What is not covered in the 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 there are many things that are not covered in building inspection 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 cover the inspection of these equipments. These items need specially trained electricians for inspection and are beyond the scope of standard building inspection.

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.

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.

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.

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 insect, 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.

To know about what is covered in building inspection, click following link https://www.buildinginspectioncouncil.org/what-is-covered-in-building-inspection-report/

For a detailed inspection with the most comprehensive scope, get free quotes from Building Inspection Council now. Click here