Questions to Ask a Builder Before Closing
Closing on a newly built house usually comes with a final walkthrough, and that visit is the best chance to get answers from the builder or the site superintendent while they are still working on your lot. The questions follow the handover in order: work that is not finished, inspections and the certificate of occupancy, the punch list, the warranty, the documents and keys you leave with, and closing day itself, including what happens if the date moves.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Unfinished work
What is still unfinished in the house today, and on what date will each item be done?
Why ask it
Ask for this as a written list with a date beside each line, not as a tour and a reassurance. A line dated after closing day needs its own signed agreement, and a line with no date at all is the one to press on.
Which unfinished items would you complete after closing, and how will that be put in writing?
Why ask it
Closing with a few items open is common enough that many builders keep a standard form for it. Ask to see that form now, check that every line on it carries a date, and ask your agent or attorney how a promise like that is normally secured where you live. A spoken 'we will take care of it' is hard to rely on once the builder has been paid.
Have all the options and change orders I paid for been installed, and can we check them against my selection sheet together?
Why ask it
Bring the signed selections and every change order and tick them off room by room: the extra outlets, the cabinet hardware, the upgraded pad under the carpet. A missed option is easiest to prove and to fix while the trades are still working on your street.
Has the lot had its final grading, and where does the water go when it rains?
Why ask it
Have the superintendent show you the slope away from the foundation, the swales between lots and where each downspout empties. If you can, come back after a heavy rain before closing and photograph any water standing against the house.
Are the utilities on permanent service, and how long have the furnace, the air conditioning and the water heater actually been running?
Why ask it
Equipment switched on the morning of your walkthrough has not been tested by anything. Ask whether the air conditioning could be run at all if it is cold outside, and how a system that could not be tried before closing gets checked later.
Which exterior work is waiting on weather or the season: sod, paint, concrete, driveway sealing?
Why ask it
Seasonal work is the most ordinary reason for a builder to finish something after closing. Get the trigger written down, for example sod within a set number of days of the ground thawing, because 'in the spring' is not a date.
Is anything on backorder, and what goes in its place if it has not arrived by closing?
Why ask it
A late range or garage door opener is sometimes swapped for a loaner or a different model. Find out whether you get to approve a substitute or the contract lets the builder choose, and whether the one you picked still gets installed when it turns up.
What outside my lot is still to come: the sidewalk, the street trees, the final layer of paving, the streetlights?
Why ask it
Work in the street is often the developer's and not the builder's, and it can trail the house by months. Get the name of whoever is responsible for each piece, and find out whether heavy trucks will keep crossing your new driveway apron until it is done.
Will the house be cleaned and the construction debris hauled off the lot before closing?
Why ask it
Look where a quick clean does not reach: paint on window glass, grout haze on tile, drywall dust in the floor registers, scraps left in the crawl space or buried at the edge of the yard. Ask whether the furnace filter is replaced after the dusty work ends.
Inspections
Has the certificate of occupancy been issued, and if not, what is it waiting on?
Why ask it
The name of the document and the rules around it change from one municipality to the next, so ask what yours requires before anyone may move in and before your lender will fund. A temporary certificate normally comes with conditions: ask to see them and who is clearing each one.
Which final inspections has the house passed, and can I have copies of the sign-offs?
Why ask it
Go through them by trade: building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and anything local such as energy or fire. A failed inspection that later passed is ordinary on a building site, so ask what failed and how it was put right, especially if the repair is now behind drywall.
Did anything have to be torn out or redone during the build, such as a leak, a cracked slab or framing that sat wet?
Why ask it
You are not looking for a build with no mistakes, only for mistakes that were caught and corrected. For any water event, ask how the area was dried and whether anyone looked at it before insulation and drywall closed it in. Staining or swollen edges on the subfloor of an unfinished basement or attic are worth pointing at while you ask.
Are any permits still open on this address?
Why ask it
An open permit tends to surface years later, when you sell or apply for one of your own. Ask the builder, then look it up yourself, since many permit offices show status by address online or over the phone.
May my own inspector go through the house before closing, and how much notice do you need?
Why ask it
Raise it early, because some builders ask for the inspector's insurance certificate or allow outside inspectors only in a set window. Then book around the builder's repair lead time: a report needs days, not hours, to turn into finished work.
Will you answer my inspector's report in writing, item by item?
