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Building Inspection-All about it

What is building inspection?

A building inspection is an assessment and documentation of the condition of the property and building defects by the licensed building inspector. A building inspection involves the visual inspection of all the accessible parts of the property. Modern building inspectors use new tools to make it more efficient. Building inspection is done by a licensed professional building inspector who compiles all the findings in form of a building inspection report.

A building inspection is a great opportunity for a property buyer to know about the condition of the building and building defects in the property. A building inspection is recommended as a must-have for any property purchase.  In Australia, the “subject to building inspection” condition is allowed when making the purchase of the property.

What does subject to building inspection mean?

The “subject of building inspection” is a condition that applies to the sale of the property. Subject to building inspection condition means that the sale of the property depends on the outcome of building inspection. Buyers can order this condition to be added to the sale contract and it provides great safety from unforeseen building problems.  Under this condition, the buyer must get one building inspection done by the licensed building inspector.

The buyer cannot cancel the contract based on the assessment done relative, friend, or some inspector without a license. When canceling the contract, the seller can request a copy of the report. Buyers can also request the price reduction or defects to be repaired.

A perfect-looking house could have a hidden defect that only an experienced building inspector can identify. So subject to building inspection condition is a smart decision to protect yourself from the after purchase shocks.

Are building inspections worth it?

Buying a property is the biggest investment for anyone and building inspection provides information about the condition of the building.  This helps the property buyer to make an informed decision. It provides detailed information about any risk hazards in the property and the building inspection report helps in price negotiation. Whether you are a seasoned property buyer or a naive one, you cannot be sure about the building defects in the property. 

Here are 7 benefits of building inspection making it worth every penny:

  1. Safety of family: Family is most important for everyone. It is the family we buy the house for. We buy the house to keep our family safe and comfortable but do you know there can be defects in houses that can cause health and safety risks to your family members.  A simple loose safety railing can cause a fatal accident in the house. An expert building inspector identifies these safety issues and protects your family from potentially fatal accidents.
  2. Protect your investment – Buying property is always the biggest investment for any family. If something goes wrong with this property, then the future of the whole family can sink along with this property.  As per research conducted by mozo.com, 100% of houses have building defects. 5% of apartment buyers have to fork out above $50,000 to fix the building defects in their newly purchased property. Whereas 1 in every 20 house buyers have to spend above $20,000 to repair building defects in their new house. Simple water leakage can cost more than $15000.  The building inspection warns you about these defects and protects you from the potential financial sinkhole.
  3. Illegal Modification: Building inspection can save you from nasty and costly fines from the administrative departments, councils, and other stakeholders. Some owners carry out modifications or extensions without permission from the local governing body. These alterations may be illegal. A buyer may have paid extra for these appealing modifications. The new homeowner has to either face heavy penalties or get an illegal extension demolished at their own expense.
  4. Negotiation Leverage: The building inspection report list all the building defects in the property. This report acts as a great negotiation tool.  The purchaser can ask the seller to get the building defects fixed or negotiate for lower prices. On the other, without a building inspection report, the buyer does not have any solid ground to negotiate with the seller.
  5. Future cost: The building inspection report contains detailed information about current, hidden, and potential building defects. This helps the buyer to calculate the cost to get these defects fixed and provides the total future cost of the property. Buyers can also prioritize which defects need immediate attention and which defects can wait to plan out the budget.
  6. Time-saving: Many families are too busy in their profession and cannot afford time off their work to fix building defects. These families are looking for a property that does not need any kind of fixing and is ready to move in. A building inspector minutely scans every inch of the property for any defects and certify if the property needs any repair or not. Also, the inspection report list out all the defects which can help you to calculate the total time required to get those defects fixed. This helps the buyer to plan out the future plan.
  7. Discover deal-breaker: The Building inspection reports help in making the final decision to purchase the property. As the report provides detailed information about the severity of the defect- minor or major. A minor defect can be ignored or repaired. Whereas, a major defect that can cost thousands of dollars to fix may lead to a deal-breaker. may not affect the decision but a major defect can be a deal-breaker.  Basically, building inspection provides you with all the information to make an educated final decision.

So building inspection helps the property buyer in a multidimensional way. Whether you are a first home buyer or a seasoned property buyer, there is no way that buyer can figure out all the defects. A single missed defect can cost thousands of dollars and quickly deplete your savings. A building inspector has the proper education, skills, tools, and experience to inspect a property to provide you proper information about the property. This is a small investment that pays for its self many folds, so if you are buying a property then building inspection is a must.

