01
Can I bring my own inspector to a new build, or do I have to use the builder's?
Paragraph 7A of the TREC contract lets the buyer have the property inspected by inspectors the buyer selects. The inspector must be licensed by TREC, or otherwise permitted by law. The seller permits the buyer and the buyer's agents access at reasonable times. The seller also pays to turn existing utilities on, and to keep them on while the contract is in effect.
What a strong answer sounds like
A good answer points at the license. Texas Occupations Code Section 1102.103 says a person may not act as a professional inspector for a buyer or seller without a professional inspector license. A buyer should hear the inspector's name and license before the visit.
Red flag
Treating the builder's own walk through as the buyer's inspection is the behavior to watch. Section 1102.001(9) describes a real estate inspection as a written or oral opinion on the condition of the improvements. A buyer who skips it holds no such opinion, whatever the site file says.
02
Should I pay for a pre drywall inspection before the walls close up?
The Texas standards tie an inspection to what can be seen. Section 535.227(c) requires the inspector to visually inspect accessible systems or components from near proximity, and from inside the attic and crawl spaces. Section 535.227(d) says the inspector is not required to inspect the cause or effect of deficiencies. A component behind finished drywall sits outside an inspection built on access.
What a strong answer sounds like
A good answer is about timing, not about building practice. The buyer decides whether to look while the systems are still open to view. One question settles it: which systems can be seen now that cannot be seen after drywall? The answer should be a list, not a verdict.
Red flag
A flat answer that the inspection happens at the end closes off the choice. Section 535.227(d) says an inspection does not require any method employing destructive testing. So nobody is required to open a finished wall later to check what it covers.
03
What does an inspection before closing give a new build buyer?
Paragraph 7D of the TREC contract keeps the buyer's options open. Agreeing to accept a property as is does not stop the buyer inspecting under Paragraph 7A. The same paragraph preserves the right to negotiate repairs in a later amendment, and the right to terminate during the option period. So an inspection before closing creates a written record while the option period is still running.
What a strong answer sounds like
A good answer names the document. The Texas Real Estate Commission report form is the Property Inspection Report, REI 7-6, effective 1 February 2022. A buyer gets a standard form, not a letter on an inspector's stationery. Ask for the form number before paying.
Red flag
Anything offered as a substitute for the buyer's own report is the behavior to watch. Section 535.227(f)(2) requires an inspector who departs from a required inspection to tell the client at the earliest practical opportunity, and to note the reason on the report. A gap left unexplained is the thing to ask about.
04
Is an 11 month warranty inspection worth paying for?
An inspection is a snapshot, not a forecast. Section 535.227(d) of the TREC standards says the inspector is not required to anticipate future events or conditions. So an inspection late in the first year is worth paying for as a dated record of the condition on that date. What a builder's paperwork promises is a separate question, and the answer sits in that paperwork.
What a strong answer sounds like
A good answer describes the output. Texas Occupations Code Section 1102.001(9) frames an inspection as a written or oral opinion on the condition of the improvements. A buyer should hear where the report goes and who gets a copy. Then compare it line by line against the report from before closing.
Red flag
Promising that an inspection will trigger a repair is the claim to question. Section 535.227(d) does not even require the inspector to look at wear and tear from ordinary use. A report is evidence, not a decision by anyone.
05
How do I get the plumbing tested instead of just looked at?
Hydrostatic testing sits outside the standard inspection. Paragraph 7A of the TREC contract says hydrostatic testing must be separately authorized by the seller in writing. The TREC standards add that an inspection does not require specialized equipment, or any method employing destructive testing. So a plumbing test happens because somebody asked for it and got written permission.
What a strong answer sounds like
A good answer is a sequence, not a promise. The request goes to the seller. The written authorization comes back. The test gets scheduled while the option period is still running. A buyer should hear who asks, in what form, and by when.
Red flag
A verbal yes from a site office is the weak point here, because Paragraph 7A calls for separate written authorization from the seller. If the answer is that plumbing always gets tested, ask which Texas standard requires it.
06
Does a standard inspection cover the sprinklers, the pool and the well?
Section 535.233(a) of the TREC standards puts a whole list outside the required inspection. Landscape irrigation systems, swimming pools, spas and hot tubs, outbuildings, private water wells, private sewage disposal systems and other built in appliances are not required. The standards apply to one of them only if the inspector agrees to inspect it.
What a strong answer sounds like
A good answer is a written scope. In Central Texas heat, a buyer who wants the landscape irrigation system checked has to add it. Section 535.227(d) also leaves out environmental hazards, mold, mildew, lead based paint and pests. An inspection does not require environmental testing, so each add on gets named before the visit.
Red flag
A quoted price with no scope attached is the gap to close. The standards do not prohibit an inspector from a higher level of performance, or from inspecting components beyond the list, provided the inspector has the competency. So the first question is what the buyer's own inspector already includes.
07
Who signs off on the septic system and the well, if not my inspector?
Williamson County's Department of Infrastructure issues on site sewage facility permits for Williamson County, outside the areas inside the City of Austin. Applications are accepted only online through My Government Online. Construction cannot begin on the facility until an Authorization to Construct is granted. That file sits with the county, not with the buyer's inspector.
What a strong answer sounds like
A good answer separates the paperwork. In Georgetown, Round Rock and Liberty Hill, where T. Kerr Property Group works, a private well owner does not register the well with the state. The driller files a State of Texas Water Well Report instead. Reports from 2003 onward sit in the Submitted Drillers Reports Database.
Red flag
Treating a government permit as a condition report is the behavior to watch. The state does not regulate private well water quality. Testing runs from about $20 for coliform and E. coli up to about $400 for a full drinking water standards analysis. There is no zoning in Georgetown's ETJ, yet the City still reviews subdivision, stormwater, utility evaluations and driveway permits.
This article is general information about the Central Texas market and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Statutes, rates, deadlines and district rules change. Confirm anything that affects a decision with a licensed attorney, a tax professional, the Williamson County Tax Assessor Collector or the Williamson Central Appraisal District before acting on it.
