C11 Enclosed Stage Checklist for New Home Builds

The enclosed stage is when your house finally looks like a house. The bricks or cladding are on, the windows and external doors are in, and the building is sealed from the weather. It's also the last chance to see a lot of important work before it disappears for good.

Wall ties, flashings, damp-proof courses and weep holes are what keep water out of your walls and your brickwork attached to the frame. Get them wrong and you're looking at damp, mould, rotting frames or cracked brickwork years later, usually after your defects period has finished. Fixing them then can mean pulling down sections of wall.

This post walks through the main things our C11 Enclosed Stage Checklist covers and what to look for. You don't need to be a builder to use it. You just need to know what good looks like, take photos and ask the right questions.

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C11 at a glance

Enclosed Stage Inspection: what to check on the brickwork and cladding

152checks

11sections

3result options

35pages

Start at the desk: read the plans, window schedule and cladding guide, and note the wind class, exposure and site class.

Visit 1, while the walls go up: look into the cavity at the ties, flashings and mortar before the top courses close it. Tick Fine, Later (couldn't check) or Issue.

Visit 2, before the enclosed-stage claim: walk round the outside, then every opening and the eaves. Send each fix to the builder in writing. S11 lists what your builder should be doing: ask to see the records.

The 11 sections

S1Before you goWind, site and exposure class, tie and lintel durability, mortar class, articulation joints, cladding guide, window schedule, BAL14
S2Site and safetySediment fence, clean kerb and verge, damage to neighbours, services visible, bricks and windows stored off the ground5
S3Cavity, ties and flashingsWall wrap, 25–75 mm clear cavity, tie rating and spacing, base flashing and DPC laps, lintels propped, photos20
S4Ground lineSlab height and ground falls, exposed slab edge, DPC height, weep holes, plate flush with the slab edge, subfloor vents17
S5Brick faceColour and bond, plumb, level and flat within tolerance, full joints, clean faces, articulation and expansion joints22
S6CladdingProduct and wrap, clearances, flashings and tapes, fixings and spacing, joints and trims, painting, foam (EIFS) systems26
S7Windows, doors and lintelsSchedule match, fixing and packing, shrinkage gaps, sill and head flashings, lintel size and bearing, jamb closures17
S8Roof and eaves lineEaves clearance and gap, tie-downs, roof-to-wall flashings and cascade trays, weep holes above flashings8
S9Boundary and bushfireFire separation and openings near boundaries, fire-rated wall joints, ember guards, BAL-rated windows and doors, sealed gaps6
S10Lock-up and handoverDoors lock, windows run freely, glass and frames clean and undamaged, sills protected, weathertight, every issue sent in writing10
S11What your builder should be doingSite signs and drainage, safety inspections, scaffold tags, the builder's own brickwork check, lintel props, window and BAL labels kept7

Short on time? The “Check these 10” card on page 2 has the checks that matter most, and the “Documents to collect” box lists what to ask for. Use it at enclosed (lock-up) stage, once the walls are clad and the house can be locked. Educational guide only.

Site management

Before you look at the walls, look at the site. A messy site doesn't prove the work is poor, but it's a pretty reliable warning sign. If the basics are being skipped, what else is?

Fencing and signage: secure, upright fencing around the whole site, with the builder's contact details and safety signs displayed.
Sediment and erosion control: silt fences intact, especially at the low side and near stormwater pits. Our C3 checklist covers this in detail.
Kerb, footpath and driveway: protected and free of concrete slurry and debris.
Rubbish: contained in skips or cages, with offcuts and broken bricks picked up.
Stabilised access: a gravel or rock entry so mud isn't tracked onto the road.
Drainage: no water ponding against the slab or under the floor, and temporary downpipes connected so roof water is directed away from the house.
Services: sewer, stormwater, water and electrical pits marked and protected.

Selections and variations

This is where you check that what turns up on site is what you chose.

