A few months ago, a News 3 investigation revealed some startling holes in the home building process, but in a follow up investigation, we examine one possible solution.

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I-Team reporter Linda Eggert joins us now with the second part of her follow-up investigation.

It's seems fairly obvious: have a qualified third party inspect new homes to make sure they're safe, and meet state a building code. But as Eggert reported earlier, that is not the statewide standard. However, it may be soon.

Town of Verona building inspector Dick Steele knows buildings, inside and out. Building is in his blood.

His family's been putting up homes for over 40 years and as a state certified inspector Steele also checks other builder's work.

He can tag and correct code violations before it's too late.

"You don't know what's been done once a house has been built and covered up," Steele said.

Steele said that many Wisconsin homeowners are on their own.

In Part I of this follow-up series, Eggert told you about Donna and Steve Reed. Their builder stopped working on their house, so they can't move in. ( Read Part I )

They and a friend also believe what is done is not up to code.

"(The) state requires that that splice be over the top of the stud," Tom Butson said. "No. 2, where ever there's a load bearing, they would require double plating on top of here."

The couple's home was never inspected during construction because it's in a village that has no building inspector -- and that's perfectly legal.

"I hadn't been a real fan of building inspectors until now," Butson said. "When I see what can happen to some people, I mean this has caused me to lay awake nights basically for Steve and Donna. This is just unbelievable."

Seven hundred smaller municipalities use a state law exemption that lets them avoid building code enforcement.

In Dane County, for instance, the town of Oregon has an inspector, but the towns of Blue Mounds, Dane, Perry and Primrose don't.

Each year up to 6,000 new homes -- roughly one in four -- are built with no independent oversight.

Now state builders have a plan to change that.

"What the inspection bill does is it closes a gaping hole in the safety net," said Jerry Deschane, deputy ex-vice president of the Wisconsin Builders Association. "Now only about 80 percent of the homes that are built in this state are inspected every year. This bill would require 100 percent be inspected."

The Wisconsin Builders Association is teaming up with numerous lawmakers -- all want to pass a bill that requires inspections for every new house -- no matter where it goes up.

"It would lead to about 10 to twenty visits on site by building inspectors dealing with plumbing, electrical and construction itself ... at a cost of about $400," said Rep. Tom Hebl, D-Sun Prairie.

That average cost would be paid for by the builders through higher builder permits.

In some places with no inspectors, you can get a permit for as little as $5.

Builders say the bill should eliminate most new home complaints.

"I think this one makes an excellent start, and it fixes the biggest problem that's out there," Jerry said.

Bill co-sponsor Hebl and others believe more should be done.

"Oh, this isn't rare," Hebl said.

Previous News 3 investigations found even inspected homes can have serious problems.

Hebl thinks home builders should be licensed -- so does the former head of state consumer protection.

"Anyone can really put out their shingle and call themselves a builder," said Bill Oemichen, former head of Wisconsin Consumer Protection, 1999-2001.

During his five years as chief, Oemichen says he was so concerned about all kinds of new home complaints, he twice tried to get his former administration to regulate builders. They weren't interested.

State consumer laws let Oemechin go after bad home remodelers, but he could do nothing about bad builders.

"If you had a new driveway in new or you had an addition put on your house, we had substantial power to protect the consumer," he said. "But if you were building a whole new home we had no power to protect you as a consumer. I think that's a real gap in Wisconsin law."

Steele says as a builder, he would welcome regulation.

"Then we're going to be closer on our pricing, and I got a better chance of getting the job," Steele said. "It evens out the competition."

Oemichen and others told News 3 that 90 percent of the builders out there do a great job, but they're concerned about an estimated 10 percent who don't.

Wisconsin builders say they just want to focus on the inspection bill right now.

Thirty lawmakers have signed on. It could go to public hearing next month.

News 3 will let people know when they can testify.