What to expect at your new home walkthrough and final inspection

After months of decisions, permits, and construction, the walkthrough is the moment the home stops being a project and starts becoming yours. It’s also one of the most important steps in the entire process — and one that buyers sometimes rush through because they’re excited to get to closing.

Don’t rush it. The walkthrough is your opportunity to review every aspect of the finished home before you sign anything. A builder who is confident in their work will give you the time and access to do that properly. Here’s what the process looks like and how to make the most of it.

What the walkthrough actually is

The new home walkthrough — sometimes called a pre-closing walkthrough or orientation — is a structured review of the completed home with your builder present. It typically happens in the week or two before closing, after the certificate of occupancy has been issued and the home has been cleaned.

The purpose is twofold. First, it’s your chance to verify that everything was built and finished according to your contract, your selections, and your expectations. Second, it’s an orientation to the home itself — how the systems work, where the shutoffs are, what you need to know to live there from day one.

Come prepared to spend a few hours. A thorough walkthrough of a new home is not a fifteen-minute task, and any builder who treats it like one is not giving you the attention this step deserves.

Before you arrive

Bring your selections documentation — any confirmation sheets or summaries from your selections meeting that show what you chose for flooring, tile, cabinetry, fixtures, and finishes. These are your reference point for verifying that what was installed matches what you ordered.

Bring a phone or a notepad to document anything that needs attention. A good builder will have their own documentation system, but having your own record is useful. If you want to bring a trusted friend or family member with a fresh set of eyes, that’s completely reasonable — a second person often catches things the first person misses simply because they’re looking at everything for the first time.

Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be on your feet, moving through every room, checking every surface. It’s not a quick visit.

What to look at in every room

Start with the walls and ceilings. Look for paint inconsistencies, texture irregularities, nail pops, or any areas where the drywall finish doesn’t look right. These are normal findings in a new home and straightforward to address before closing — but they’re easier to catch in person than to describe later.

Check every door and window. Doors should open and close smoothly, latch securely, and seal properly at the frame. Windows should operate easily, lock fully, and show no visible gaps around the frame or in the weatherstripping. In Florida, proper window sealing matters for both energy efficiency and water intrusion.

Test every light switch, outlet, and fixture. Flip every switch. Plug something into every outlet. Turn on every fan. It takes a few minutes and catches anything that was missed during the electrical inspection.

In the kitchen, run the faucet, test the garbage disposal, check that cabinet doors and drawers open and close correctly, and confirm that the appliances are the models you selected and are operational. Open and close every cabinet at least once — soft-close hardware occasionally needs adjustment after installation.

In the bathrooms, run water in every sink, shower, and tub. Check for proper drainage, verify that the hot water is working at each fixture, and look at the tile and grout lines for any inconsistencies. Grout in a new home occasionally needs touch-up, and it’s much easier to address before you move in.

Systems orientation

The walkthrough is also when your builder should walk you through the home’s systems so you know how to operate and maintain them. This includes the HVAC system — how to set the thermostat, where the filters are and how often to change them, how to register the equipment warranty. The electrical panel — where it is, how it’s labeled, and what to do if a breaker trips. The water shutoff — where the main shutoff is located, and where the individual shutoffs are for each fixture.

In Florida, also ask about hurricane preparation for the home specifically — how to operate any accordion shutters or storm panels, where the garage door manual release is, and whether there are any home-specific considerations you should know about before storm season.

Ask questions during this portion. You’re going to live in this house for a long time, and understanding its systems from the start saves you a lot of uncertainty later.

How items get documented and resolved

Anything noted during the walkthrough should be documented in writing before you leave — either on a formal walkthrough sheet that both you and the builder sign, or in a written summary that gets sent to you afterward. Verbal-only notes are not sufficient. You want a written record of what was identified and a clear understanding of when it will be addressed.

Most items found during a walkthrough are minor — a paint touch-up, a door adjustment, a grout repair. These should be resolved before closing, not promised for later. A builder who pushes everything to a post-closing punch list rather than addressing it before you sign is asking you to close on an incomplete product. That’s worth pushing back on.

Larger items — which are less common in a well-managed build but do occasionally surface — may require more time to resolve properly. If something significant needs attention, it’s reasonable to ask for a short delay to closing to allow for proper completion. A builder who stands behind their work will agree without resistance.

After the walkthrough, before closing

Once noted items have been addressed, you may have a brief re-check before closing — a quick visit to confirm that what was documented has been taken care of. This step is worth doing. It’s much easier to verify a repair was made correctly while your builder is still accountable for it than to follow up after you’ve already signed.

After closing, your warranty coverage picks up where the walkthrough left off. Keep your walkthrough documentation and your warranty information in the same place so you have everything you need if something comes up in the months after you move in.

Questions about what our walkthrough process looks like?

We take the walkthrough seriously — it’s one of the last things we do before handing over keys, and we want it to be thorough. Get in touch if you’d like to talk through what to expect.