Pre-Drywall Inspections
Last Chance to See Inside the Walls
Building a new home gives you an opportunity that most buyers never get: the chance to see what’s inside your walls before everything gets covered up.
Pre-drywall inspections are the only time during construction when framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC rough-ins, fireblocking, and other details are all visible and accessible at the same time. Once drywall goes up, that window closes — and anything we couldn’t see becomes your problem to find later.
We inspect new construction the same way we inspect any home: as though we were the ones moving in.
Why a Municipal Inspection Isn't Enough
Building officials perform an important function. They’re checking for minimum building standards and code compliance, and they’re doing it across a lot of job sites at once.
We’re focused entirely on your home.
Pre-drywall inspections are the best time to catch concerns like framing issues, improperly installed house wrap, missing flashing, HVAC shortcuts, and more. These are the kind of things that can get buried, and may not show up again until there’s a much bigger problem.
What We Evaluate During Pre-Drywall Inspections
We evaluate all visible and accessible components, including:
- Structural Framing: Floor, wall, and roof framing; beams, headers, and support members; structural connectors
- Plumbing Rough-Ins: Pipe routing, support, and visible installation quality
- Electrical Rough-Ins: Wiring, panel location, box placement, and general workmanship
- HVAC Rough-Ins: Ductwork routing, venting, and equipment placement
- Fireblocking and Draftstopping: Frequently missed during construction — and hard to address once the walls are closed
- House Wrap and Moisture Management: Installation quality, laps, and sealing around penetrations
- Roof and Attic Framing: Truss condition, blocking, and general workmanship
- Foundation & Slab: Visible foundation conditions and slab penetrations where accessible
- General Construction Quality: Workmanship concerns and anything that warrants documentation before the walls close
Every home is at a slightly different stage when we arrive. We inspect and document everything visible and accessible at the time of the inspection.
What A Pre-Drywall Inspection Is Not
This is not a code-compliance inspection and does not replace the inspections performed by your municipality or your builder.
Utilities are typically not active at this stage, and many systems won’t be operational yet. What we provide is an independent visual inspection — documented, photo-supported, and focused on what can be observed before the walls are closed.
When to Schedule
The window is short. You want us there after framing, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC rough-ins are complete — but before insulation and drywall go in.
Builders move fast through this phase. The moment your builder gives you a projected drywall date, call us. We’ll work around the build schedule.
What You Get
After the inspection, you’ll receive a clear, photo-documented cloud-based report — organized by system and easy to share directly with your builder. The same thorough report format we use for every inspection.
Serving Lebanon, Berks, Lancaster, Dauphin, Schuylkill, and Lehigh Counties
Chestnut Property Inspections is a veteran-owned home inspection company based in Lebanon County, PA. We serve buyers building new homes throughout Central Pennsylvania — including Hershey, Palmyra, Lititz, Lancaster, Wyomissing, Sinking Spring, Harrisburg, Pottsville, and Allentown.
Schedule Your Pre-Drywall Inspection
Schedule your pre-drywall inspections with Chestnut — serving Lebanon, Lancaster, Berks, and Dauphin counties.
Call or text (717) 745-5545 or schedule online using the button below. Don’t wait — once drywall is up, that’s it.
You Will Get a Detailed Inspection Report
Before you leave the inspection, we’ll walk you through what we found — on-site, in plain language, with your questions answered on the spot. Before the end of the day, you’ll receive your full interactive digital report with high-resolution photos, video clips, and clearly written explanations of every defect: what it is, why it matters, and what to do about it.
After your pre-drywall inspections, you won’t wait days for your report. We back this up with our Same-Day Report Guarantee — if your report isn’t delivered on the day of inspection, we’ll refund you $100.
Your report is yours to keep for as long as you own the home. Questions during negotiations, after closing, or years down the road — we’re always available. Call us anytime.
Our Service Area
We serve Allentown, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, Pottstown, Reading, York, and their surrounding areas in Central Pennsylvania. Contact us with questions or service outside these areas.
Additional fees apply to properties over an hour away, over 100 years old, or over 2,000 square feet.
