Pre-Drywall Meeting Questions

April 23 - The day finally arrived for our pre-drywall meeting and Bryan was very nervous.  As we were not clear what our loan rate would be, how much we would need to bring to closing, or any other hidden fees that were coming along we had to elect to not have a professional inspection during the pre-drywall stage.  However, we tried to educate ourselves as much as possible on what to look for during this meeting.  Well, that was easier said than done!  We quickly realized that we were waaaaaaaaay out of our league...like Mighty Ducks out of their league before they got Emilo as their coach and won the championship as one of the more "believable" Cinderella stories.  (By the way, The Mighty Ducks is 21 years old this year.  Who feels old now?)

EMILIO!!!!!  Quack...quack....quack...quack

As we know how difficult it was for us to find these questions/lists of items to look for, we thought we would share them with you.  By no means would we say that this is a definitive list, but it was a good start:

1. Confirm that all electrical outlets, HVAC, light boxes, and plumbing has been installed according the specifications and has passed inspection with local code enforcement.
2. Make sure that all penetrations and door/window openings are sealed with expanding foam to prevent air infiltration.
3. Test for leaks in all show pans, tubs, and drain lines by filling them with water and allowing them to stand for at least 24 hours.
4. Double-check the wood blocking for future placement of grab bars, bath accessories, paintings, wall-mounted televisions, and other similar items.
5. Test new HVAC systems for leaks with a duct blaster test.
6. Take photos of exposed walls and ceilings for future reference.
7. Make sure the can lights are locked down to the rails; make sure that it does not move.
8. Conduct a manual J calculation to determine the heat load and the cooling load for the house.
9. Lighting and reciprocal to be near the HVAC unit.
10. Nothing combustible within one inch of the flu pipe off of HVAC unit.
11. Will Energy Star be conducting a Thermal Bypass Check?
12. Will there be a keyless light in the attic?
13. Make sure the kitchen island is drawn on the floor to be certain the electrical outlets and lights are in the correct and convenient places.
14. Check for the exterior lights on front, back, and garage.
15. Check for exterior outlets and water bibs.
16. Check for locations of outlets, thermostats, and fixtures to make sure they are in their proper place.
17. Look for walls that are not square.
18. Ask about noise level for flushing pipes from the second floor.
19. Ask about insulation for garage ceiling for bedrooms and space above garage.
20. Make sure all floors are not squeaky as this could be more of an issue with the wall than the floor.
21. Look for missing outlets, cable plugs, etc.
22. Bring your spec sheet and upgrade sheets and double check you have gotten everything that was ordered.
23. Check if HVAC tubes in the attic are straight as every sharp turn decreases pressure.
24. Take a picture of each wall in each room from multiple angles if possible.
25. Check if the house is built according to plan (ask the Project Manager to bring the blueprints).
26. Check on the pace where you plan on adding items such as a shower rack, shelf and see if these need to be added.
27. Make note of any plumbing draining clean-outs.
28. Take a picture of every electrical and cable box.
29. Do check the insulation (if already installed) for squished edges, holes, gaps, etc.
30. Make sure the insulation does not overlap onto the wall side of the studs.
31. Check that joints in heat ducts are taped properly.
32. Bring a measuring tape to check the measurements.
33. Bring a level and check floors, stair treads, etc.
34. Check for holes in the exterior walls.
35. Check that doors swing correctly and make sure light switches are not behind doors.
36. Check blocking for hanging items such as TP holders, towel racks, shelving, and cabinets.
37. Check for nail clips in front of power cords and water/drain lines.
38. Check for draft stop/fire blocking between floors.
39. Check for truss clips.
40. Make sure that all overhead light fixture boxes are properly blocked - remember, they may be supporting heavy ceiling fans and there will need to be support for them.
41. Check for defective installation in the roof including over-driven nails, nails driven at an angle, short nails, or located too high on the shingles.
42. Check to be sure that deck beams are attached with metal brackets to a 6 X 6 post.
43. Check for improper joist hanger nails or short nails.  
44. Check for masonry veneer defects - masonry veneer needs to be 2" above the roof covering.
45. Check that the high efficiency furnace and water heaters have the venting pitched so that water drains out.
46. Check that the joints for the vents from the water heater are properly glued and installed.
47. Check for all air registers and document them as carpet installers may cover the vents.
48. Check for gaps in the duct work and for crushed duct work as this reduces air flow.
49. Check the air conditioning unit (if installed) to make sure it has not tipped while settling as it will place stress on the refrigerant lines.
50. Check all flashing on the windows to be sure they are properly taped and secured.
51. Check all CSST gas lines to be sure they are properly bonded to reduce risk of fire from lightning strikes.
52. Check to make sure that smoke detectors are in their proper locations; if they are wall-mounted then they need to be at least 4" down from the ceiling.
53. Check floor joists to be sure that the plumbing has not taken chunks out.
54. Check for load points in the family room and other high traffic areas.
55. Check for additional cross members under the laundry room (if on second floor) to lessen vibration.
56. Check rafters to make sure they are attached to the walls.
57. Check attic access point to be sure it is where it needs to be/you want it.
58. Check for holes in the peaks of the roof.
59. Check for damage on doors.
60. Check for placement of Guardian keypads (if selected).
61. Check for proper toilet placement and rough ins.
62. Check for tears in exterior house wrap.
63. Check for wires that are touching metal brackets.
64. Check for microwave outlet and exterior exhaust.
65. Check to make sure sliding glass and exterior doors close and latch properly.

Much of this will be checked by the county inspector, but this person is often looking to make sure it is meeting code.  This may not mean that it is always done properly.  We hope this list helps and we thank all of the bloggers and the various websites that have helped us to be able to compile this list.