Compare bricks, mortar colour, roof, fascia, gutters, render, cladding and paint against your signed colour selections and samples.
Check delivery dockets and pack labels for the brand, range and colour. Photograph them and keep the photos with your contract.
Bricks should be blended from at least three packs at a time to avoid colour banding.
Finishes should be in the right places as shown on the elevations.
Any change to colours, brands or materials should be a written variation, signed by both of you, with the price difference shown. If it's not in writing, it didn't happen.

Raise any mismatch immediately, ideally before it's installed. Once a whole wall is laid in the wrong brick, the conversation gets much harder.

C11 - Enclosed Stage Inspection Checklist

$119.00 AUD

Last updated 28 Oct 2026 · Revision 6 · Free updates for life

Checklist Type: Major (Enclosed Stage)

Form Factor: Fillable, print-ready PDF (A4, 42 pages)

When to use: Enclosed (lock-up) stage: brickwork and external cladding

A 152-point enclosed stage checklist for brick veneer and fibre cement, weatherboard or foam cladding. Check the cavity, ties, flashings, windows and lintels before the linings hide them.

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Drawings and specifications

Take a copy of your latest approved plans, engineering drawings and specification to site. Check that:

Wall types (brick veneer, cladding, blockwork) are where the elevations show them.
Articulation joints, lintels, sills and piers are where the drawings put them.
The mortar joint finish (ironed, raked, flush) matches what was specified.
Any substitutions have been approved in writing.

A highlighter and a marked-up set of plans work well. So does an inspection app on your phone if you prefer.

Mortar and grout

Mortar holds the bricks together and affects how durable and weatherproof the walls are. The NCC Housing Provisions set out the standard mixes by volume of cement, lime and sand:

General purpose: 1 cement : 1 lime : 6 sand. Used in most locations.
Exposure class: 1 cement : 0.5 lime : 4.5 sand. Used in severe conditions such as sea fronts, areas with salt attack and polluted areas.
Protected: 1 cement : 2 lime : 9 sand. Only for protected situations like internal walls.

Lime is the ingredient most often left out of site-mixed mortar to save time. It improves workability and bond, and helps the mortar hold water while it cures. Don't assume a bag of mortar includes it. Mortar should be mixed to a consistent colour and stiffness, and not re-tempered with extra water once it has started to stiffen.

Grout is different. It's a fluid mix used to fill the cores of reinforced blockwork around steel bars. It needs to fill the cores completely, with no voids, and should only go in after the reinforcement has been checked and signed off.

Brick veneer walls

Most Queensland brick homes are brick veneer: a single skin of bricks tied to a timber or steel frame, with a cavity between them.

The cavity

The cavity lets water that gets through the bricks run down and out, rather than across to the frame. Under the NCC Housing Provisions, the clear cavity between the veneer and the frame must be at least 25 mm and no more than 75 mm.

The cavity must stay clear. Mortar droppings ("dags") that build up at the base or on ties can bridge the cavity and carry water straight to the frame. A torch and a small mirror or phone camera help you look down the cavity while the brickwork is going up.

Wall ties

Wall ties hold the brick skin to the frame. Missing or poorly fixed ties can lead to cracking, bulging or, in a severe storm, a wall coming down. The NCC sets these maximum spacings for masonry veneer:

Studs at 600 mm centres: ties at a maximum 600 mm horizontally and 400 mm vertically.
Studs at 450 mm centres: ties at a maximum 450 mm horizontally and 600 mm vertically.
Edges and openings: ties within 300 mm of the sides of panels and openings.
Top of the wall: ties within 300 mm or two courses, whichever is less, of the top of the veneer.

Ties must be embedded at least 50 mm into the mortar, bedded in mortar rather than pushed into it later, and should slope down towards the bricks so water runs away from the frame. They must also suit the exposure: stainless steel or engineered polymer within 1 km of breaking surf, heavier galvanising or stainless between 1 and 10 km, and standard galvanised ties elsewhere.

Ties are easy to check while brickwork is half built and impossible afterwards. If you're not sure about the embedment, ask the builder or your inspector to confirm it before the brickwork goes higher. Don't go pulling on ties yourself.