What is a building inspection report?

The building inspection report is a document with information about the condition of the building along with the list of defects in the building. The building inspection report is prepared by the licensed building inspector in accordance with the local code. Building inspection reports have property details, client details, inspector details, defects details, inspection details, terms and conditions, and recommendations.

What is in the building inspection report?

The building inspection report is the condition report of the property prepared by a licensed building inspector in accordance with local regulations and code. It contains a list of fatal risks, major defects, and minor defects in the property.  The report is prepared by the expert and experience building inspector in an easy-to-understand format. The Australian real estate system provides the provision of the sales contract with the condition of “subject to building inspection”. The building inspection report contains the following information:

Table of Content

Like any professional document, the first part of building inspection report is table content. This table of content contains heading and subheading with the page numbers making it easier to navigate through the page. 

Client and Property information

The client and property information section contains information about the client, property, and building inspector. 

The section starts with basic information about clients who have placed the order for building inspection. The report contains the legal name of the client, the contact address of the client, the phone numbers, emails, and the mailing address of the client. 

The next part of this section contains the property details relevant to the inspection. The property details include the location of the property(full address), Style of the building, Type of the building(apartment, townhouse, or independent house), Age of the property,  Type of construction, floor types (tile, wood, carpet), types of walls (Board, brick, wood), type of roof, the direction of the property, and photographs of the front of the property. 

The last part of this section has detailed information about the inspector and the inspection.  It lists the type of inspection, date of inspection, time of inspection, weather conditions at the time of inspection, people present at the time of inspection. name of inspector and contact details of the inspector. This part also contains important definitions and tools used during the inspection. 

Building inspectors also mention the most important finding of inspection here to highlight them. 

Description of Inspection and Defects

This is the most important part of the report and contains the finding of the inspections. The property is divided into different sections based on the location of that part property. All findings belonging to one section are put together to make it easy to track. This section of the report contains common attributes and parameters of each item inspected. The following attributes and parameters are recorded for each inspected item on the property.

  • Item identity: Name and description of each item inspected (For example floor of which room, Kitchen bench-top, etc. )
  • Scope of inspection for the item: Here explanation is given that which part of the item is inspected and which part of the item is not inspected. The reasons for not able to the whole item are provided.

Example: If a retaining wall is earthbound then only the exposed part of the retaining wall be inspected. The part of the wall which is underground cannot be inspected.

  • Methodology and Tools used for inspection: Report details the methodology and tools used for the inspection of that part. (Visual inspection or intrusive Inspection, spirit levels, thermal imaging, Moisture meter,  sonar, etc.)

 

If there is a defect detected by the building inspector in the part of the building then the following additional information is recorded in the report about the defect for that part. 

  • Name and Type of Defect: Building inspector records the name and type of defect (Water damage, water leakage, crack in the wall, missing insulation, missing part) in the report.
  • Defect explanation: Report contains the detailed information about the defect in an easy-to-understand format. 
  • The Severity of Defect: If a tool is used then the reading of that tool(Gap measurement, offset reading, Crack size, moisture meter reading) is given to quantify the severity of the defect.  Inspector categorizes the building defects into minor, major, or safety risks depending upon the size, location, and type of defect.  
  • Scope of defect: This defines if the full defect is verified or just part of the defect is verified. Inspector also mentioned reasons for not able to verify the full defect 

 

Example: If there is a crack in the retaining wall which is earthbound then only exposed part of the crack can be verified and not in the underground part of the wall. 

  • Photograph: Photographs of the defects are attached with an explanation of each defect.
  • Recommendation: Inspector recommends a further course of action. 

The above-mentioned information is noted for each inspected item and then grouped into sections.

Conclusion and Summary

This part of the report contains the summary or conclusion of the building inspection. The inspector summarizes all the major concerns in the building in an easy-to-understand format. It mentions the total number of minor and major defects. 

Terms and Conditions

This part of the report explains all the terms and conditions associated with building inspection.

  • Accessibility clause description
  • Scope of the building inspection 
  • Purpose of the building inspection
  • Scope and Purpose of the report
  • Legal limitation of the report
  • Disclaimer from the building inspector
  • Copy right information of the report

General House Maintenance Tips (Optional)

This an optional section which is provided by some building inspection. This section contains the guidance for up keeping and maintenance of the building.  It is at the discretion of the owner to follow these guidelines although it is of great help to the naive owner. 

