Ever notice how some inspectors just give the attic a quick glance and move on? Makes me wonder if there’s any real accountability there.
I’ve run into this more times than I’d like to admit. Had a place last winter—brand new build, looked perfect on paper. Inspector signed off, but a few months later, tenants started complaining about weird smells and water stains on the ceiling. Turns out, the insulation crew had packed the batts right up against every soffit vent. Zero airflow. I crawled up there myself and it was like a sauna, even in January.
What gets me is that the inspector’s report mentioned “adequate attic ventilation,” but I doubt he even poked his head past the hatch. It’s not always laziness—sometimes they’re just overloaded or rushing to hit their quota—but it leaves owners holding the bag when things go sideways.
I’ve only once had an inspector actually flag blocked vents before it became a problem, and that was an older guy who’d been around since the ‘80s. Most of the time, you don’t find out until you’re scraping mold off rafters or dealing with ice dams after a cold snap. It’s frustrating because it’s such a basic thing, but it gets missed all the time.
I get the frustration, but I’ve seen some inspectors go above and beyond—especially when it’s a warranty-backed new build. Sometimes the real issue is with unclear specs or miscommunication between trades. Even a thorough inspector can miss stuff if the builder didn’t install baffles or left plans vague. I’d argue it’s a system problem as much as it is an individual one.
I totally get what you’re saying, but I still feel like the system kind of sets everyone up to fail. When we bought our place, the inspector missed that there were zero attic baffles—turns out, the builder never even planned for them. We only caught it after noticing moisture on the insulation during a cold snap. Honestly, unless you’re crawling around yourself or paying for a specialist, stuff just falls through the cracks... and then you’re stuck footing the bill later.
Honestly, unless you’re crawling around yourself or paying for a specialist, stuff just falls through the cracks... and then you’re stuck footing the bill later.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’d push back a bit on the idea that it’s all just luck or that the system is totally broken. I’ve seen plenty of builds where things were done right—baffles in place, vents actually venting, no weird shortcuts. But yeah, there’s always those jobs where something gets missed, sometimes because everyone’s in a rush to close.
On one job last winter, I was called out for what they thought was a roof leak. Turned out to be exactly what you described—no attic baffles and insulation jammed right up against the soffit vents. The builder had followed code (bare minimum), but didn’t really think about airflow. Thing is, even with a good inspector, some of this stuff is tough to spot unless you know what to look for or you’re willing to poke around in tight spaces.
I guess my take is: it’s not always about specialists or crawling around yourself—it’s about awareness. Homeowners don’t always get told what to look for because everyone assumes “new” means “done right.” Not always the case...
Homeowners don’t always get told what to look for because everyone assumes “new” means “done right.” Not always the case...
That’s the part that gets me every time. I manage a few newer properties and you’d be surprised how often we find blocked vents or missing baffles during routine checks—stuff you’d expect to be caught at the build stage. I’ve had tenants complain about musty smells, only to discover insulation packed tight against soffits. It’s wild how “to code” doesn’t always mean “done well.” Makes me wonder if we need to push for better walkthroughs before closing, not just the standard checklist.
