Illustration: the eight inspections on Moore County's list, in the county's order.
Moore County's list of required inspections has eight entries, set out in the order a house is built, from the first trench to the day it is ready to live in. The county publishes them as one list. Here they are in that order, with what has to be ready each time.
Before the house is out of the ground
Footing. After the trenches are dug and before any concrete is poured. The trenches have to be free of water, loose soil, roots and rock, with grade stakes or pins in place and any required reinforcing steel tied. What is already decided by that day is the subject of the footprint from above.
Temporary service pole. The pole that brings power to the site during construction. The county says it can be inspected at the same time as the footing or the foundation.
Foundation. After the foundation is installed and before framing starts. Termite pre-treatment is expected by then, along with waterproofing and foundation drainage where they are required. The list is blunt on one point: do not backfill until after the inspection.
Underslab. Plumbing that runs under a slab is inspected before the slab is. It has to be left exposed so its slope and fittings can be checked and the lines tested.
Slab. After the forms are installed or the soil is prepared, with the wire, the polyethylene sheet, any required perimeter insulation, the expansion board and the keyways in place. Driveways, carports, patios and walkways are exempt.
Once it is framed
Rough-in. The structure is framed and dried in, with flashing, shingles, windows and doors installed. The electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems are roughed in and tested. Stairways, fireplaces, chimneys and fireblocking should be in place.
Insulation. After the exterior wall insulation and vapor barrier are in and the ceiling batts are installed, and before any wall or ceiling covering goes on. Floor insulation and blown-in attic insulation are normally checked at the final.
At the end
Final. The building is complete and ready for occupancy, with fixtures, heating equipment, decks, stairs and railings finished and the 911 address posted. If the house has a septic system, final approval waits until the county has the written operation permit from Environmental Health.
What the order tells you
Most of these inspections come just before something gets covered: trenches by concrete, a foundation by backfill, pipes by a slab, framing and wiring by insulation, insulation by the wall finish. That is the logic of the sequence. Work that is about to disappear gets looked at first, by someone other than the builder.
The county requires 24 hours' notice for every inspection and gives a two-hour window on the day. Re-inspection fees may apply under its fee schedule. A construction schedule has to leave room for all of that.
The list has nothing on it about paint colors. Those are still yours.
Two limits on this list
It is the county's list. A town that issues its own permits keeps its own, so ask the office that issued your permit. And the county's document shows no date, so confirm the current requirements with the inspections office before you plan around them.
For the wider picture, see our Moore County custom home guide, the build constraints to check before you buy a lot and what we build. Planning a house in Moore County? Tell us about the lot and what you have so far.