What does building inspection look for?

Building inspectors look for building defects or abnormalities in the building. These building defects can be minor or major. Different sections of the building are prone to different types of building defects. The very basic problems a building inspector looks for are cracks in external and internal walls, Water damage, Incomplete work, missing parts or fitting, Water leakages, Broken tiles, missing insulation, working of doors, Working of windows, window fixtures,  poor drainage, grade problems, gaps in the doors and windows, gutters problems, clogged gutters, bent gutters, broken gutters, missing gutters,  Roof issues – broken or worn roofs, missing or broken flashings, faulty installation, missing tiles, curled shingles, foundation problems. Basically building inspection all about looking for any defects, damage or abnormalities in the house 

What does building inspection cover?

The building inspection is an opportunity and process to find out any building defect by a qualified professional building inspector. Research says that all properties have building defects that can cost thousands of dollars. Building inspection provides information about these defects and helps you make an educated decision.

A building inspection is an elaborate process that covers every nook and corner of the property. Having said that, there are different guidelines for a building inspection in every state. The following list of items covered during the building inspection can help property buyers. 

Property Site

These are parts of the property that are not attached to the main building of the property.

The parts covered in this section of inspection are fence, retaining wall,  fence, gates, garage, carports, sheds, driveway, paving, paths, ramps, steps, handrails,  entertainment area, bbq area, pergolas, pools, spas, ponds, letterbox, clothesline, garden beds, flag poles jetty. The inspection is not only limited to the above-mentioned part of houses and may include other parts not mentioned here.

Building  Exterior

These are the parts of the building that are attached to the exterior of the main building.

The parts of the house which are inspected under this section are lintels, brickwork, block-work, cladding, windows, doors, laundry, storage rooms, sunrooms, front patio, back patio, stairs, balustrade, verandahs, decks, balconies, chimneys, attached garages.

Building Interior

The main items covered in this section of inspection are walls, windows, doors, ceilings, floors, stairs, balustrade,  bench-top, cupboards, sinks, tubs, spa, taps, tiles, cistern, pan, showers, vanity, washbasin, mirrors, damp problems, ventilation, skylights. All the parts of the interior must have clear and safe access.

Roof interior

The interior of the roof is also called the roof cavity or attic and contains roof insulation. The building inspectors do a thorough inspection of the roof cavity. Items inspected in this part of the inspection are roof cavity, roof tiles, roof sheeting, roof framing,  insulation, lighting covers, ceiling framing, ceiling lining, wall framing, and flashing.

The building inspector must have proper access to the roof cavity to furnish the inspection.

Roof exterior

The building consultant will inspect the roof exterior and any visible major defects or safety hazards associated with the following areas will be included in the report. The items covered here are roof tiles, roof sheeting, skylights, hot water systems, solar panels, vents, flues, valleys, gutters, downpipes, fascia, bargeboards, and eaves.

Subfloor

Some buildings have accessible subfloor. Inspector records any visible major defects or safety hazards associated with the subfloor. Parts covered in subfloor inspection are footings, piers, bearers, floor joists, flooring, moisture damage, rot, drainage, ventilation, retaining walls.

 

A building inspection is not limited to the items listed in the above list and a building inspector may include more items of the building depending on customer demand, local regulation, or property condition. For more information about building inspection, please visit the building inspection council website.

What is not covered in building inspection?

Although building inspection is an extensive inspection of the potential property. It provides you information about any building defects(minor or major) in the property. But inspection does not cover everything on the property. There are some limitations that are outside the scope of standard building inspection.  

Here is the list of things that are not covered in building inspection:

  1. In-accessible area

The building inspector is obligated to do the inspection only to those areas which are safe to access. If there is any area on the property which are inaccessible due to an obstruction such as dangerous electrical wiring, heavy furniture, plumbing fitting, or gas pipes, then inspection of these areas is not covered under the standard building inspection.

  1. Under walls and Ceiling

Basically, a building inspection is a visual inspection of the property for any building defects. It is non-intrusive which means the inspector does not drill or penetrate into the surface to inspect under it.

Although, these days modern building inspectors use new technology. It improves the efficiency of the inspection and lets the inspector inspect under the surface. Thermal imaging, Moisture meter, SONAR  help the building inspector to have a better idea under the surface.

