If you are building a new home, you have the perfect oportunity to be involved in making this a high quality home!  There are so many thousands of steps and materials used in constructing a home; no one can catch everything.  Even the most reputable builders miss some important things.  Don't let these problems remain until you have moved in and have to then take time off of work to let the builder back in to make repairs, or worse, live with the defects until you later sell the home and have to pay to make repairs from the buyer's inspection!

Many of the more serious defects can be covered by materials like insulation, drywall, flooring etc.  If you have the oportunity, you should have a Foundation Inspection, Pre-Drywall Inspection, and Insulation Inspection performed before the concrete is poured, and drywall is hung. 

If I had the choice of only phase inspectios, or a completed home inspection, I would choose the phase inspections!!! Once the defects are concealed it can be very expensive to make the needed repairs. Some of these defects may take years to become apparant.

It takes someone who has built a lot of houses to know what to look for in a phase inspection.  The "is it performing as intended" guideline becomes irrelevent in many ways for systems that are not yet functional.  After working in the homebuilding industry for 18 years and building more than 100 homes, I know what problems are typical to the industry.

The best time to schedule a Foundation Inspection is for the day before the concrete is poured.  The best time for a Pre-Drywall Inspection  is after all mechanical trades are complete (plumbing, HVAC, electrical), but before the insulation is hung.  Insulation Inspections are best done the day before the drywall is to be hung.  These timeframes allow all relevant work to be completed, but not yet concieled.

Home inspections are not just for Re-Sale properties.  If the problems are not discovered during the closing process, you may have to deal with the headache of scheduling repairs after you have moved in.  Other defects may go unnoticed for years after the warranty has expired and you expected to pay for the repairs when a potential buyer hires a home inspector.  New Home Inspections or Move-In Inspections, every bit as important as inspections for the purchase of older homes.