Why ask it
A written reply sorts the report into what will be fixed, what will not, and why. Read the 'will not fix' lines most closely: they show where the builder's standard and your inspector's part ways, and they are the ones to take back to the inspector.
If my lender sends someone for a completion inspection, who lets them in, and will the house be finished by that date?
Why ask it
Many loans on a new house call for a completion check before the money is released, and the house has to be finished and open on the day it happens. Your loan officer can tell you what theirs requires. Pass that date to the superintendent yourself, since the lender and the builder do not always talk to each other.
Punch list
How long do we have for the final walkthrough, and who from your side will be there?
Why ask it
You want the person who can order a repair, usually the superintendent, and not only a sales or orientation rep. If the slot is an hour and the house has four bedrooms, ask for a longer one or a second visit before the day arrives.
Is this walkthrough a demonstration of the house or an inspection of it, or is there a separate visit for each?
Why ask it
An orientation that covers the thermostat, the breaker panel and the shutoffs leaves little time for looking at walls. If there is only one visit, split the work yourselves: one of you listens to the demonstration while the other checks surfaces and opens every door.
Who writes the punch list, and do I leave with a copy?
Why ask it
Read each line back before anyone signs. 'Touch up paint, primary bedroom' and 'repaint north wall of primary bedroom, roller marks' will get two different repairs. Photograph the list, and photograph every item on it with a strip of painter's tape beside the flaw.
What does my signature on the walkthrough form mean: that I accept the house, or only that I agree this is the list?
Why ask it
Get a blank copy ahead of time and read the wording above the signature line. If it says you accept the home as complete, ask your agent or attorney what that does to anything you find later, before you are standing in the kitchen with a pen.
When will each punch list item be fixed, and will all of it be done before closing?
Why ask it
Ask for a date per item instead of one date for the lot, since a paint touch-up and a cracked counter are on very different clocks. The items that need a part ordered are the ones likely to run past closing, so name them now.
Who signs off that an item is finished: you, me, or both of us?
Why ask it
A line can get marked complete on the trade's word, with nobody having looked. Ask for a space to initial each item yourself, and settle now what happens when you and the superintendent disagree about whether it is fixed.
Will there be a second walkthrough to confirm the repairs before I sign anything at closing?
Why ask it
Without one you close on a promise. Ask for it a day or two before closing, bring the original list and your photos, and check every line yourself, including the repairs that may have scuffed something else on the way in.
Which kinds of damage have to be reported at the walkthrough or they are treated as mine?
Why ask it
Scratched floors, chipped counters, dented appliances, torn screens and cracked glass are commonly excluded once you take possession, because nobody can show who did it. Get their list, then look at exactly those surfaces in daylight with the lights off and again with them on.
If something on the list is still not fixed on closing day, what are my choices?
Why ask it
People talk about moving the closing, signing an agreement with dates, or holding money back until the work is done. Whether any of these is open to you depends on your contract, your lender and local practice. Ask what the builder has done for other buyers, then check the answer with your agent or attorney.
How do I report something I notice between the walkthrough and closing day?
Why ask it
Trades keep coming and going after the list is written, and new dings come with them. Ask for one email address and send dated photos to it, so the item is on record before the keys change hands.
Warranty
On what date does each warranty start: closing, the certificate of occupancy, or the day I move in?
Why ask it
Every later deadline is counted from this day, so write the calendar date on the front of the warranty booklet. Ask as well whether the appliances and equipment run on the manufacturer's clock, which may have started when they were installed.
What is covered and for how long, broken out by workmanship, systems and structure?
Why ask it
Ask for the booklet now and read the exclusions before the coverage. If an outside warranty company backs part of it, find out which part, from what date, and whether a claim on that part goes to the builder or to them.
How do I file a warranty claim, and what counts as proof that I filed it?
Why ask it
A phone call to a superintendent who has since moved to another community may not count as notice. Ask what the warranty document says about written notice and where it has to be sent, and keep a dated copy of everything.
What counts as an emergency, and who do I call at two in the morning?
Why ask it
Builders usually mean no heat in freezing weather, a burst pipe, a sewer backup or a complete loss of power. Get the after-hours number, and ask whether calling the plumber or the heating company directly is allowed and who pays if you do.
How quickly do you respond to a claim that is not an emergency, and who does the repair?
Why ask it
Ask for their target in working days, and whether the original subcontractor comes back or a separate warranty crew does. Then ask a neighbor who closed six months ago how long theirs took, which is the number that counts.