  1. The size and layout of the rooms

Building inspection or pre-purchase inspection does not check if your furniture will fit in the new house or not. The size of the room and other areas of the house is provided in the property’s sale posting. Buyer has complete information whether their existing furniture will fit in the new house or not.

  1. Home appliances

Building inspection does not include the inspection of home appliances, even if home appliances are part of the property package. The common home appliances which are not included in the inspection are Air conditioner, Oven, Dishwasher, ducted vacuum cleaner, range-hood. It is the responsibility of the property buyer to check the condition of these appliances or get the inspection done by the respective expert.

  1. Home accessories

The inspection also does not cover other home accessories such as Smoke alarms, Fire alarms, intercom systems, CCTV, lawn watering system, burglar alarm system. It is advised that the property buyer should check these items by himself.

  1. Operation of fireplaces, swimming pools, and related equipment.

Other items that are not covered in building inspection are fire-place, Jacuzzi, saunas, chimneys, and pool filters. These are not common property areas and need specialized knowledge for inspection. There are special inspectors for swimming pools and saunas certification.

  1. Solar Hot water system and Solar PV Systems

Almost 30%, Australian houses have a solar hot water system, solar PV systems, or both. Building inspection does not cover the inspection of these types of equipment. These items need specially trained electricians for inspection and are beyond the scope of standard building inspection.

  1. Building Compliance issues

Building inspection does not include the inspection or review of the property’s compliance with local building codes and regulations. If there are any compliance issues present in the building, then it can fetch heavy penalties. So the buyer should refer to the local council to eliminate any compliance issues.  

  1. Building land safety

Many areas are prone to landslides, sinkholes, or earth movement. These problems can be catastrophic for the building. Building inspection does not cover these problems and it is the buyer’s responsibility to have these verified from the related departments.

  1. Health Risk

 The standard building inspection does not cover the inspection of toxic or hazardous materials on the property. Although any visual occurrence for the presence or suspected presence of hazardous material is notified in the inspection reports. It is recommended to have the expert inspection done from the certified chemical testing lab for any suspected hazardous material.

  1. Other  exclusions
  • Any superficial or minor defect which does not need any repair or rectification.
  • Providing the cost of repair for any building defect is out of the scope of the building inspection.
  • Repairing or fixing any building defect is not included in the building inspection.
  • Adequacy of any construction element or comment on the structural design is not part of building inspection.
  • Inspection is timber termite and pest is not part of standard building inspection. For the detection of any wood-destroying insects, please choose building and pest inspection. 

Although, above list mentions all the exclusion from the building inspection but it is not limited to these only. Different states have different guideline regarding building inspection and circumstances effects scope of inspection in a great amount. On the other hand, it is between buyer and inspector who decides the final scope of building inspection. 

How is the building inspection done?

The building inspection is the process of carefully scanning each accessible part of the building for defects and abnormalities. Building inspectors check each item for defects for which that part is prone. Building inspectors make a list of all these defects and mention them in the inspection report.

Basically, they have 2 things to check- deviation from the standard and sign of damage or defects. Building inspectors have standards to which each part or item in the building must stick. If an item in the building is not up to standard then the building inspector will mark it in the report. For example, If there is a gap between the window frame and wall in access of permissible limit then the building inspector will mention it in the report.

Same way building inspectors have a keen eye for signs of damage or defect. A slight change in the color of the part of the wall could be a sign of water damage. The building inspector will further investigate it.

Some building inspectors use modern tools which help them see under the surface and enhances the efficiency of inspection.

What are the chances of building defects in a property?

According to research done by Mozo, 100% of new and recently renovated properties contain building defects.  The construction boom has led the builder and developer to cut the corner and regulatory bodies have weakened. This has triggered the bombardment of building defects on homeowners.

 The chances of particular building defects are different in apartments and houses. Chances of majors defects in apartments and houses are as follow

Chance of Building Defects in Apartments

Percentage  of Apartment with defects

Defects

48% of Apartment have

Internal Water leaks

39% of Apartment have

Cracking to internal and external walls

30% of Apartment have

Water penetration from outside

27% of Apartment have

Tiling Problem

21% of Apartment have

Defective Plumbing`

19% of Apartment have

Guttering defects

19% of Apartment have

Inappropriate material installed


Chances of Building Defects Houses

Percentage  of Houses with defects

Defects

42% of houses have

Cracking to internal and external walls

33% of houses have

Guttering defects

28% of houses have

Defective Plumbing`

25% of houses have

Internal Water leaks

25% of houses have

Tiling Problem

24% of houses have

Water penetration from outside

What are the most common building defects?

