Just closed on a new construction home in North Georgia? Here is exactly what to check, what to seal, and what to watch for — before wildlife finds the gaps your builder left behind.
Congratulations on your new home. Whether you're in a new subdivision in Canton, a mountain build in Blue Ridge, or a new development near Dahlonega or Jasper, there's something your builder didn't include in the walkthrough: a wildlife vulnerability assessment. New construction homes across Cherokee, Pickens, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, and the surrounding North Georgia counties share the same construction gaps — and the same wildlife pressures.
This checklist covers the critical areas every new homeowner in Georgia should inspect or have professionally evaluated before wildlife finds its way inside.
1. Inspect Your Roofline and Ridge Vents
The roofline is the most common area where wildlife enters new homes. Ridge vents sit along the very peak of the roof and are not screened — they are plastic vents overlapped by shingles. When checking these, look for warping. If the plywood underneath is not perfectly even (which it never is), there's pressure that begins the warping process. Over time, expansion and retraction from heat and cold causes warping that can allow rodents underneath. But squirrels, mice, rats, and raccoons don't care if it's new, old, or mildly used — it's a chew toy to them, and they can chew plastic ridge vents apart.
Look for daylight at rooflines, but don't mistake soffit vents for gaps — homes have soffit vents that project light into those areas. You have to look at the gap between the fascia board and roof decking, which is often hidden behind shingles and tar paper, so you have to know what to look for. Also check from the exterior that the drip edge (not rodent-proof by design) actually covers the gap. Roofers install drip edge but don't always properly cover gaps or screw it down to ensure no entry.
Bat exclusion cannot be performed between April 1 and July 31 — the blackout season when flightless young are present. If your new home is completed during this window and bats have already entered, exclusion must wait until after July 31. An inspection now can identify the problem and plan the timeline.
2. Check All Gable Vents and Soffit Vents
Gable vents only have bug screen on the inside — never rodent-proof screening. It's super thin and easily entered through. This is standard on every new construction home. Soffit vents use aluminum or plastic panels. What you look for here is overlaps — check whether they are separated or gapped at the overlap, or at the ends where builders tend to leave space. Either way, aluminum or plastic soffit vents in these areas are always doomed to fail over time. We install custom rodent-proof soffit strip vents as a permanent solution.
3. Examine Utility Penetrations
Utility penetrations can sometimes be seen from attics, but mainly they're at exterior walls behind vent covers. You have to know what to look for — often you'll find holes cut 3 to 4 inches in diameter with only 1 to 2 inches of wires or hoses put through, leaving plenty of space for rodents. These are usually at ground level. Check behind exterior vent covers, around HVAC lines, plumbing stacks, electrical conduit, and gas lines where they enter the home.
4. Inspect the Foundation-to-Framing Transition
Where your concrete foundation meets the wood framing above it (the sill plate and rim joist), there are frequently gaps. These gaps are invisible from outside but wide open from the crawl space. Mice, snakes, and insects use this transition zone to enter the wall cavities and eventually reach the attic. Check your crawl space for gaps along the entire perimeter where concrete meets wood.
5. Test Your Garage Door Seal
New garage door installations frequently have gaps — particularly at the bottom corners where the weatherstripping doesn't meet the floor or frame properly. Stand inside your closed garage and look for daylight along the bottom and sides. If you can see daylight, mice and snakes can enter. Garage infestations are common in new Georgia homes and often spread into the main structure through the shared wall.
6. Check Dryer, Bath, and Kitchen Exhaust Vents
Dryer vents are always problematic. They won't have screen because when they do, lint backs up and can burn up the dryer — so dryer vents are always open unless you install a rodent-proof style cover designed to allow lint through while blocking animal entry. Bathroom and kitchen exhaust vents can either have screen installed or come that way, but dryer vents specifically require a specialized solution. Starlings and sparrows nest in open dryer vents constantly — blocking airflow and creating fire hazards.
7. Evaluate Landscaping and Grading
New construction landscaping is often minimal, which means wildlife habitat is still being established around your property. As landscaping matures, mulch beds against the foundation attract insects (which attract rodents and snakes). Stacked firewood near the house provides harborage for rodents, snakes, and insects. Keep mulch at least 12 inches from the foundation, store firewood away from the structure, and remove ground-level debris.
Why Professional Exclusion Beats DIY for New Homes
You can inspect these areas yourself and you should — awareness is the first step. But sealing a home properly against wildlife requires more than caulk and hardware cloth. The gaps in new construction vary by builder, by house plan, and by how the subcontractors happened to install things that particular day. Every home is different.
Professional exclusion uses custom metal fabrication, heavy-gauge screening, galvanized steel, copper mesh, and commercial-grade sealants — fitted specifically to your home's construction. Our 132-point inspection identifies every vulnerability, and our custom metal work is fabricated on-site to ensure a precise fit. This is not hardware-store screening stapled over a hole. This is precision work backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Proactive exclusion on a new home is significantly less expensive than waiting until wildlife is established and you need removal, contamination cleanup, insulation replacement, and exclusion. If you just closed on a new construction home in North Georgia, schedule a free inspection and let us show you what your builder left behind.