Do you schedule warranty visits, such as at 60 days and at eleven months, or do I have to ask for them?
Why ask it
One batched list at set points suits a warranty department better than a stream of single requests, and some will only take claims that way. Whatever the schedule, set your own reminder a month before the shortest coverage period ends, so the list goes in while it still counts.
What do you treat as normal settling and what will you repair: drywall cracks, nail pops, concrete cracks, sticking doors?
Why ask it
Warranties commonly measure these against written tolerances, such as how wide a crack has to be before it qualifies. Get the performance standards document, because the claim is decided by that page and not by what the superintendent says in the hallway.
What maintenance do I have to do to keep the warranty in force?
Why ask it
Typical conditions are changing filters, keeping caulk sound, leaving the grading alone and running the bath fans. Ask for the list in writing and keep the receipts, since a refused claim often points to maintenance the owner cannot show.
Would work I do after closing, like finishing the basement or adding a deck or a fence, affect the coverage?
Why ask it
The usual worries are anything near the foundation, anything that changes the grading and anything tied into the electrical panel. If you already have a first-year project in mind, name it now and get the answer by email.
Does the warranty pass to the next owner if I sell during the coverage period?
Why ask it
It matters most for the long structural coverage, which can outlast your time in the house. If it does transfer, find out whether there is a form or a fee and who has to send it in, and keep the answer with the booklet for the day you list the house.
Handover
Will I get the manuals, model numbers and serial numbers for every appliance and system, and has anything been registered?
Why ask it
Some manufacturers give longer coverage when a product is registered within a set time of installation or closing. Ask who does the registering, and photograph each data plate during the walkthrough anyway: the one on the water heater is easy to read today and awkward once the garage is full.
Can I have the names and numbers of the subcontractors who did the plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, and roofing?
Why ask it
You will want them once the builder's coverage has narrowed or run out and you need someone who knows how this house was put together. A builder may want every call routed through the warranty desk for now. If so, ask when the list can be released to you, and put that date in your calendar.
Will you give me lien releases or waivers from the subcontractors and suppliers?
Why ask it
In some places a trade or supplier who was not paid can file a claim against the property even after you own it. How that works, and what your title insurance does about it, depends on where the house is, so put the same question to your title company or attorney.
What are the paint colors, sheens and brands, and the product names for the flooring, tile, grout and counters?
Why ask it
Ask for the leftover paint and a few spare tiles and planks too, labeled by room. Matching a discontinued tile or a tinted grout next year is far harder than carrying a box out of the garage now.
Can you walk me to the main water shutoff, the gas shutoff, the electrical panel and the sewer cleanout, and let me work the valves myself?
Why ask it
Turn the main water valve with your own hand while the superintendent watches, and check a few panel labels against the rooms they claim to feed. If the house has a sump pump, have it run once and see where it discharges.
Is there a final survey or as-built plan showing the lot corners, easements and buried utility lines?
Why ask it
You will need it before a fence, a pool or a tree goes in. Ask whether the corner pins are still in the ground after grading, and who resets them if they were buried or pulled.
Do you have photos of the walls before the drywall went up, and may I have them?
Why ask it
Pictures of the open framing show where pipes, wires and blocking run, which saves guessing every time you mount a television or chase a leak. If the builder kept none, the superintendent or your own inspector may have some on a phone.
How many keys, garage remotes and codes are there, and when do the construction keys stop working?
Why ask it
Builders' locks are often made so that a construction key works until the owner's key is first turned, so ask how theirs behave. Ask about the garage keypad code as well, and any smart lock, thermostat or doorbell account that was set up under the builder's email.
What do I have to set up myself, and by when: power, water, gas, trash, mail, the homeowners association account?
Why ask it
Find out the day the builder stops paying for power and water, so the service is not cut the morning after closing. On a new street, mail delivery may not have started yet: ask where the box is and who hands out its key.
Who is my contact after closing day, once you have moved on to the next house?
Why ask it
Superintendents are often reassigned the week a home closes. Leave with a name, a direct email and the warranty department's number, and ask the superintendent whether a text with a quick question is still welcome in the first month.
Closing day
Is the closing date firm, and what could still move it?
Why ask it
Listen for a specific dependency: one inspection, one delivery, the utility company's meter. A named risk with its own date tells you more than 'we are on track', and it gives you something to check on next week.
