Framing is the one stage of a build that gets buried by every stage that follows. Drywall, cabinets, tile and trim all inherit whatever the frame gave them, and none of them can fix it. So the walk-through you do while the studs are still open is worth more than any inspection you do after.
Start with the obvious two: square and plumb. A wall that is out of plumb tells on itself the moment cabinets go against it — you end up scribing fillers to hide a gap that runs the height of the room. Openings that are out of square show up when a door will not stay where you leave it. Neither is expensive to correct while the wall is still just studs; both are expensive afterwards.
Then look at the load path. Every load in the structure has to reach the foundation through something continuous — a header carrying to trimmers, trimmers to a stud pack, the pack down to a bearing point below. Where that chain has a gap, the framing is holding the load on bending strength it was not sized for. This is the part that matters most on a wall removal or an addition, where a new load path is being introduced into a house that never had one.
Look at the small things too: blocking where fixtures, railings and cabinets will land, so there is something to fasten to later; nailing patterns that are actually consistent rather than clustered; crowns run the same direction so the wall planes out flat.
If you are planning a build and want the structure walked before it gets covered, call Fox Framing Inc at (909) 758-1355. Framing is what we do first and best.
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