Independent inspections at each stage of construction, while the framing, plumbing, electrical and structural connections are still visible and still the builder's responsibility to correct.
A builder's own walkthrough is not an independent evaluation, and the municipal inspection confirms code compliance rather than workmanship. A third-party phase inspection exists to serve one interest: yours. Once drywall goes up, everything behind it becomes an expensive assumption.
Pre-pour, before the slab is placed: vapor barrier, reinforcement, plumbing rough-in and form work. Pre-drywall, once framing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins are complete but still exposed. This is the highest-value phase. Final, before your walkthrough with the builder: finishes, systems operation, and the full punch list.
Missing or improperly installed roof-to-wall connectors, cut or over-notched structural members, plumbing lines without proper support or slope, HVAC condensate runs that will not drain, electrical terminations left loose, missing fire blocking, and stucco lath and flashing details that will leak later. On production housing in fast-growing markets like Port St. Lucie and Westlake, these are not rare.