Building Stage Inspection

Depending on the type of building inspection the following are checked as per:

• Australian Standard AS4349.1 – 2007 Appendix C – Building Elements and Services
• Australian Standard AS1684 Timber Framed Construction
• Building Codes of Australia (BCA)
• Building Commission Guide to Standards & Tolerances

What is inspected for at Practical Completion / Handover:

• Building defects
• Damage
• Cosmetic defects
• Quality of finish
• Fixtures and fittings
• Presence of appliances
• Presence of installations
• Incomplete work
• Safety hazards

Areas and elements inspected include:

• Site
• Exterior of Building
• Roof Exterior
• Roof Space
• Interior of Building
• Subfloor Space
• Relevant Features
• Services & Installations (presence of)

Site:

• Surface water
• Stormwater pits
• Finished ground levels
• Landscaping
• Driveway
• Crossover
• Paving / pathways
• Fences
• Gates
• Retaining walls
• Termite barriers
• Termite stickers
• Building debris
• Pool fencing
• Pool gates
• Pool surrounds
• Sheds / outbuildings

Exterior of Building:

• Piers / stumps
• Brickwork
• Render finish
• Cladding
• Window sills
• Door Sills
• Mortar joints
• Lintels
• Expansion joints
• Vermin proofing
• Weep holes
• Penetrations
• Dampcourse
• Waterproofing
• Soffits
• Subfloors
• Ventilation

Exterior of Building Cont.

• Decks
• Pergolas
• Balconies
• Verandahs
• Awnings
• Landings
• Ballustrading
• Stairs
• Ramps
• Windows
• Doors
• Door locks
• External painting

Interior of Building:

• Ceilings
• Ceiling heights
• Cornice
• Walls
• Party walls
• Wall linings
• Wall Tiles
• Windows
• Window locks
• Window sills
• Window treatments
• Security/Barrier Screens
• Doors
• Door margins
• Door frames
• Door handles
• Door locks
• Door sills

Interior of Building Cont.

• Architraves
• Timber Floors
• Carpets
• Floor Tiles
• Grouting to tiles
• Skirtings
• Cabinetry
• Internal stairs
• Balustrade
• Light fittings
• Power points
• Safety glass
• Smoke detectors
• Plasterwork finish
• Paintwork finish
• Silicone sealing

Relevant Features

• Planter Boxes
• Garden edging
• Rock walls
• Steps
• Bali Huts
• Trellises
• Latticework
• Louvres
• Barbeque
• Cabinetry
• Etc.

Roof Exterior:

• Roof covering
• Ridge
• Hips
• Valleys
• Gables
• Eaves
• Barges
• Fascias
• Flashings
• Roof penetrations
• Guttering
• Debris in gutters
• Downpipes

Roof Space:

• Ceiling cavity
• Insulation (presence of)
• Sarking (presence of)
• Party Walls
• Access Panel

Services & Installations: (presence of)

• Safety switch
• Hot water unit
• Water tank
• Water pump
• Air conditioning unit
• Gas bottles
• Clothes line
• Letterbox
• T.V. Antenna

Items Inspected in specific areas include:

Kitchen/Meals

• Bench tops
• Kitchen cupboards
• Drawers
• Pantry
• Sink
• Plumbing
• Taps
• Stove – presence of
• Cook top – presence of
• Oven- presence of
• Rangehood- presence of
• Dishwasher- presence of
• Splashback
• Silicone sealing

Bathrooms

• Bath
• Showers
• Basins
• Vanities
• Mirrors
• Shower Screens
• Toilets
• Bidet
• Floor wastes
• Exhaust fans
• Towel rails
• Taps

Laundry

• Laundry Tub
• Taps
• Waste
• Tiles – wall
• Tiles – floor
• Cabinetry
• Bench top
• Linen press
• Silicone sealing

Garaging

• Garage doors
• Finish of floor
• Cabinetry

Bedrooms

• Wardrobes
• Drawers
• Shelving
• Ceiling Fans

Toilets

• Wall tiles
• Floor tiles
• Silicone sealing
• Toilets
• Toilet door
• Toilet pan
• Flange
• Cistern
• Silicone sealing

Below are some specific things we look for to various components of the property;

Internal…

Doors:

• Are door architrave mitres neat and tidy?
• Have door architraves and jambs been sanded?
• Is the paintwork to doors all good?
• Are margins around doors all good?
• Are all screws fitted to door striker plates?
• Are timbers to door striker plates cut out neatly?
• Do the doors rattle in the striker plate?
• Do the doors latch properly?
• Is there the correct clearance under the doors?

