Buying a new construction home feels like a safe bet. Everything is brand new, under warranty, and built to current code. Nobody has lived there before. What could possibly be wrong?
Quite a bit, as it turns out. New build inspections are some of the most eye-opening we perform. Not because builders are doing a bad job — most are not — but because building a home involves dozens of subcontractors working under tight timelines, and things get missed. The city inspector who signs off on the work is checking for code compliance, not construction quality. Those are two very different things.
Here are the five issues we find most consistently in new construction homes across Central Texas.
1 Improper Grading and Drainage
This is the most common finding on new builds in Central Texas, and it is also one of the most consequential. When a home is built, the surrounding soil gets disturbed, moved around, and compacted in ways that do not always settle the way they should. The result is grading that directs water toward the foundation instead of away from it.
On Central Texas clay soil, this matters more than almost anywhere else in the country. Clay expands when it absorbs water and contracts when it dries out. A home sitting on properly graded soil with good drainage manages that cycle well. A home where water pools against the slab after rain is already setting itself up for foundation movement within the first few years.
We see this on brand new homes regularly. The builder may have graded correctly at completion, but soil settles, landscaping gets installed, and mulch beds get built up against the foundation. By the time a buyer moves in and the first heavy rain comes, the drainage situation has already changed.
2 Incomplete or Improper Roof Flashing
Flashing is the metal material installed at roof transitions — around chimneys, skylights, vents, and where the roof meets a wall. Its job is to direct water away from penetrations and joints where two surfaces meet. When it is installed incorrectly or left incomplete, water finds its way in.
This is one of the most common findings on new builds because flashing installation requires precision and is often done by subcontractors working quickly across multiple homes. A flashing detail that looks fine from the ground can have a gap, an improper overlap, or a missing sealant application that only becomes apparent when rain hits it at the right angle.
In Central Texas, where we routinely see intense concentrated rainfall, a flashing failure on a new home can create water intrusion problems within the first year of ownership. Catching it before closing gives the builder the opportunity to correct it at no cost to you.
3 HVAC Systems That Were Installed but Not Properly Commissioned
An HVAC system that was installed correctly and an HVAC system that is working correctly are not always the same thing. In new construction, mechanical systems are often installed months before the home closes, and they may sit idle or be run intermittently during the construction process. By closing, the system has not always been fully tested, balanced, or commissioned.
Common findings include ductwork that was improperly sealed, returns that were not sized correctly for the square footage, and systems where the airflow between rooms is noticeably unbalanced — one bedroom gets great cooling while another barely feels it. We also find refrigerant levels that are low, drain lines that are not properly pitched to drain, and condensate pans that were installed but not connected.
4 Plumbing Deficiencies
New construction plumbing deficiencies range from minor to serious, and they rarely announce themselves before an inspector looks for them. The most common findings include supply line connections under sinks and at toilets that were hand-tightened during installation but never properly torqued — small drips that become water damage over months. We also find drain lines beneath slabs that were damaged during construction, water heaters that were not properly strapped or that have inadequate pressure relief valve discharge tubes, and exterior hose bibs that were installed without proper backflow prevention.
In Hays County and the surrounding growth corridor, where homes are going up fast, plumbing rough-ins sometimes get inspected and then disturbed by subsequent trades before the walls are closed. The result is connections that passed the rough-in inspection but are not in the same condition at closing.
5 Window and Door Installation Issues
Windows and doors in new construction are frequently installed correctly and then left in an unfinished state. Frames that are not properly sealed at the exterior, weatherstripping that was never adjusted after installation, and threshold gaps that allow air and water infiltration are all common findings.
We also see windows that were installed plumb and square but were never adjusted to operate correctly — sashes that do not lock because the frame has shifted slightly during the construction process, or sliding doors that jump their tracks because the rollers were never adjusted. These are finishing details that often fall through the cracks when a builder is managing dozens of homes closing in the same month.
In Central Texas, where summer heat puts HVAC systems under maximum load, a home with poorly sealed windows and doors is losing conditioned air — and money — from day one.
What to Do About It
None of these findings mean you should not buy a new build. New construction in Central Texas offers real value — newer systems, modern layouts, energy efficiency standards, and builder warranties that cover defects in workmanship for the first year. The point is to use those tools properly.
A pre-closing inspection gives you the opportunity to surface these issues before you take ownership, while the builder is still responsible for correcting them. A warranty inspection at the 10 to 11 month mark documents anything that has developed during your first year — settling, cracks, mechanical issues, drainage patterns — before the builder warranty expires.
At Skyline, we inspect new builds throughout Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, Georgetown, New Braunfels, and all of Central Texas. If you are buying a new construction home and want to know exactly what you are getting into before you close, reach out. We would love to work with you.