you could be a builder's/buyer's guru if you could only clone yourself. I know that you do some head-scratching while doing your inspections, or is it head shaking (as in back and forth)??
This might not come off right Gayle, but I have wondered why builders have not contacted me, or home inspectors like me, to work for them.