What you need to know

A site inspection is an independent examination of a property or a building site by someone who does not work for the builder or the vendor, carried out to establish the actual condition of the work and to document anything that does not comply with the approved plans, the National Construction Code or the relevant Australian Standards. It covers what can be seen and, with the right equipment, a good deal that cannot: moisture behind a wall, a missing structural connection, a membrane that was never going to hold water. The output is a written report with a photograph of each defect and the requirement it fails against. People use the term for every stage of a building’s life, which is why we name them separately: a pre-purchase inspection before you buy, construction stage inspections while it is being built, a handover inspection before you take the keys, and a defects inspection when something has gone wrong. Site Inspections is also our company name, which is the source of some confusion: a site inspection is the job, and we are the people who do it.

Every job is quoted, so there is no honest list price to publish. What moves the price is the complexity of the build, its size, the number of sites, the type of inspection or report, and where it is. Tell us the address and what you need and you will typically have a figure back within 24 hours. If a smaller inspection would do the job, we will tell you that as well.

Tell us what is happening and we will tell you, including when the answer is that you do not need one. If you are buying, it is a Pre-Purchase Property Inspection. If you are building, it is Construction Stage Inspections. If something has gone wrong, it usually starts with a Water Leak Inspection or Thermal Imaging. Every service we offer is listed on our services page, grouped by the situation people are in when they call us.

A photograph of every defect, and the standard, the approved plan or the manufacturer’s requirement it fails against. Written in plain English, so you can forward it to a builder, an agent or an insurer without editing it first. Where something needs opening up or further testing before it can be diagnosed properly, the report says so rather than guessing.

A week is the typical lead time, and we keep a wait list, so when a job is rescheduled a slot opens up, sometimes at short notice. If you’re genuinely up against it, our inspectors will work after hours to get the inspection done and the report out on time. Tell us the date you’re working towards when you enquire and we’ll tell you straight away what we can do.

Because new does not mean compliant. We have found missing steel in slabs, and framing that did not match the engineering, on builds that had already been signed off. On a home still going up, the inspections that matter happen during construction at each stage, while a defect is still visible and still cheap to fix. If the build is finished, a Practical Completion Inspection or a Handover Inspection records what is outstanding while the builder still needs your signature to be paid.

Registered builders, forensic plumbers and engineers, depending on what the job needs, and they bring the equipment that finds what an eye cannot: thermal imaging, moisture meters, borescope cameras and drones. Site Inspections has inspected over 7,500 homes and our Google profile sits at 4.9 stars across 197 reviews. If a job needs a discipline we do not have in house, we say so rather than guessing at it.

No, and plenty of clients are not. We photograph everything and the report stands on its own. If you can make it, the inspector will walk you through what they found, within the time allocated for the inspection.

No. If it is tenanted, or the owner is still living there, we work around them. An empty property does give the inspector uninterrupted access to more of it, which makes for a more complete report, so if the agent can arrange it, it is worth asking.

Yes. On site while the inspection is happening, and afterwards if something in the report needs explaining. You will be talking to the person who did the inspection.

Payment is required within 24 hours of the inspection being scheduled, which confirms and locks in your date and time. The quote comes first, so you have the figure before anything is scheduled.

Call 1300 906 980 and you will speak to someone who does this work, fill in the form on our contact page, or email [email protected]. Tell us the address, what is happening, and any date you are working towards. You will typically have a quote back within 24 hours.