Without pics or measurements it's impossible to give an accurate answer. Shrinkage cracks are standard. As it cures, concrete shrinks about 1/16" per ten feet. The mandatory government warranty programme Construction Performance Guidelines I work under say the following about poured concrete foundation wall cracks: "1.11 CONDITION CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE FOUNDATION WALL IS CRACKED Acceptable Performance/Condition Cracks resulting from normal shrinkage are acceptable; cracks in excess of 6 mm in width are not acceptable. Warranty One-Year Work and Materials Cracks resulting from normal shrinkage of materials caused by drying after construction are excluded from the statutory warranty. Action Walls with cracks exceeding the acceptable condition shall be repaired. Remarks Concrete walls naturally crack during curing due to shrinkage. Where lateral or vertical movement is evident, further investigation may be required. The colour and texture of a repaired area may not match the surrounding concrete"

My new hvac install doesn't include a 5" media air filter nor fixing the hole to the crawl space inside my return vent. This is the hole that I patched with duct tape and plywood. My plan is to look for another installer (not any of the ones that previously bid on my system) and get a quote to do this: 1. Add a 5" media air filter 2. Correctly fix the inside of the return vent 3. Inspect the areas listed in the common mistakes document: (a) check the lineset for size, pressure, refrigerant -- I posted earlier that my installer says to use 3/4 suction line which is consistent with my condenser's manual. (b) check the airflow through the evap coils -- this is to make sure that the blower on the heater is at 1200 CFMs. (c) check the primary and secondary condensate drains -- installer already said he needs to install secondary drain since it's currently missing. (d) check the electrical including disconnects outside and in attic -- I already have a disconnect on the outside condenser that's slightly above and to the side of the unit. It might cost me more than $200, but I'm getting a new air filter, fixing the hole to the crawl space, and getting a checklist of items to consider fixing. Prior to getting a quote, I'm going up in the attic to review the install myself with my current installer. I'm going to check the seal of every duct to the register boots to make sure there are no air leaks that I can feel with my hand while the air is on. I'm going to check that all the new ducts are not obstructed in any run. I'm going to ask for the location of the disconnect in the attic for the gas furnace. I'm going to check the lineset for visual leaks. I'm going to inspect the lineset connections to my outside unit. I'm going to check the amount of air coming out of each supply register.

Why is there an inspection required, is it the city or homeowners association? I recently moved from The Woodlands where they required inspections but where I live now I don't think they are required. Any progress on your situation? It's really a shame that as many pools that are built in Texas there is zero regulation. I just don't get it but it doesn't surprise me in many ways. Anyone can be a pool builder and they can take your money and run, happens all the time. They also like to file for bankruptcy and start up in a few weeks under a different name. We had friends that had the same thing happen to them They had a hard time finding someone to finish it but they eventually did find a another builder. Most wanted no part due to the legal issues and previous unknown work. They never got their money back, guy filed for bankruptcy and got away with it. This post was edited by ktm250sx on Sun, May 11, 14 at 16:34

Agree with the others; however, you can have an inspection just before closing (we did). There was a long list of small items, which the builder fixed, some of which we may not have found ourselves. However, for the big items like quality of materials or workmanship, it depends. If it's an individual builder you're dealing with, you may be able to specify certain things IF you know what is important. For example, we talked to an architect friend and then specified certain upgraded materials, including caulk quality, extra sound insulation, certain pipes, upgraded furnace and water heater. We were also able to stop by and check on the tiling and kitchen installation and had them redo some tiles that were all crooked, but I'm sure that there are probably quite a few things behind the walls and ceilings that the builder wouldn't allow in his own house :) Bu tif you feel that you need to check the foundation and whatever, then maybe that builder isn't the right choice.