According to research done by choice.com.au, the most common building defects found in Australia are

  1. Internal water leaks – 46% 
  2. Cracking to internal or external structures – 41%
  3. Water penetration from outside – 40%
  4. Guttering faults – 25%
  5. Defective roof coverings – 23%
  6. Defective plumbing – 22%
  7. Tiling problems – 20%
  8. Building movement – 17%
  9. Noise break-through – 17%
  10. Defective balcony balustrades – 15%
  11. Lack of or defective fire safety measures -15%
  12. Electrical faults – 14%
  13. Inappropriate or correctly installed materials – 12%
  14. Defective machinery – 12%
  15. Other – 5%

What are the most common building defects in apartments?

 As per research conducted by Mozo, the most common building defects found in apartments in Australia are

 

Defects

Percentage of Apartments

Internal Water leaks

48%

Cracking to internal and external walls

39%

Water penetration from outside

30%

Tiling Problem

27%

Defective Plumbing`

21%

Guttering defects

19%

Inappropriate material installed

19%

What are the most common building defects in houses?

Mozo conducted research on the building defects and cost of these building defects in 2019. According to this research, the most common building defects in houses in Australia are:

Defects

Percentage  of Houses with defects

Cracking to internal and external walls

42%

Guttering defects

33%

Defective Plumbing`

28%

Internal Water leaks

25%

Tiling Problem

25%

Water penetration from outside

24%

How much building defects costs?

Building defects have cost more than a staggering 10.5 billion dollars to fix the building defects left behind by poor standards.  The survey observed that 100% of houses have been inundated with building defects.  The average cost to fix an apartment for building defects comes out to $6434. Whereas the average cost for fixing the building defect in houses is  $5,839. This has led to many owners digging into sinking funds or savings.

Similarly, the cost to fix the building defects in houses has been $5000 for 68% owners, between $5000 to $20,000 for 27% owners, and above $20,000 for 5% owners.

This is a significant part of the total cost of the property cost and you can save by hiring a competent building inspector.

How much building defects costs in apartments?

The average cost to fix an apartment for building defects comes out to $6434. To fix the building defects in apartments, 74% owners has to pay up to $5000, 23% between $5000 to $50,000, and 4% above $50000.

How much building defects cost in Houses?

the average cost for fixing the building defect in houses is  $5,839. the cost to fix the building defects in houses has been $5000 for 68% owners, between $5000 to $20,000 for 27% owners, and above $20,000 for 5% owners.

Who needs a building inspection?

Anyone who is buying property definitely needs the building inspection before making the final deals. Besides property buyers, the following may need a building inspection.

Property Seller: Building inspection is a useful tool to know any deal-breaker in the property. It also helps to know the true value of the property.

Loan Provider: Mortgage providers or loan providers may use the building inspection to minimize the risk to their money.

Real Estate Agent: Real estate agents can use building inspection for more precise valuation and find out any high for potential property buyers.

Insurance Company: The insurance company may ask for a building inspection report to eliminate any existing defects and damages.

When to get a building inspection?

A building inspection is a must not only when purchasing a property, but it is also important in many other situations when dealing with property. 

Before Auction: Before you bid for the property, get a building inspection done to make sure about the condition of the building.

Before purchasing: A buyer must have the “Subject of building inspection ” condition in the contract. This protects the buyer from aftershocks of property purchasing.

Before listing for sale: It is a good idea to have a building inspection done before listing your property for sale. Any major building defects will keep getting your property rejected and you will end up wasting all the money on advertising.

Before approving a loan: Many banks and mortgage companies are require building inspection reports to safeguard their loan.

Before providing the cover: Many insurance companies also ask for a building inspection report. This provides them correct risk assessment and helps them create precise insurance cover.

How to get or arrange a Building inspection?

Unlike many other countries where building inspector is the responsibility of local council or regulatory bodies, Australian property buyers have to arrange building inspector themselves.

You should shop around for building inspectors comparing them on the basis of the service fee, experience, qualification, license, and availability.

As every owner is looking at many properties and each property is looked at by a potential buyer, so the buyer has to make the decision about any property as soon as possible. This needs building inspection to be done as soon as possible. If the building inspector is not available for few days then you may lose many opportunities.