Lintels

Lintels are the steel angles that carry brickwork over windows and doors. Check that they:

Bear at least 100 mm onto the brickwork at each end for openings up to 1 m wide, and at least 150 mm for wider openings, unless the engineer specifies otherwise.
Are galvanised and undamaged, with no cut or scraped areas left unprotected.
Sit level and straight, on solid brickwork.
Have a flashing over them to direct water out of the cavity.

Openings up to 500 mm wide in veneer don't need a steel lintel if they're otherwise properly supported.

Damp-proof courses, flashings and weep holes

These three work together to keep water out.

Damp-proof course (DPC)

The DPC is a waterproof layer in a mortar joint near the base of the wall that stops moisture rising up through the bricks. The NCC requires it to be at least:

150 mm above the adjacent ground.
75 mm above paved, concreted or landscaped areas that slope away from the wall.
50 mm above paved areas protected by a verandah or carport roof.

The DPC should run the full width of the brick and be visible at the face of the wall. It should never be buried by garden beds, paths or render. Have a look around your neighbourhood and count how many homes have the DPC covered. It's a lot.

Flashings

Flashings catch water in the cavity and send it out through the weep holes. You'll find them at the base of walls, over lintels and openings, under sills, and at roof and wall junctions. Head and sill flashings should:

Extend at least 150 mm past the opening on each side.
Turn up in the cavity at least 150 mm.
Have end dams (turned-up ends) so water can't run sideways off the ends into the frame.
Slope outwards and finish at the face of the brickwork, not folded back into the wall.
Lap properly with the DPC and wall wrap so there are no gaps.

Weep holes

Weep holes are the open vertical joints that let water out of the cavity. The NCC requires them:

Immediately above all flashings and DPCs acting as flashings.
At no more than 1.2 m centres.
At least 50 mm high, the full width of the mortar joint.

They aren't required under window and door sills, or over openings less than 1.2 m wide. Check that they're open and not filled with mortar. In bushfire-prone areas, openings like weep holes need ember protection to suit the BAL rating, usually a mesh or purpose-made insert.

Articulation and control joints

Brickwork can't stretch. Articulation joints are planned vertical gaps that let the walls move with the slab and footings, so cracking happens in a sealed joint instead of across your bricks.

The NCC requires articulation joints in masonry walls on all sites except Class A and S (stable) soils. They must be:

At least 10 mm wide, with no mortar in them.
Filled with flexible sealant over a foam backing rod or filler.
At no more than 6 m centres in straight walls with small openings (900 x 900 mm or less), and within 4.5 m of a corner.
At no more than 5 m centres where walls have larger openings, and within 1.2 m of those openings.
At changes in wall height of more than 20%, changes in wall thickness, and at joints in the slab or footings.

Joint locations should be shown on your drawings. Check they've been built where shown, that they run the full height of the brickwork, and that no mortar or brick bridges the gap. Raise any cracking near corners, windows or step-downs with your builder.

Subfloor construction

If part of your home has a suspended timber or steel floor, check underneath before it's closed in.

Clear of debris: offcuts, formwork and rubbish left under the floor trap moisture and feed termites.
Clearance: the NCC requires at least 150 mm from the ground to the underside of the lowest floor framing, or 400 mm where the termite management system relies on inspecting the subfloor.
Cross-ventilation: vents on opposite sides so air flows right through, with no dead air pockets behind internal walls. The required vent area depends on your climate zone, and can be halved if an impervious membrane is laid on the ground.
Vents: clear of soil, landscaping and decking, vermin-proof and corrosion resistant.
Piers and stumps: built to the engineer's layout, plumb, with full mortar joints. Height adjustments use non-compressible packers, not timber wedges.
Tie-down: bearers fixed to piers with the brackets or straps the design calls for.
Water: no ponding under the house. If there is, the site drainage needs fixing.

Roof anchorage

Your roof has to stay on in a storm. That relies on a continuous load path: roof to wall frame, wall frame to floor or slab.

