Inspectors have the power to stop the construction of your new home and send everyone away at the cost of thousands of dollars. Or at least that's the fear. Actually, inspectors are your allies in getting your home built the way you want it. The inspector's job is to make sure the house is safe and healthy for occupancy. He or she periodically visits the construction site to make sure that the residence is being built according to the plan approved by the building department. And since you, too, want it built according to those plans, the inspector is your friend. Or at least, they aren't the enemy.



As you get a building permit, ask about inspections and if possible, meet one or more of the inspectors. Find out how much advance time you need to call for an inspection and what work, if any, you can continue doing prior to the inspection. Once you schedule an inspection of a specific component, don't do any more work on that component until the inspection is done. That is, hold off installing roofing until after the inspector has inspected the sheathing installation and nailing. Also find out what happens if the inspector doesn't sign off on the inspection. What must you do before calling for a re-inspection? Who do you call? What if you dispute the inspection?

As the owner-builder, you will also deal with the lender's inspector(s). In some cases, the lender may accept the county or city building inspector's certification. Other lenders may have their own inspector visit the site. In many cases, these schedules don't coincide with building inspections.

As the lender's inspector sees that specific milestones have been reached, he or she authorizes payment of an amount specified in the draw schedule. The lender may cut the check or have an escrow officer or escrow company do it. In any case, as the owner-builder, the money may be deposited into your building account from which you can pay contractors and suppliers. So, it's important that you keep track of expenses, income from draws, and other sources and manage the cash flow. You don't want to face the day when you have a $50,000 draw and $100,000 in bills.

As your own contractor, learn to keep good records and manage a checkbook. If you have a computer, invest in one of the many excellent checking/record keeping software packages available and learn how to use it. In fact, your lender may require that you do so.

The toughest inspector at the job site may be you. You're the owner. You want to make sure that everything is done not only to code and plans, but also to your image of the finished house. Going forward without a thorough inspection can cost lots of time and money. Here are some of the most important points in the construction process to look for.

Elevation: Make sure that the site has been surveyed, excavated and graded so that the house foundation will be at the proper location and height.

Foundation: Verify that the footings and foundation forms are accurately set and of the correct size to the plan.

Rough-ins: Make sure that any required plumbing or wiring to be installed within the concrete slab or foundation walls are installed in the foundation.

Doors and windows: Check that the appropriate sizes of openings are built into the walls for doors and windows.

Utility runs: Make sure that all plumbing pipes, electrical wiring, HVAC and other utilities are installed in the walls, ceiling and floors correctly before closing up the walls.

Roof flashing: Check that the roof seal is properly installed for run-off.