What is a Frame Walk? New Home Construction 101

What is a Frame Walk?

Home Tribe teammate Shoichi asks,  “Andrew, what’s a frame walk, and what should I know before I go?”  That's a great question! 

A frame walk is one of the key milestones in the new home construction process to verify your electrical, plumbing, and structural options are in place prior to installing the drywall.  Because once the drywall goes up, it’s too late to make any changes! 

Depending on the builder, a framewalk could be called the “pre-drywall inspection,” a “Hard Hat Tour,” or a “dusty shoe.”  Speaking of shoes that get dusty, please always wear closed-toe shoes when you’re on a construction site to save your piggly wiggly’s from catching a nail!

7 Quick Tips for a Successful Frame Walk
  1. The construction manager will schedule the frame walk with you directly.
  2. Your buyer’s agent should be with you. *It's best practice to have your own buyer's agent (not the new home sales agent) that is experienced in the new home construction process.*
  3. Take a copy of your electrical, plumbing, and structural options with you.
  4. On average, a framewalk takes 15 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the builder.
  5. Take pictures and videos of your home new during your appointment.  This the last time anyone sees the "skeleton" of your house.  Knowing where the plumbing, electrical, and utility lines are will be very helpful to you in the future. 
  6. Please don't be late for your framewalk.  If you miss the pre-drywall inspection the builder will continue with the construction process and you will have missed out on a critical inspection during the building process of your new home! 
  7. If you want to hire your own home inspector, you can.  To do this be sure you and your buyer's agent notify the new home sales agent in advance.  *It's best practice to let the new home sales agent know you intend to hire your own inspector when you sign the sales contract.*  
Next Steps

If you clicked this post because you're doing your research before buying a new home.  Great job!  To better help out, watch the video below to take your new home buying savvy to the next level! 

Thank you so much for reading this post!  I'm sending you positive vibes everything goes your way! - Andrew Finney

Disclaimer:  At the time of writing, Andrew Finney, S.0173260, is a real estate salesperson with King Realty Group (KRG) in Las Vegas, NV. Andrew's videos and blog posts are his own and do not necessarily represent the views and/ or opinions of KRG.  


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