How much notice will I get of the final closing date?
Why ask it
Your rate lock, your movers and the lease on the place you are leaving all hang on this number. See what the contract says about notice, and tell the builder the day your lock expires so they know your deadline as well as their own.
If you say the house is ready and I do not think it is, what does the contract let each of us do?
Why ask it
Look for the clause that defines when the home counts as complete and who gets to decide it. Read it before the walkthrough, and take it to your attorney or agent if a real disagreement looks likely, since refusing to close can carry consequences under some contracts. This is one to settle on paper weeks ahead, not at the front door.
If closing is late because the house is not ready, who pays for my rate lock extension, storage or temporary housing?
Why ask it
Your contract's delay clause is where this gets decided, so read it before you ask. Put the question in an email anyway. A builder will sometimes agree to cover a lock extension when the delay is theirs, and a clear no is still useful for planning.
What will I owe you at closing beyond the contract price: option balances, association fees, utility or tax reimbursements?
Why ask it
Ask for the builder's final statement early enough to set it against your deposits and change orders. Any credit promised along the way, whether a closing cost incentive or money for a missed item, should appear there as its own line.
Can I move anything into the house or the garage before closing?
Why ask it
The usual answer is no, for insurance reasons, and it is better heard now than with a truck in the driveway. If the answer is yes, ask whose policy covers your belongings and get the permission in writing.
How to handle the last weeks before closing on a new build
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before the walkthrough
Ask for the blank forms a week ahead
Request the walkthrough form, the warranty booklet and the builder's performance standards by email. The wording above the signature line and the list of exclusions are much easier to take in at your own table than in an empty house with someone waiting.
Bring the paper trail
Contract, selection sheet, every change order, and any email where something was promised. Add a roll of painter's tape, a flashlight, a phone charger for testing outlets and a small level or a marble for floors and counters.
Book your inspector with days to spare
An inspection the afternoon before closing produces a report nobody has time to act on. Aim for a date after the builder calls the house complete and at least a week before you sign, and confirm the builder's access rules first.
Send the document questions by email
Dates, certificates, the warranty terms and the closing amounts can all be answered in writing before you arrive, which also gives you a record. Keep the visit for what needs the house: the unfinished work, the shutoffs and the punch list.
During the walkthrough
Take every room in the same order
Floor, walls, ceiling, windows, doors, outlets, then anything with water. A fixed routine keeps you from skipping the closet or the laundry room when the conversation drifts, and it makes the list read room by room.
Run everything that runs
Every faucet hot and cold, every toilet, every burner, the dishwasher, the exhaust fans, the garage door and each window lock. Fill a sink and a tub and let them drain while you look underneath, because a slow leak needs a few minutes to show.
Tape it, photograph it, write it
A flaw needs all three: tape so the trade can find it, a photo so you can prove it was there, and a line on the list so it has an owner. Tape alone gets pulled off by the painter and forgotten.
Do not let the appointment set the pace
If the hour runs out with the upstairs still unchecked, say so and ask for the rest of the time, or write on the form that the walkthrough was not finished. A rushed signature helps nobody but the calendar.
Turning answers into something you can hold
Give every promise a date and a name
'We will get the sod in' becomes 'Sod installed in front and back yards by a named date, weather permitting, confirmed by' followed by the superintendent's name. If the builder will not put a date on it, you have learned how firm the promise is.
Send a recap the same day
A short email listing what was agreed, with the photos attached and a request to correct anything you have wrong. An email nobody answered proves less than a signed page, but a dated message that went undisputed is a great deal better than memory.
Builder, lender, attorney: who answers what
The builder answers for the construction and the warranty. What your signature commits you to, how liens work and whether money can be held back are questions for your attorney or title company, and what has to be true before funding is one for your lender.
The first year in the house
Keep one running list
Note each small thing with the date you saw it and a photo: the door that started to stick in August, the crack over the stairs. It turns the scheduled warranty visit into ten minutes of handing over a list.
Put the deadlines in your calendar on closing day
The end of each warranty period, the reminder a month before it, and any registration window for appliances. These dates are easy to know in the week you close and hard to reconstruct later.
Keep the handover file in one place
Certificate of occupancy, inspection sign-offs, survey, warranty booklet, manuals, paint and material names, subcontractor contacts and the signed punch list. The next owner will ask for half of it, and so will the first contractor you hire.