Windows:

• Are window architrave mitres neat and tidy?
• Are window sills installed correctly?
• Are window architrave mitres neat and tidy?
• Is there any damage to window framework?
• Is paintwork to window sills and architraves all good?
• Do the windows slide open and shut properly?
• Do the window locks work?
• Are there any scratches on the window glass?

Skirtings:

• Are skirtings nice and straight?
• Were skirtings sanded prior to painting?
• Are skirting mitres neat and tidy?
• Is paintwork to skirting all good?
• Are there any gaps that are not silicone sealed?

Electrical:

• Are light swiches and power points installed level and plumb?
• Are lightbulbs installed to the lights?
• Do the lights work? (if power is on)
• Are any light fittings damaged?
• Are all appliances installed?
• Are the appliances installed?
• Are the appliances working? (if power is on)
• Are exhaust fans installed?
• Are exhaust fans working? (if power is on)
• Are ceiling fans installed?
• Are ceiling fans working? (if power is on)
• Are window furnishings installed? (if applicable)
• Are window furnishings in good order? (if installed)

Plasterwork:

• Are walls straight and plumb?
• Are cornice lines nice and straight?
• Are plasterboard joints neat and tidy?

Tiles & Floor Coverings

• Have floor and wall tiles been layed properly?
• Is the tile grouting neat and tidy?
• Are any floor tiles drummy?
• Are tiles silicone sealed where required?
• Have carpets been layed neatly?
• Are any carpets dirty or marked?
• Are any timber floors installed properly?

Wardrobes:

• Is there any damage to wardrobe doors?
• If the wardrobe shelving installed?
• Is the wardrobe hanging rail installed?
• Are the sliding wardrobe doors sliding correctly?

Toilets:

• Does the toilet door have the required lift-off hinges?
• Are lift-off hinges fitted correctly?
• Is the a sufficient enough gap to lift door off hinges?
• Is the toilet pan screwed down properly?
• Is the toilet seat installed properly?
• Is the toilet pan sealed around the base?
• Are there toilet roll holders installed?

 Bathrooms:

• Are towel rails installed?
• Are the vanities installed?
• Is the tapware installed?
• Are shower screens installed?
• Has silicone been installed where required?

 Kitchen:

• Are the appliances installed?
• Is the wall oven securely fixed in place?
• Is rangehood ducted where necessary?
• Is there provision made for dishwasher pipes?
• Is back of diswasher space finished correctly?
• I all cabinetry in good condition?
• Are all doors opening and shutting correctly?
• Are all drawers sliding open and shut correctly?
• Is kitchen splashback installed correctly?

 Cleaning:

• Has the property had a final clean?
• Have all glass windows and doors been cleaned?
• Have the window and door tracks been cleaned out?
• Has the concrete garage floor been cleaned?
• Is the driveway concrete clean?

External…

• Is any render of good quality?
• Is the brickwork layed consistently?
• Are there any loose bricks?
• Are the mortar beds and perps even and tidy?
• Are all brick sills layed consistently?
• Are all vertical articulation joints filled?
• Are any fascias damaged?
• Are any gutters damaged?
• Are the downpipes installed correctly?
• Are there any loose guttter brackets?
• Are the downpipes properly connected?
• Are the downpipes missing any brackets?
• Is the roof properly completed?
• Are there any dents or scratches in the roof sheeting?
• Are the eaves lines straight?
• Is the landscaping completed?
• Is the fencing completed?
• Is the fencing straight?
• Are there any damaged timber palings?
• Do the gates open and shut correctly?
• Is the turf done properly?
• Are the gardens completed and plants installed?
• Are clotheslines installed?
• Is the hot water unit installed?
• Are external taps installed?
• Has all building material and debris been removed from site?

And much more…..