NewsGuidesWhy a Building Surveyor is Essential to Your Project

Why a Building Surveyor is Essential to Your Project

A commonly overlooked element for owners of new domestic building projects is the appointment of a building surveyor. Prior to recent amendments of the Building Act, most landowners would most often allow a builder to select their preferred practitioners, but this has proven legally problematic....
Why a Building Surveyor is Essential to Your Project
iBuildNew Editorial TeamNovember 12, 20182 min read
A commonly overlooked element for owners of new domestic building projects is the appointment of a building surveyor. Prior to recent amendments of the Building Act, most landowners would most often allow a builder to select their preferred practitioners, but this has proven legally problematic.

homeconstruction1

Building surveyors in Australia were once public officers (or municipals) employed by councils, however, their roles have moved into the business sector and evolved to take on more creativity and transparency.Building Surveyors in Victoria, for example, must be registered with the VBA and provide independent oversight of construction work to ensure that buildings are: safe to use and access, energy-efficient, and built in accordance with the building permit. They assess building control processes like drawings, specifications, computations, and reports to ensure they comply with the Building Act 1993; Building Regulations 2018 and the National Construction Code.Surveyors carry out inspections – or have inspectors conduct them on their behalf – to survey the stages of your build. A survey can highlight constraints in a plan format to be read by architects, engineers, the council and other consultants. Some of these constraints can pertain to site dimensions, location, and limitation of easements, topography, and positions of underground services and adjoining buildings.

siteinsight1

In recent years, builders who appointed surveyors risked loss of licence through potential legal disputes and misconduct claims, known to have occurred between builders and owners. For this reason, owners of new builds are now protected from any illegal building procedures providing they appoint a building surveyor to monitor the ongoing legality of work and carry out specific tasks such as direct to fix non-compliant work.At completion stage, a building surveyor issues an occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection. Surveys by registered practitioners, in the case of a new build requiring a 5 stage inspection can cost up to $2,500 and as the industry adage goes, they are known as ‘the best insurance policy money can buy.’Thinking of embarking on a home building project? Our team can offer free, expert advice on choosing the right builder and home design for you! Get in touch on 1800 184 284 with our team to get started today.
iBuildNew Editorial Team

iBuildNew Editorial Team

As the specialist voice of Australia’s largest new home building resource, the iBuildNew Editorial Team delivers deep-dive coverage into the house and land sector. From analysing new estate launches to highlighting the country’s leading home designs, we track the building journey to provide clarity for every buyer.

We're on a mission to help Australians build with confidence.

Compare designs, prices, and specifications from Australia’s most trusted builders to find the perfect match for your land.