If you have been administering your blower door test at the end of your build, then you may be missing out on an essential opportunity to make your building envelope even tighter. Doing two blower-
door tests; one mid-way through your build and one at the end, will give you a unique opportunity to fix cracks and holes before they get covered over by insulation and sheetrock.
When the sheathing is on, the windows are in, and before you put in your insulation and sheetrock, doing a blower door test will help you to identify the cracks and holes that you can still get to before they are covered up and impossible to seal. Yes, it may cost a little more but for the best results do two or three blower-door tests throughout construction to ensure that your building envelope is as airtight as possible.
Effective blower-door testing can help to make your home 5-30% more efficient. If the home you are building will be applying for green energy standards, speak with your architect or design professional about third-party blower-door requirements.
You can expedite the process by properly preparing the home for a blower-door inspection. Ensure that the inspectors have unobstructed access to every part of the home including closets, crawl spaces and attics.
Set aside at least an hour (if not more) for the blower-door test to take place but that investment in time and cost will be worth it in the end results. If you build multiple homes every year, you may even want to invest in the equipment to do these preliminary tests yourself.