When building a new home or investment property there are several stages of completion throughout the process. Each of these stages is usual accompanied by a progress payment claim from your builder. These stages are:
- Slab stage or base stage
- Frame stage
- Lock-up stage
- Fixing stage or Pre-paint stage
- Practical completion stage or Handover stage
It is important to ensure each stage is completed properly before progressing onto the next stage.
The first of these stages to be completed is the slab stage or base stage. This is when the homes site preparation, base, footings, piers, steel & formwork, waffle-pods, under slab services and stormwater services have been installed, ready for the concrete to be poured.
It is often a good idea to have the base or slab stage inspection conducted as part of your quality assurance process.
The timing for the slab stage inspection is very specific. Often the preparation work is finished only the day before the slab is poured. Therefore, we recommend the inspection be conducted the afternoon prior to the concrete pour. This requires good communication between yourself, your builder and your building inspector to ensure that the necessary site inspection is scheduled and conducted within that very tight time frame.
During the site inspection your building inspector is going to be checking the following details.
Site Conditions:
- That the site is identified with a builders sign &/or survey pegs
- Site access & crossover for the driveway
- The slab orientation to the site and in relation to the site access driveway
- The site gradient & drainage
- The cut, cut & fill or fill for the house pad
- Retaining wall’s location and construction
- The location of the temporary electrical meter box with safety switch provision
- General check of the site for excessive building rubbish or possible termite nesting sites
The Slab Preparation
- The formwork is of sufficient size and adequately braced
- The footings placed as per the engineering specification
- The steel has been laid adequately and braced appropriately to ensure clearance from the base is maintained throughout. This ensures the steel never comes into contact with the ground. Doing so would cause the steel to rust over time and undermine the integrity of the slab
- Where appropriate, have the waffle-pods be laid correctly and spacers used to ensure clearance from the steel, with step downs in the correct location as per the plans
- The under-slab services, including plumbing, electrical & data, drainage, and stormwater are all in-situ and without defect
- The slab penetrations have adequate termite protection installed
- The damp proofing membrane is in-situ and without defect or punctures
Once your building inspector has finished their necessary site inspection, it is important that the report be compiled and sent to you as soon as possible after the inspection. This will allow you to forward any noted defects to your builder in time for the rectification action to be taken prior to the slab pour the following morning. The ASBIR team will guarantee you receive your report prior to the slab pour and, if requested, can send the report directly to your builder. Giving you peace of mind that your builder is aware of any defects prior to the concrete pour.
This is another reason we suggest that clear communication is maintained between yourself, your builder and your building inspector.
All Suburbs Building Inspections & Reports (ASBIR) are the building inspection team you can rely on for your building stage inspection needs around the greater Brisbane area. Our friendly and experienced staff will help you and your builder ensure that your house is built to the highest standard.
Please also ask our team about the package deals that are available for building stage inspections. This will allow you to save money while giving you peace of mind, knowing that you have an experience team in your corner
OUR SERVICE AREAS
With our head office centrally based north of Brisbane at Kallangur and inspectors that live both north side and south side, we are ideally located to service a large part of South-East Queensland. We service all suburbs of Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Logan, Gold Coast and Ipswich, and surrounding hinterland areas.
CONTACT US
Call us on 1300 553 007 during business hours, Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm to speak to one of our friendly team.
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