When conducting new home build, inspections are carried out at various stages of the construction to ensure the house is built in compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and relevant regulations. Even if your builder is diligent and careful, there’s always a chance that something may be overlooked. Every new home build is different, and these inspections are critical in preventing major defects and issues that may arise in the future.
Who inspects your new home build?
Building surveyors engage building inspectors to be involved for the duration of the building project to sign off each stage of the construction. They are independent to the builders to ensure that they can carry out inspections without any conflict of interest.
Their role is to ensure compliance with the building permit and to give directions (confirmed in writing) to ensure compliance is met by the builder.
It is not part of their role to determine whether a departure from approved plans is permissible, nor it is not up to them to judge the quality of your builder’s workmanship. Depending on your level of experience, you can either alert the builder to any quality concerns you have along the way, or may want to engage an independent building consultant to inspect on general quality and help manage contractual issues.
What do they check?
The following is the types of inspections that may be carried out when a new home build is conducted (there are slight differences between states in Australia):
- Footings inspection
- Slab inspection
- Framing inspection
- Lockup stage inspection
- Waterproofing inspection
- Final inspection
- Pre-handover/practical completion stage inspection
- Fixing stage inspection
What are the mandatory inspections for a new home?
Inspections required for your home may vary slightly depending on what state you’re in, generally a building surveyor will be legally required to sign off on:
- Footings – The inspection of excavation, boundary clearances, and reinforcements prior to placing your house’s footings.
- Slab/base – Inspection is conducted before the concrete base is poured and allowed to dry. Aspects of this stage include floor level check, termite treatment, etc.
- Framing – Checking that the dimensions and placements of the frame conform to the most recent plans, and ensure tie down straps to the slab are properly installed.
- Waterproofing – Currently only mandatory in QLD and NSW, this includes inspection of roofing, waterproofing, plumbing and windows.
- Final/Pre-Handover – A throughout inspection checking off on all areas of your completed house according to the building code. The building surveyor will issue a Certificate of Occupancy.
At each stage, the builder surveyor must approve the work that has been done by the builder before work can continue. If any concerns are raised, they must be rectified to meet the standards before a permit or approval can be issued.
How much will it cost?
Building inspections are planned as part of the building process, and the cost of mandatory inspections will usually be incorporated into the building contract.
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Zoe Langenberg
Zoe is passionate about coffee and interior design. You can find her most weekends exploring an art gallery or devouring a good book.
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