New construction homes usually come with some appliances but not all of them. Builders generally install the ones that wire, plumb, or vent into the structure — a range or cooktop, a built-in oven if it’s separate, a dishwasher, and an over-the-range microwave that serves as the hood. Refrigerators, washers, and dryers are typically left out of the base price. What actually transfers with your home, though, is whatever your purchase contract says transfers, so the answer to do new construction homes come with appliances depends less on industry custom than on the paperwork you sign.
What Builders Usually Install
Production builders include appliances that tie into rough-in plumbing, dedicated electrical circuits, gas lines, or cabinetry cutouts during construction. That normally means:
- A cooking range or cooktop
- A built-in wall oven, if it’s separate from the range
- A dishwasher
- An over-the-range microwave that doubles as the kitchen vent hood
There’s a code reason for this, not just a convenience one. A functional kitchen is a prerequisite for the certificate of occupancy a new home needs before anyone can legally move in, and ranges and hoods have to meet fire-safety clearance requirements that are easier to verify when the builder controls which units go in. If you’re financing with an FHA loan, the rule is written down: every living unit must have kitchen facilities with at minimum a sink with running water and a stove utility hookup.1HUD.gov. FHA Single Family Housing Policy Handbook
What You’ll Usually Have to Buy
Refrigerators, clothes washers, and clothes dryers are the appliances most commonly left to the buyer. They sit on the floor, connect with a standard plug or hose, and can be pulled out without touching the structure, so builders treat them as personal property rather than fixtures. Leaving them off the base package also lets the builder advertise a lower starting price while you pick the brand and model.
On a walkthrough of a home under construction, you’ll usually see these spots as empty alcoves with the utility connections stubbed out and nothing else in place.
Check the Rough-Ins Before Drywall
Even when an appliance isn’t part of the base price, the rough-in work behind it usually is. Expect to find a 240-volt outlet behind the dryer space, water supply and drain lines for the washing machine, and a water line stubbed near the refrigerator alcove for an ice maker. Gas hookups for a range or dryer are sometimes handled by a separate licensed contractor and aren’t automatically in every base package.
Confirm the specifics before closing. If you’re planning on a gas dryer and only a 240-volt electric outlet was roughed in, adding the gas line after the walls are finished costs far more than it would have during framing. Same for a water line to the refrigerator — retrofitting through finished floors and walls is a job you don’t want.
How Builder Type Changes the Answer
Who’s building the home matters as much as what type of home it is.
Production builders offer standardized appliance packages, often in tiers. The base tier covers the essentials from a mid-range brand; upgrade tiers swap in premium brands or add extras like a wine refrigerator. Buying the package through the builder’s preferred vendor is usually cheaper than selecting the same units individually, because the builder negotiates in volume.
Custom builders often use a dollar allowance instead of supplying appliances directly. You get a credit built into the contract price and pick your own equipment. Spend under the allowance and you may see the savings; spend over it and you cover the overage yourself.
Luxury builders frequently include the full suite — refrigerator, laundry pair, and premium kitchen appliances — in the base price, as part of a turnkey delivery.
If you’re on an allowance, look hard at whether the number covers what you actually want. Once the home is partially built you have very little leverage to renegotiate, and you’ll absorb the gap. Some builders sidestep this by requiring appliance selections to be finalized before contract signing.
Even with a production builder, you can often pay the difference between the standard unit and the one you want. If the builder planned on a $600 range and you want a $1,200 model, you pay the $600 gap. Handle this before construction starts, because swapping appliances mid-build can affect cabinetry dimensions and utility rough-ins.
Confirming What Actually Transfers at Closing
The purchase agreement is the only document that decides what stays with the home. The inclusions and exclusions section is the binding record of every item that transfers with title. Verbal promises from the sales representative, features you saw in the model, and assumptions from the listing don’t count unless they’re in the contract.
Ask for the builder’s specification sheet as well. It should list the brand, model number, finish, and grade of every included appliance. Read it before signing. If the spec sheet says stainless steel and a white unit turns up at your pre-closing walkthrough, the builder has to correct it. Most builders require your signature on the spec sheet to acknowledge these details, which protects both sides.
Don’t Trust the Model Home
The model home is a sales tool. Builders routinely outfit models with upgraded appliances, premium finishes, and extras like wine coolers or built-in coffee stations that aren’t part of the standard package. Disclaimers about which features are upgrades are usually posted somewhere, but they’re easy to miss. Work from the contract and spec sheet, and if something in the model matters to you, get a written quote to add it.
Negotiating Appliances Into the Deal
Excluded appliances are often negotiable, refrigerators especially. Some builders now include them as standard, and others add them as a closing incentive when conditions favor buyers. A few tactics that tend to work:
- Raise it during contract negotiations, not after signing. Builders have more room to move before construction starts.
- Bundle the ask. Requesting a refrigerator and a washer/dryer set together lets the builder use volume pricing with their supplier.
- Use timing. Builders closing out a quarter, sitting on finished inventory, or wrapping up a community phase are more willing to sweeten the deal.
- Compare the markup. Ask what the builder charges for a package upgrade versus retail on the same units. Sometimes the builder is competitive; sometimes you’ll do better on your own.
Warranty Coverage on New-Home Appliances
A common mistake is assuming the builder’s home warranty covers the appliances. It usually doesn’t. Builder warranties for new homes typically exclude household appliances and anything already covered by a separate manufacturer’s warranty.2Consumer Advice (FTC). Warranties for New Homes If your dishwasher fails six months in, the claim goes to the manufacturer.
Manufacturer coverage on residential appliances generally runs one to five years for most components, with some parts like compressors carrying longer terms. Coverage typically starts on the purchase date, not your move-in date, so if the appliances were bought and installed months before closing, part of the clock may already be gone. A sales invoice, a letter from the builder, or proof of occupancy can establish the purchase date; without that proof, the manufacturer may fall back on the appliance’s manufacturing date.3GE Appliances. Determining Warranty Coverage and Purchasing Extended Service
Before closing, ask the builder for copies of the purchase receipts and warranty registration cards for every appliance. Register each one with the manufacturer as soon as you can.
Planning Purchases for Anything the Builder Won’t Supply
Kitchen and laundry appliances often take weeks to months to deliver, and specialty or premium models can take longer. A workable schedule:
- Six to twelve months out: research brands, features, and dimensions, and confirm units fit the spaces on your floor plan.
- Six to nine months out: place orders, especially for built-in, panel-ready, or premium models with long lead times.
- Three to six months out: confirm delivery timelines with the retailer and align with the builder’s construction schedule.
- One to two months out: verify every utility connection — gas, electrical, water — matches what you ordered.
Many dealers will hold your purchases in their warehouse until the home is ready, so ordering early doesn’t mean storing a refrigerator in your current place for months. If your builder uses preferred vendors, buying through them can simplify delivery, since the vendor already knows the construction timeline. For appliances you’re sourcing yourself, get them to the site before the builder’s crew demobilizes; once they’re gone, installation is on you.