If you are buying new construction in New Braunfels, arrange inspection access before signing and schedule visits around construction milestones. Ask about pre-pour, pre-drywall and completed-home inspections, who receives the report, and how repairs will be documented. Leave time to review findings before your contractual decisions and closing. A new home still deserves an independent inspection plan.
My recommendation is to settle that plan while you still have choices. The wrong time to discover an access restriction is when the walls are being covered. The wrong time to organize a final inspection is after your moving truck is committed and everyone expects you to close tomorrow.
Put the inspection plan beside the construction schedule
A to-be-built home and a finished inventory home give you different opportunities. On an early-stage build, ask which milestones remain available. On a completed house, focus on what can be inspected now and which earlier records the builder can provide. An inspection today cannot recreate access that disappeared behind finished surfaces.
| Stage | Planning question | What to arrange |
|---|---|---|
| Before concrete | Is a pre-pour visit still possible? | Builder notice, approved access and the inspector’s agreed scope before the pour |
| Before wall coverings | When will framing and rough-ins be ready? | A confirmed inspection window before insulation or drywall restricts visibility |
| Completed home | Will systems be ready to inspect? | Access, operating utilities, report review and time to address findings before closing |
| After requested repairs | Which items need verification? | A written response, completion records and any separately arranged reinspection |
This is a planning sequence, not a promise that every builder offers every visit. Ask for the applicable procedures in writing. Keep the builder’s superintendent, your inspector and your agent working from the same schedule rather than three different estimates of when the home will be ready.
Ask these questions before you sign
Start with access: may your chosen inspector enter, what credentials or insurance documentation are required, how much notice is needed, and who confirms the appointment? Then ask how reports must be submitted and when the builder will respond. Have the appropriate professionals review the actual contract provisions governing inspections, completion, delays and unresolved work.
Do not assume a builder contract includes the same negotiated option period or remedies as a Texas resale contract. An inspection appointment and a contractual right to terminate are separate matters. Your agent can organize the questions; legal interpretation belongs with an attorney when needed.
For a relocation purchase, add one more question: what happens to your inspection plan if construction shifts while you are out of state? Designate who will confirm the milestone and who will receive changes. A calendar date without a readiness check can produce a visit before the work is inspectable—or after it has been covered.
Use pre-drywall access for what will become concealed
Mike McCown of Property Pulse Inspection provides a local reference in his company’s pre-drywall inspection guide. It explains why the stage matters: framing and portions of electrical, plumbing and other rough-in work are more visible before insulation and wall coverings restrict access. The guide also recommends documenting findings and following up on corrections.
Use that explanation to ask better scheduling questions, not to diagnose the house yourself. Send the inspector the builder’s expected sequence and ask what needs to be complete for a useful visit. Confirm how the builder will acknowledge findings before the next trade proceeds. If the opportunity has already passed, ask about available records and the limitations of a later inspection.
Separate the final inspection from the builder walkthrough
Property Pulse’s new-build final inspection guide treats the independent inspection as preparation for the buyer’s builder walkthrough and punch list. That is a useful distinction: the technical report and your orientation to the finished home serve different purposes. Coordinate both rather than assuming one appointment handles everything.
Ask the inspector what must be installed, accessible and operating. Ask the builder who will receive the report and how unfinished items will be handled. If a system cannot be tested, get a clear explanation of what remains unverified and what additional visit may be appropriate. A report with an untested item is not confirmation that the item works.
The Texas Real Estate Commission’s inspection standards, checked November 10, 2026, describe a limited visual examination and basic performance evaluation of a substantially completed home. They do not require investigation of concealed conditions, a guarantee of future performance, or every specialist service. Discuss the scope and any extras before booking; do not assume a sewer camera, engineering evaluation or reinspection is included.
TREC also explains in its inspector FAQs that its standards are not a requirement to inspect for compliance with every building code. A private inspection and the applicable building department’s process should not be treated as interchangeable approvals.
Turn the findings into a written decision
When the report arrives, ask the inspector which findings warrant prompt attention or specialist evaluation. Ask what was not accessible. Then create a short response list with the report reference, requested action, responsible contact and expected completion date. Keep cosmetic preferences distinguishable from technical findings so an important unresolved condition does not disappear inside a paint-touch-up list.
For example, a hypothetical report might identify an untested appliance, a door adjustment and a condition needing specialist review. Those three items need different responses: a completed test, a documented adjustment and a qualified follow-up. Counting them as three identical “repairs” does not help you decide whether the house is ready.
Have the builder’s response documented and discuss verification before closing. A written inspection finding does not, by itself, create a new repair obligation or a right to delay closing. If the proposed solution is to finish work afterward, review the actual written arrangement and its implications with your agent and, where appropriate, your attorney and lender.
Keep the relocation calendar from making the decision for you
For a New Braunfels buyer moving along the I-35 corridor, the practical risk is stacking travel, temporary housing, school arrangements and delivery dates on an uncertain completion estimate. Leave a fallback in the move plan. Ask about attending the inspector’s review remotely if you cannot be there, and keep the report and builder responses in one shared file.
Once you close, retain inspection records, repair confirmations and warranty documents. The Federal Trade Commission’s new-home warranty guidance explains that coverage and time limits vary and recommends following the written claim process and keeping correspondence. A later warranty inspection can be useful, but it is not a substitute for the information you could obtain before buying, and no inspection guarantees a claim will be accepted.
Local inspection resource: Mike McCown, Property Pulse Inspection
Mike McCown’s Property Pulse buyer resources include guidance on inspection day and reading the report. His company’s about page identifies him as a professional home inspector and lists TREC license number 26408. The business is based in New Braunfels; its published contact details were checked November 10, 2026.
- Name: Mike McCown, Property Pulse Inspection
- Phone: (830) 800-0440
- Email: PropertyPulseInspection@gmail.com
- Website: Property Pulse Inspection
- Buyer guides: Inspection-day and report-reading resources
Contact Mike directly to confirm availability, the appropriate phase, scope and a current quote for the specific home. Bring the address, builder contact, construction stage and expected closing date. Those details make a more useful starting point than asking for a generic inspection appointment.
If you are still comparing homes, use the New Braunfels new-construction guide to organize your search. Before signing, contact Cody Posey to coordinate your buying and relocation timeline with the inspection questions you need answered.