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Notable Inspection — New Construction

A Washington County new home with 68 punch-list items

Washington County, Maryland. A garage fire door that would not close on its own, a water heater bent near its controls and not heating at the time of the inspection, and soffit coming loose at the roof line. Sixty-eight items on a brand-new house, from the roof to the shower trim.

PropertyWashington, MDInspectedOctober 2026TypeNew-build single-family, attached garageReport24 pages, photo punch list

What this inspection found

Counted from the delivered report

68

Findings documented

Across 15 areas of the house

1

Safety hazard

Garage fire door does not auto close

3

Water heater items

Bent, not heating, relief valve extension

9

Garage items

Fire door, foundation and insulation wrap

The six that mattered most

A combined inspection and punch list looks at the systems as well as the finish work. These six are the items that mattered most on this list — one of them a safety hazard the report calls out by name.

Safety hazardGarage

A fire door between the garage and the house that does not close

The garage fire door did not auto close completely, and the report calls that a safety hazard. A fire door is meant to swing shut on its own and keep a garage fire out of the living space. The same door was dented on the garage side at eye level, its hinges squeaked as it closed, and the top hinge pin was not set.

Punch listWater heater

A water heater bent near its controls and not heating

The water heater was bent above the panel where its temperature controls are located, and the water temperature showed it was not working at the time of the inspection. The report also notes that the pressure relief valve extension should terminate 6 or 8 inches above the ground, and the wall penetration for the heater’s power line was not sealed.

Punch listRoof and exterior

Soffit coming loose and flashing lifted above the porch

Soffit was coming loose at the right rear corner of the house at the roof line, and the flashing above the front porch was lifted between the roof and the siding. There was debris on the roof, trees overhanging it that should be trimmed, and several dead trees close to the house that should be removed.

Punch listHVAC

A condensate clean-out that appears glued shut

The clean out on the condensate drain line appeared to be glued shut, and the filter on the return at the bottom of the steps was already dirty. Outside, the cuts made in the siding for the heat pump’s hanging brackets had not been sealed, and the outdoor disconnect was not centered on its mounting block.

Punch listGarage

A chunk out of the foundation and insulation wrap left untrimmed

A large chunk was out of the foundation beneath the electric panel. Insulation wrap had not been trimmed beneath the bottom course of drywall in three places, several holes in the drywall beside the EV charging station still needed filling, and the weather strip on the side door was not properly set.

Punch listStairs

Two handrail brackets where there should be four

The lower handrail to the upper level had only two brackets, where the report says there should be four. At the top of the steps the railing return was rough cut next to the wall with its nail holes unfinished, and the finish on the bottom rail appeared different from the top rail.

From the report

Photographs from the inspection, personal details removed

The lower front of a gray electric water heater, with a red circle around a bent section of its jacket above the access panel for the temperature controls
The water heater is bent above the panel where its temperature controls are located.
The corner of a house with dark gray siding and white trim against a blue sky, with a red circle around a piece of soffit pulling away at the roof line
Soffit coming loose at the right rear corner of the house, at the roof line.
A garage corner beside an open door, with a red circle around a broken-out section of the concrete foundation at the base of the wall
A large chunk out of the foundation beneath the electric panel in the garage.
White PVC condensate drain lines at the base of an air handler, with a red arrow pointing to the capped clean-out on the line
The clean-out on the condensate drain line appears to be glued shut.

The full redacted report

Every deficiency as it was captioned in the delivered report, verbatim. Orientation photographs — shutoff locations and equipment labels — are left out, as are captions that only labelled a second view. Name, street address and report number removed.

Garage

  • There are several holes in the drywall to the right of the electric car charging station that should be filled.
  • Insulation wrap not trimmed beneath the bottom course of drywall back wall bu EV charging station.
  • Insulation wrap not trimmed beneath the bottom course of drywall to the left of the garage door looking out.
  • Insulation wrap not trimmed beneath the bottom course of drywall at the narrow back section of the garage on the right.
  • Weather strip not properly set on strike side of a side door at the bottom.
  • Large chunk out of the foundation beneath the electric panel.
  • Fire door does not auto close completely. This is a safety hazard.
  • Fire door is dented on the garage side at eye level.
  • Hinges a squeak when fire door is closing. Note that the top hinge pin is not set.

Plumbing

  • The left rear hose bib does not have a tag on it but the PVC pipe has been handwritten marked.
  • The pressure relief valve extension should terminate 6 or 8 inches above the ground.
  • The water heater is bent above the panel where the temperature controls are located.
  • Water temperature indicates that the water heater is not working at the time of the inspection.