Ask for the tie-down schedule or engineering and check the straps, brackets, rods and bolts match it.
Every connection should be complete: truss or rafter to top plate, top plate to studs, studs to slab.
Fixings should be the specified nails, screws or bolts, all installed.
The roof should be tied to the frame, not to the brick veneer, unless an engineer has designed it that way.
The anchorage must suit your wind classification. In Queensland that ranges from N1 to N4 in non-cyclonic areas, and C1 to C4 in cyclonic areas.

Reinforced masonry

Garage walls, retaining walls and some feature walls may be reinforced blockwork. Check that:

Starter bars are in the right place and lapped as the engineer specifies.
Cores are clean, with clean-out openings at the base so mortar droppings can be removed.
The engineer or certifier inspects the steel before grouting. Ask for the sign-off.
Grout fills the cores completely.

Cleaning the brickwork

Plenty of good brickwork gets ruined at the cleaning stage.

Brickwork should only be cleaned once the mortar has cured.
The wall should be soaked with water first so cleaning chemicals don't soak into the bricks.
Use the cleaner the brick manufacturer recommends, tested on a small area first, and rinse thoroughly.
Avoid strong acid, high-pressure washing and wire brushes. They damage mortar joints and brick faces and can cause staining.

Fibre cement cladding

Fibre cement weatherboards and sheets are durable and low maintenance, but only when installed to the manufacturer's instructions. Ask your builder which product is being used, then download the installation guide. It's your reference for everything below.

Framing: straight, plumb and at the stud spacing the product requires, with noggings or backing where sheet edges need support. Bowed studs show straight through the cladding.
Wall wrap: installed behind the cladding and taped and sealed around windows and penetrations.
Fixings: the type, spacing and edge distances in the manufacturer's guide, driven flush and not overdriven.
Joints: sheet edges land on framing, with the specified gaps, joiners or backing strips.
Movement joints: at the spacing the manufacturer specifies, and at changes in material.
Clearances: the bottom edge kept clear of the ground, paving and flashings by the distances in the guide. Cladding buried in garden beds wicks up moisture and hides termites.
Sealing and painting: cut edges and penetrations sealed, and the cladding painted with an exterior system within the time the manufacturer specifies. Pre-primed boards still need painting.

Foam cladding

EPS foam cladding with a rendered finish is a proprietary system, not just foam boards and render. Every part of it, from the board and fixings to the mesh, base coat, render, sealants and paint, must come from the same certified system and be installed to its manual. Substituting a cheaper render or sealant can void the warranty and the compliance.

Ask for evidence that the system is suitable for use, such as a CodeMark certificate or other documentation accepted by your certifier.
Check the frame for straightness before the panels go on. Any bow will show through the render.
Panels must be fixed into studs or solid framing, not into bracing board, with the specified fixings and washers, snug but not crushing the foam.
Look for reinforcing mesh lapped at joins, extra fixings at corners and openings, movement joints where the system specifies, and flexible sealant at windows, joints and penetrations.

Lock-up: doors, sills and hardware

External doors should be square, plumb and operate freely.
Door sills and thresholds should be protected with tape or covers so trades don't damage them.
Handles and locks should be covered and working.
The house should be locked at night once lock-up is reached.

Take photos of all doors, sills and windows at lock-up. If damage turns up later, it's much easier to show when it happened.

General finish checks

Before the scaffold comes down and painting starts, walk the outside of the house with your builder and check:

Mortar joints are even, around 10 mm, and finished as specified.
Walls are plumb, straight and level, and the bond pattern is consistent.
Weep holes are open and movement joints are sealed.
There's no mortar or cement splatter on windows, frames or brick faces.
No staining or efflorescence (white salt deposits) is showing.

Once the scaffold is gone, fixing anything up high gets slow and expensive.

Ask your builder for their checks

Good builders use inspection and test plans and stage checklists for their own quality control. Ask to see them for the brickwork, flashings and cladding. A builder who checks their own work will be happy to show you. And if your builder is one of those, tell me. I'm always happy to give credit where it's due.

If you'd rather have a professional on your side, an independent inspector at the enclosed stage is money well spent. Use this post and the checklist to understand what they're looking at.

C11 Enclosed Stage Checklist: An Overview