New construction · Clermont, Minneola & Groveland

New Construction Home Inspections in Clermont, Minneola & Groveland

Your builder works for the builder. We work for you. A local team of certified inspectors right here in South Lake County — inspecting new homes through every phase, from pre-drywall to your 11-month warranty.

Book a New-Construction Inspection Call or text (352) 272-1322

5.0 Google ratingOwner Grant Doutt, Certified Master InspectorLocally owned in ClermontServing Lake County since 2019

A new home under construction in South Lake County with a concrete pump truck boom overhead

Grant Doutt, Certified Master Inspector®Owner, through InterNACHI®

1,000+inspections completed
700+five-star reviews on Google and Spectora
3build phases: pre-drywall, blue tape/final, 11-month
Pay at closeon new-construction bundles

Why inspect a new home?

Why a brand-new home still needs an inspection

Yes. A new home is built fast by dozens of subcontractors, and the municipal inspector who signs off is only checking minimum code. Your builder’s crew works for the builder, not for you. An independent inspection is your only set of eyes looking out solely for your interests — and we routinely find real defects in brand-new homes, from missing framing connectors to drainage and stucco problems that won’t show up until after you’ve closed.

15–30 min

County sign-off

Municipal inspectors verify minimum code, often in 15 to 30 minutes, and they don’t work for you.

Dozens

Subcontractors

New homes are built fast by many different hands, so real defects show up in new builds regularly.

1 year

Builder warranty

Most builders include a one-year warranty. Catch issues before it expires and the builder fixes them for free.

Kirk Curtis and Grant Doutt of Four Corners standing beside a stucco home with a ladder against the wall — Kirk Curtis (left) and Grant Doutt on site.

Meet your inspectors

Grant and Kirk: the team on your new build

Four Corners is led by owner Grant Doutt, a former rough-frame carpenter and drywall finisher, and Lead Inspector Kirk Curtis, a Florida-licensed inspector who previously ran his own inspection company. Both are InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspectors.

You get inspectors who know how a home goes together, who climb the ladder and get into the attic, and who explain what they find in plain English. Kirk performs most of our residential inspections, and every report is reviewed by Grant, a Certified Master Inspector, before it’s delivered.

About our qualifications

The three inspections

Three windows to catch problems — and when to use each

Each phase has a window, and once it closes, the cost and difficulty of fixing things go way up.

Grant Doutt inspecting framing at the pre-drywall stage of a new Florida home

1 Phase 1

Pre-Drywall Inspection

When: After framing, roofing, and the rough-ins (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) are in — but before insulation and drywall seal everything behind the walls.

This is the only window to verify the home’s structural bones and connections. Once drywall covers it, the entire load path is hidden for good — and a framing fix that costs nothing today can cost real money later.

Hurricane straps, clips and fasteners
Framing, undercut studs that leave gaps, fire blocking
Rough plumbing: venting, drain slope, cleanouts
Electrical rough-in: grounding, nail plates
Roof and truss issues

from $500

Four Corners inspectors greeting a buyer inside a finished new home

2 Phase 2

Blue Tape Walk / Final (Pre-Closing)

When: When the builder says the home is “complete” — right before your final walkthrough and closing.

A complete, top-to-bottom inspection of the finished home, the same thorough inspection we’d do on any home, on a brand-new one. You get a detailed report to hand the builder for a punch list before you sign — and your leverage is never higher than it is right now.

Roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC
Appliances, windows and doors
Grading and drainage
Finishes, cracked tile, outlets that don’t work

from $400

Grant Doutt in a light blue polo checking an exterior electrical panel during an inspection

3 Phase 3

11-Month Builder Warranty Inspection

When: About one month before your builder’s one-year warranty expires — usually around month eleven.

Most builders include a one-year warranty. An inspection at the 11-month mark documents everything that has surfaced in the home’s first year, so you can submit the list and get it fixed while the builder is still on the hook. Miss the window and those repairs become yours.

Settlement cracks and nail pops
Drainage issues after a rainy season
HVAC and moisture problems
Sticking doors and exterior wear

from $400

Honest pricing

What new-construction inspections cost

Pricing depends on the size of the home and which phases you bundle. Every inspection is quoted up front before we begin, with no hidden fees.

Inspection	When	Price
Pre-Drywall Inspection	After rough-ins, before drywall	from$500
Final / Pre-Closing (Blue Tape Walk)	Right before you close	from$400
11-Month Warranty Inspection	About a month before the one-year warranty ends	from$400
Tri-Build Bundle (all three phases, 10% off)	Pre-drywall, blue tape walk & 11-month	from$1,170

Prices are starting prices and scale with square footage. Bundles include an 11-month deadline reminder so you never lose free repairs to a date on a calendar.

Bundle & save

New-construction bundles: save 10%

Bundle your phases and save. All three bundles can be paid at close.