Once you have finalized the building inspector, coordinate the building inspection with the owner/realtor/ builder. It is advisable to be present at the time of building inspection.

How to choose a building inspector?

In Australia, different states have a different guidelines about the requirement of building inspectors. So it is very difficult to list specific guidelines to choose a building inspector. Following are basic requirements that any property buyer must ensure:

License:  A building must have a valid building inspector license. In some states, a building inspection report from licensed building inspectors is not valid to cancel the sale contract under the ” Subject of building inspection” condition.

Qualification: If you are living in a state where a building inspector license is not required, confirm the qualification to do a building inspection.  As a thumb rule, a building inspector must have done at least 4 years of education related to building inspection.

Experience:  It takes many years to become a competent building inspector. Make sure that the building inspector has sufficient experience.

Insurance: Just in case you fumbled upon one of the above points, check the status of insurance cover with the building inspector.

What are don'ts when choosing a building inspector?

Here are the 3 main biggest mistakes people do when choosing building inspectors for their potential purchase.

Hiring building inspector referred by real estate agent:

There is only one thing worse than buying a property with a building inspection – Hiring building inspectors through real estate. When you hire a building inspector through the reference of the real estate agent, your report is almost written by the real estate agent. Building inspectors make the inspection report according to the instruction of the real estate agents and here is why!  

As “No one bites the hand that feeds them”, references from the real estate agent are the bread & butter for the building inspector. The building inspector will never go against the real estate agent. You are here only today for one property, But a real agent will be always here providing the building inspector with references day in day out. 

These Building inspectors try their best to keep real estate agents happy. They grease their palm with a $100-$200 commission for each reference. They give them expensive gifts on Christmas. When they are doing so much to just keep them happy, do you still think that the building inspector will care about your interests?

 Hiring a building inspector  through the free quote website:

Commercial free quote providing company or website has a very simple business model. Here

                Free quote providing company is seller,

                Building Inspector are buyers  and

                YOU (property buyer) here in this case are a product

that is sold “commercial-free quote websites” to Building inspectors. And your price is between $26 to $105.

The problem starts with the very model of their business. These free quote companies are here to make money. So they sell leads (potential customer details) either to the highest bidder or to as many building inspectors as possible. In both cases, consideration toward the experience, education, and competency of building inspection comes last.

As its building inspectors from whom company make money and you know that ” he who pays the piper calls the tune”. Free quote companies try to do anything to keep their paying customer happy. Their credentials are exaggerated as per instructions from building inspection companies. Bumping up ratings, removing bad reviews, and adding fake +ve reviews are some of the common practices. According to a report, the average percentage of fake reviews is 64%.

These companies have online registration where anyone can register as a building inspector and start bidding for business. You can try it yourself. Hiring through these commercial-free quote companies is a gamble where you put the biggest investment of your life at stake.

 Hiring an incompetent and inexperienced  building inspector for a cheaper price

The difference in price between a quality building inspector and an average building inspector is max $100 -$150. This amount is nothing compared to the total investment you made.

Only a seasoned and competent building inspector can identify every building defect in a building. It takes many years of experience and learning to be a competent building inspector. A weekend crash course cannot prepare anyone for building inspection. These courses may be good for property buyers but definitely cannot make some building inspectors.

What are the tips to choose a building inspector?

Here are few tips about choosing a building inspector:

  1. First and most important, Pre-shortlist the building inspectors for the area, you are planning to buy property in.
  2. Ask your friend and family about good references. Facebook is the place for a competent building inspector reference.
  3. Do your own research about the building inspector serving in the area. Make is the list of questions you should be asking building inspectors before finalizing. Click here for list of questions
  4. Choose a not-for-profit organization to refer a competent building inspector. Building inspection council is one such not-for-profit organization in community service. They do not charge any commission or fee from building inspectors and select them only on the basis of sheer competence. They have a list of pre-verified building inspectors with verification of
  • Qualification
  • Experience
  • Competency

How long does a building inspection take?

A standard building inspection takes 1-3 hours depending upon many factors. Once the inspection is done, the building inspector makes the inspection report based on the finding during the inspection. The building inspector can provide a building inspection report in few days and many building inspectors provide the report within 24 hours. The main factors affecting the duration of building inspection are the size of the property, age of the property, type of the property, and type of inspection.

