Home Inspection on New Construction
A permit final is not an inspection on your behalf. The two answer different questions, and only one of them is working for the buyer.
Yes, new construction still needs its own inspection. A municipal building inspector verifies code compliance for the permit. A home inspector working to OAR chapter 812 division 8 reports on condition, and is expressly not required to report on code compliance. The two jobs have different clients and different questions.
The building official is not working for you
A municipal inspector checks compliance with adopted code at defined stages, then signs off the permit. Their client is the jurisdiction.
A home inspector working to division 8 reports on condition. OAR 812-008-0204 states they are not required to report on code compliance at all.
Neither replaces the other. A house can pass every permit inspection and still produce a report full of legitimate findings.
Phase inspections exist because drywall is opaque
The standard reaches visible components only. Once drywall is up, the framing, wiring and plumbing behind it stop being visible.
A phase inspection looks at those systems while they are still exposed. Pre-drywall is the common point, after rough-in and before insulation and board.
That is a scheduling decision, not a code requirement. Nobody will prompt you, and the window closes permanently.
The eleven month window
Builder warranties commonly run twelve months from closing. An inspection at around eleven months finds what has moved, cracked, settled or failed in the first year.
That timing leaves room to submit a claim before the warranty expires. Waiting until month thirteen converts a warranty claim into your own repair bill.
What new builds still hide
Underground items stay excluded under OAR 812-008-0204 no matter how new the house is. A sewer lateral damaged during construction is a real finding on a new build.
Radon does not care about build year either. Oregon does not licence radon measurement technicians, so look for NRPP or NRSB certification.
Asked and answered
The builder is not the point. The permit final answers a code question for the jurisdiction, and your inspector answers a condition question for you. Reputation does not merge the two.
Before drywall, after rough-in framing, wiring and plumbing are complete. The standard only covers visible components, so this is the last moment those systems can be seen.
It is if your builder warranty runs twelve months. The inspection finds first year settlement and defects while a claim is still open to you.