Build phase

Bi-Build Bundle

Starting at$810

Save $90 · 10% off

Pre-Drywall Inspection
Blue Tape Walk

Book This Bundle

Most complete

Complete program

Tri-Build Bundle

Starting at$1,170

Save $130 · 10% off

Pre-Drywall Inspection
Blue Tape Walk
11-Month Inspection
Includes 11-month deadline reminder

Book This Bundle

Build phase

Now & Later Bundle

Starting at$720

Save $80 · 10% off

Blue Tape Walk
11-Month Inspection
Includes 11-month deadline reminder

Book This Bundle

Pricing is determined by the square footage of the home and is quoted up front. Get a fast quote on your specific home.

We offer pay at close on these 3 bundles — see how it works

Flexible payment

Pay at close: a $50 third-party setup fee

Defer your inspection payment until you close on your home. A $50 third-party setup fee is charged when you sign up for Pay at Close; your inspection fee is then paid by your title company at closing.

Cut down upfront expenses

One less out-of-pocket expense during the buying process, so you can focus on the excitement of your new home.

Eliminate scheduling stress

Add a thorough inspection and any extra services you need without worrying about paying it all upfront — roll the cost into closing.

The $50 setup fee

A $50 third-party setup fee is charged when you sign up for Pay at Close. It sets up your title company to direct the inspection fee to the closing agent, and the invoice is handled directly with your closing company or attorney.

How pay at close works

Book your inspectionSchedule with Four Corners and let us know you’d like to Pay at Close.
Sign a simple agreementYou’ll complete a short Pay at Close agreement, and pay the $50 third-party setup fee at sign-up — we walk you through it at booking.
Pay when you closeYour inspection fee is paid through your title company at closing. We coordinate the details so you don’t have to.

Pay at Close is administered through our inspection software partner, Spectora. Full terms are provided in the agreement at booking.

Book & use Pay at Close

Heard something bad about your builder?

The name on the sign matters less than whether anyone is watching

It’s natural to get nervous when you read complaints about a builder online. Here’s the honest truth: every builder — national or local, “good reputation” or “bad” — turns out homes with defects, because new homes are built fast by dozens of different subcontractors. The name on the sign matters far less than whether someone independent actually checks the work.

Grant explains what we really see across builders here in Clermont, Minneola, and Groveland, and why an independent inspection protects you no matter who built your home.

Don’t look at it up close — look at it from 1,000 feet. Because when you do, you realize what every new home really is. It’s man-made materials and people installing them.
So the next time someone asks me who the best builder is, here’s my real answer: it’s not the logo, it’s the people. And it’s whether anyone was truly watching while your home was being built.

Grant Doutt, Certified Master Inspector® · owner, Four Corners Inspection Services

Local knowledge

We know how homes are built on these hills

Clermont, Minneola, and Groveland aren’t flat Florida. We sit on the Lake Wales Ridge — Minneola’s Sugarloaf Mountain is the highest point on the Florida peninsula — and that changes what matters on a new home.

Sloped lots

Real hills mean grading, cut-and-fill, and drainage matter far more here than on level ground. It’s one of the most-missed defects on new South Lake homes.

Sandy soils

The Ridge’s sandy soils drain well but erode easily on a slope and demand proper compaction under the slab.

Site preparation

Cut-and-fill lots and sandy ridge soils need solid compaction under the slab. We look carefully at how the site was prepared and how water will leave the lot.

Block & stucco

Concrete block on the first floor and wood frame on the second: improper stucco and flashing can let water in and rot the framing. It’s region-wide, and we know exactly how to check for it.

The hills, the slopes, and the soils are what set South Lake apart, and we inspect on them every week. An inspector driving in from Orlando is reading about this; we already know it. Building somewhere not listed? We inspect new construction throughout Lake County — just ask.

What we find

What a new-construction inspection catches

We routinely find real defects in brand-new homes across Clermont, Minneola, and Groveland.

Behind the walls (pre-drywall)

Missing or improperly fastened hurricane straps and clips
Framing defects, undercut studs that leave gaps, missing fire blocking
Rough plumbing: improper venting, wrong drain slope, missing cleanouts
Electrical rough-in: grounding, missing nail-protection plates
Roof and truss issues

The finished home (final & 11-month)

Grading and drainage — critical on our sloped lots
Stucco, weep screed, and window/door flashing
HVAC unit size reported from the manufacturer’s label, duct leakage, and condensate drainage (top mold cause)
Roof flashing, attic ventilation, nail pops
Settlement cracks and moisture intrusion after the first year

Communities we inspect

New-construction communities across South Lake County

We inspect new homes throughout South Lake County’s fastest-growing communities, including:

Clermont

Wellness Ridge
Parkside Trails
Serenoa Lakes & Trailside
Sawgrass / Palms / Edgemont at Serenoa
Waterbrooke
Rainwood
The Sanctuary
Esplanade & The Canyons at Highland Ranch
Del Webb Lakehaven
Wellness Way / Olympus corridor

Wellness Way inspections →

Minneola

The Hills of Minneola
Sugarloaf Ridge
Villages at Minneola Hills
Cyrene at Minneola
Pine Ridge at Sugarloaf Mountain
Ardmore Reserve
Overlook at Grassy Lake

Sugarloaf & Minneola inspections →

Groveland

Waterstone
Meadow Pointe
Hidden Ridge
Cypress Bluff
Trinity Lakes
Preserve at Sunrise
Sunrise Ridge
Cypress Oaks
Arborwood
Brighton

Community names are listed only to show where we inspect; Four Corners is an independent inspection company and is not affiliated with any builder or community.