  • Size of property: Bigger the property, the more time it will take for inspection. It is just simple, a single bedroom house will always take less time to be inspected as compare to a 5 bedroom house.
  • Age of property: Older the property, the more time it will take to do the inspection. Older property tends to have more building defects so building inspectors have to spend more time to analyze each defect. 
  • Type of Property: The type of the property influence the inspection duration. For tile roofs, it takes more time for inspection as each tile has to be inspected. Whereas in the case of colorbond, it takes less time for building inspection.
  • Type of inspection: Different types of inspections take different times to be completed. For example, Building and pest inspection always take more time than standard building inspection. The former involves inspection for present and potential risk of termite and pests.

How much building inspection cost?

Building inspection prices depend on the size, age, and type of property. Building inspectors with different experiences quotes different prices for the same property. Following price guidance can protect from being stitched up by some greedy inspector. 

Number of Rooms

Flat

Single Story

Double Story

1

$200 -$300

$200 -$300

$200 -$300

2

$250 -$400

$275 -$400

$275 -$400

3

$300 -$500

$350 -$550

$375 -$600

4

$400 -$600

$400 -$600

$400 -$600

more

Custom

Custom

Custom

What are different types of building inspection?

There are different types of building inspection depending upon the purpose and scope of building inspection.

Building inspector: This is a standard building inspection which is also called pre-purchase building inspection. It is a visual assessment of the condition of the property by the qualified and licensed building inspector. 

Timber Pest Inspection: Termite or Pest inspection is a visual inspection of the condition of the reasonably accessible parts of the property. These days many hi-tech tools are used such as SONAR-equipped sensors and cameras which can see inside the timber. These tools provide better detection of termites and pests on your property.

Building and Pest Inspection: Basically It is a thorough inspection for building defects, termites, and pests.  It involves the inspection of a building (apartment, townhouse, house, or any commercial ) for the presence of any significant building defects or problems such as rising damp, movement in the walls (cracking), safety hazards, or a faulty roof.  It also covers the pest inspection which involves the scanning of building any present and future risk of pest and termites.  These days many hi-tech tools are used such as SONAR-equipped sensors and cameras which can inside the timber. These tools provide better detection of termites on your property.

New Home Inspection: New Home Inspection is a building inspection through the entire building process of construction of a building. It mainly comprised of the 5 stages mentioned below

Base Stage – This inspection is carried out before the concrete is poured.  This ensures that workmanship is up to standard

Frame Stage –  This inspection is carried out after the framework has been completed.  Inspectors check for constructed wall frames, their plumb, and correct installation of bracing.

Lockup/Pre-Plaster Stage– This inspection is carried out just before the plastering of walls and ceiling. At this point,  plumbers, electrician, heating, cooling, and other contractors have finished their installation and pipework. the roof coverings are fixed, external doors and windows are fixed.

Fixing Stage – In this stage,  All the cabinet and cupboards,  doors, internal cladding, architraves, skirting, sinks are inspected for proper installation.

Final Inspection (PCI)  – The final inspection for your new home construction is known as the handover inspection. At this stage, all the installations are inspected for proper working.

Handover Inspection: Handover inspection involves the checking of construction work and installation in the new house before handover it to the owner. It ensures that material and workmanship are of the industry standard. It involves the inspection of waterproofing,  internal cladding, architraves, doors, built-in shelves, baths, skirting basins, troughs, sinks, vanity units, benchtops, cabinets, cupboards are correctly fitted according to plan.

Dilapidation Inspection: Dilapidation Report is a detailed analysis and documentation of the condition of a building in regard to building defects, integrity, and damages. It is normally done prior to any heavy construction in the vicinity of the building. It helps to minimize any potential conflict among the stakeholders in case any damage happens

A dilapidation report inspection is carried out in 2 phase

Phase 1: A report about structure and integrity of building prior to starting any work

Phase 2: A report to access any damage to property due to construction in the vicinity

Asbestos Inspection: Asbestos inspection or testing involves the scanning of building for the probability of asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally formed material found in construction material prior to 2003. It gets released into the air and becomes an inhalation health hazard. Asbestos inspection can have different scopes depending upon the requirement.

Insurance Inspection: Home insurance inspection has two purposes: 

Appraise the building or home cost

Identify existing risks

Type of insurance required

This is a type of building inspection where inspectors identify potential risks that can cost the insurance company money. 

Depreciation Inspection: The depreciation schedule is a report that outlines all available tax depreciation deductions for a residential investment property or commercial building. Most properties, new and old, have depreciation available.

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