Four-Way Inspection | 12 Step of Building a Home
Happy May everybody! This month we’re covering one of the most exciting steps of building a home. Have we already said that every month? Probably, but this time we really mean it. Today we’re going to give you an overview of what happens during a 4-way inspection. Be sure to tune into our Instagram all month to learn more about this ultra-important and landmark home inspection.
THE BASICS
A 4-way inspection must happen before insulation and sheetrock can be installed. This is the time when the four most key elements of your home foundation will be thoroughly checked. Each builder and inspector is a little different in how they do things, but the major parts of the process remain the same no matter what.
THE INSPECTION
The elements of the 4 way inspection are:
Framing
HVAC
Plumbing
Electrical
It is crucial for each of these elements to be inspected thoroughly before they’re hidden behind walls. The builder, your city, and of course your designer (that’s us!), will always need to know the outcome of the 4-way inspection before additional work can be completed. Let’s quickly break down what we’re looking for from each part:
FRAMING
This includes inspecting trusses, window size and placement, and location of interior and exterior walls. A team will make sure each item fits your plans exactly. It’s so much easier to fix any issues at this stage than when sheetrock and insulation are in place.
HVAC
In case you don’t already know, HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. During the 4-way inspection, we’ll be looking to make sure all vents for these three elements are in the correct place.
PLUMBING
We’ll make sure water lines are in the correct place and will eventually match up with the sinks, tubs, and washing machines you plan to furnish your house with once it’s done. Of course, things like faucets or shower heads won’t be in place yet, but we want to make sure the pipes lead to the correct places.
ELECTRICAL
Every bit of wiring in your home will be intensely checked during the 4-way inspection. This is the time to make sure you have all of your outlets correctly planned out, tv hookups in the right places, etc.
This definitely isn’t the most glamorous stage of building a home, but it is exciting because it means your home is finally starting to come to life! Once your home has passed inspection it’s ready for insulation and sheet rock and that just means you’re one step closer to moving in.
Next month we’ll get into more detail about sheetrock!
|With love, Liz
Was this Post helpful?
Try these!