We inspect homes from every builder in Central Florida, including:

And no — a builder can’t stop you from hiring your own independent inspector. A reputable builder welcomes it.

ABD Development
Adams Homes
Ashton Woods
Casa Fresca Homes
Century Complete
Colen Built Development
David Weekley Homes
Del Webb
Dream Finders Homes (formerly Beazer)
D.R. Horton
Highland Homes
Holiday Builders
ICI Homes
KB Home
K. Hovnanian Homes
Kolter Homes
Lennar
LGI Homes
Maronda Homes
Mattamy Homes
Meritage Homes
M/I Homes
Park Square Homes
Pulte Homes
Realen Homes
Richmond American Homes
Risewell Homes (formerly Landsea Homes)
Ryan Homes
Shea Homes
Southern Homes
Stanley Martin Homes
Starlight Homes
Taylor Morrison
Toll Brothers

Don’t see your builder? We inspect them all. Builder names are listed only to show the homes we inspect; we are an independent inspection company and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any builder.

Grant Doutt checking block wall and wall framing in a new home — Concrete block below, wood frame above: we check how it’s tied together.

Not sure which phase you need?

Read the plain-English guide

Buying or building new in Clermont, Minneola, or Groveland? Learn what each of the three inspections catches and exactly when to book it.

The 3 inspections explained Get a quick quote

What homebuyers say

700+ five-star reviews on Google and Spectora

260+ five-star Google reviews

Read what South Lake County homebuyers say about working with us, or share your own experience.

Read our Google reviews Leave us a review

New construction

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to what South Lake County new-home buyers ask us most.

Can the builder stop me from hiring my own inspector?

No. You have every right to hire an independent inspector for a home you’re buying. A reputable builder welcomes it; pushback is a reason to be more thorough, not less.

When should each inspection be scheduled?

The pre-drywall inspection happens after rough-ins but before drywall — your builder can tell you the date, and it moves fast, so book early. The final inspection is right before closing. The warranty inspection should be done around month 11, before your one-year builder warranty expires.

Why inspect a home that already passed the county inspection?

County inspectors verify minimum code, often in 15 to 30 minutes, and they don’t work for you. An independent, InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector does a far more thorough review with your interests as the only priority.

Do you inspect homes built by Lennar, Pulte, David Weekley, and other Central Florida builders?

Yes — we inspect new construction from every builder active in Central Florida, including Lennar, Pulte, David Weekley Homes, Risewell Homes (formerly Landsea Homes), and Realen Homes.

How much does a new construction inspection cost?

Pricing is determined by the square footage of the home. It’s transparent, quoted up front, and scales with the size of the home and the phase. Pre-drywall inspections start at $500, final/pre-closing and 11-month inspections start at $400, and our bundles save you 10%. Get a fast quote on your specific home.

Do I really need an inspection on a brand-new home?

Yes. New doesn’t mean flawless — homes are built quickly by many different hands, and we find real defects in new builds regularly. An independent inspection is your check that the work was actually done right.

What is a pre-drywall inspection?

It’s an inspection done after the rough-in stage but before insulation and drywall go up, so the framing, wiring, and plumbing can be examined while they’re still visible. It’s your only chance to see what’s about to be sealed inside your walls.

When should I get an 11-month inspection?

About one month before your builder’s one-year warranty expires — usually around month eleven — so any issues can be submitted to the builder while repairs are still covered.

What happens if the inspector finds issues?

You’ll get a detailed report the same day, with photos and a clear description of each item. We’ll walk you through what matters most so you can decide what to bring back to the builder before closing, and we’re happy to answer questions after you’ve had time to review it.

Is there a discount for booking multiple inspections?

Yes. We offer bundled pricing when you book multiple inspections together (for example, pre-drywall plus final and 11-month), which saves you money compared to booking each one separately. We also offer a pay-at-close option on eligible inspections. You can start scheduling as soon as you’re under contract with the builder — the earlier we’re on your calendar, the easier it is to line up each inspection with the right stage of construction.

Protect your new home — and your investment

Whether you’re at pre-drywall, heading to closing, or coming up on your 11-month warranty, get a local, certified inspection team on your side. Book online, or call or text (352) 272-1322.

Book an Inspection Call or text (352) 272-1322 Prefer to text? Text us