HUD-92051 Compliance Inspection Report for New Construction

Form HUD-92051 is the Compliance Inspection Report an FHA lender uses to document an inspection of new construction. Where the jurisdiction issues no building permit and no certificate of occupancy, the file needs three of them: one each for the footing, framing, and final inspections.

Building with FHA financing and no local building department? See how the three inspections work or send the build address and the lender's condition.

What is a HUD-92051 Compliance Inspection Report?

It is a one-stage inspection record. The inspector identifies the property, states which stage was inspected, and reports whether the work observed complies or needs correction. One form covers one visit, so three inspection stages produce three reports in the lender's file.

The form documents inspections only. The appraisal, the builder's certification, and the warranty documents are separate items the lender collects for a new-construction loan.

When does FHA require three inspections on new construction?

When the local jurisdiction does not issue a building permit and a certificate of occupancy. In most towns the lender simply collects copies of both. In a county or small town with no building department, there is nothing to collect, so FHA asks for three inspections instead:

• Footing, before the concrete is poured.
• Framing, before insulation and drywall cover the structure.
• Final, when construction is complete.

This comes up most often on rural lots, where a house can be built start to finish without a single local inspection.

Who can complete the HUD-92051 inspections?

FHA looks first to the local authority with jurisdiction, or to an ICC-certified Residential Combination Inspector or Combination Inspector. Where no such inspector is available, the lender may accept the three inspections from a registered architect or a structural engineer.

The lender makes that call, and some lenders add their own requirements. Ask the loan officer to confirm in writing which inspector the file can use before construction starts.

Why does timing matter so much?

Because two of the three inspections are of work that gets covered. Footing reinforcement disappears under concrete. Framing disappears behind insulation and drywall. An inspector can only report on what can be seen on the day of the visit.

The practical rule: arrange the inspections before breaking ground, and give the inspector the builder's schedule so the footing visit happens before the pour.

What if the house is already built?

The footing and framing stages cannot be inspected after the fact, and an engineer cannot sign a report for work that was never observed. Send the lender's condition and the current stage of construction. From there the lender decides which FHA documentation path the file can use, and an engineer can tell you what an evaluation of the finished structure can and cannot cover.

What should you send to get started?

• The property address and the state it sits in.
• The lender's written condition, word for word.
• The construction plans.
• The builder's schedule, especially the planned footing pour date.
• Contact details for the builder's site lead.

Scapular Engineering holds active PE licenses in seven states: Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Indiana. Read more about FHA new construction inspections.