HVAC

  • The outdoor disconnect is not centered on the mounting block.
  • Cuts in the siding that were cut to make room for the hanging brackets on the heat pump have not been sealed.
  • The clean out on the condensate drain line appears glued shut.
  • There is a filter on the return at the bottom of the steps that should be replaced every 90 days. Filter is dirty at the time of the inspection.

Utility Room

  • Drywall screws are not mudded and finished on all the drywall in the utility closet.
  • The wall penetration for the water heater power line is not sealed.
  • Third and debris left on and around the air handler on the upper level.
  • There is dirt on the floor of the upper level utility room.

Electric

  • The latch for the outdoor disconnect panel cover does not latch.

Roof, Gutters and Downspouts

  • Flashing above the front porch between the roof and the siding is lifted
  • Trees overhanging the roof should be trimmed so they are clear from the rooftop surface. See attached statement about removing trees from conservation areas in Washington County.
  • There are several dead trees close to the house on the left side that should be removed.
  • There is debris on the right side of the rooftop surface.
  • Dirt and debris on the roof overhanging the garage visible from the front left bedroom window.

Exterior

  • Paint around the side door to the garage is incomplete.
  • Soffit is coming loose on right rear corner of the house at the roof line.
  • Blue tape not removed from the bottom of the drain holes on the sliding door.
  • Fixture next to the sliding door not centered on the mounting block.
  • Condensation drain line for AC not trimmed and properly finished on the back of the house.
  • Insulation wrap visible beneath the bottom course of siding on the right side of the house.
  • The power washing on the garage floor the sidewalk and the driveway were a work in progress.
  • Concrete splatter to the left of the garage door will be covered with the final coat of asphalt.
  • Concrete splatter to the right of the garage door will be covered with the final coat of asphalt.
  • A flashing to the left of the front door is not parallel to the stone sill.
  • Caulk is missing where the front door threshold plate meets the door casings on both sides.
  • Caulk is missing where the threshold plates meet the door casings on the side door of the garage.

Upper Stairs and Hallway

  • There is a spot in the left side of the window opening over the steps. This would normally be a tick mark but could not be reached.
  • The drywall is damaged above the window on the staircase that could not be reached to blue taped.
  • The return on the railing at the top of the steps is rough cut next to the wall and nail holes have not been finished. The finish on the bottom rail appears to be different than the finish on the top rail.
  • There are only 2 brackets on the lower handrail to the upper level. There should be four.

Left Center Bedroom

  • Register in front of the window is not flush to the ceiling

Right Side Center Bedroom

  • Screen missing on side window.
  • Smoke detector not flush to the ceiling.

Kitchen

  • Dishwasher not set for 1st use. It was not tested
  • The refrigerator and the freezer work, the ice and water were not set up on the appliance.
  • There's a piece of molding missing on the island closest to the refrigerator.
  • The end of the fixed wall on the end of the island closest to the refrigerator is out of square.
  • The trim beneath the island overhang is not parallel to the countertop close to the refrigerator.
  • The trim beneath the island overhang is not parallel to the countertop close to the back door.

Laundry

  • The laundry water supply box is not flush to the wall.
  • The drain line for the laundry is not capped.
  • The faucet on the laundry sink is not square.
  • The electrical outlet above the laundry sink is not level.

Owners Bath

  • Foreign substance on the tile floor outside of the water closet.
  • Weep hole not opened on right side of shower surround.
  • Weep hole not open on left side of shower surround.
  • 3 screw holes left unused on the right side of the shower enclosure framing
  • 3 screw holes left unused on the left side of the shower enclosure framing
  • Inconsistent finish where schluter meets the drywall on both sides of the shower surround.

Hall Bathroom

  • A consistent finish where tile schluter meets drywall on the left side of the shower surround.
  • Inconsistent finish where tile schluter meets drywall on right side of the shower surround.
  • Uneven grout on the backside of the shelf in the shower.
  • Cover plate not flush to the wall above the back splash.

Jack and Jill Bathroom

  • Ceiling supply register to the right of the vanity is not square to the wall
  • Light fixture above the vanity is not flush to the wall
Client privacy

What we removed, and why

Every Century report is confidential and prepared exclusively for the client who ordered it. This page is published with written permission, with anything identifying removed before it went up.

  • Buyer name
  • Street address and town
  • Report number and file references
  • Photographs showing people, vehicles or neighbouring homes

Buying new construction in Washington County?

Sixty-eight items on a brand-new house, from a fire door that would not close to a water heater that was not heating. One combined inspection and punch list put the systems and the finish work on the same page.

(443) 537-8823Request an inspection