C16 Practical Completion Inspection Checklist

Practical completion is the last time you see your new home before you accept it and pay the final claim. Anything you miss on the day becomes your problem to prove later. This post walks through our new C16 Practical Completion Inspection Checklist: what it is, what it does, when to use it, and what you get out of it.

What it is

C16 is a fillable, 45-page checklist with 293 checks across 19 sections. It takes you through your finished home room by room, from the roof and gutters to every tap, switch, door and robe. It also covers the paperwork, keys and warranties you should collect before you accept the home.

Every check is a plain question with Fine, Later and Issue boxes. Key checks are marked, so you know which items you shouldn't accept the home without. A built-in defects register at the back lets you list every issue, have the builder sign it, and track each one until it's fixed.

C16 sits between C15 (Painting) and C17 (Handover) in our series, and it's one of our six Major stage checklists.

What it does

A practical completion inspection (PCI) is usually a walk-through with the supervisor, and it goes fast. Without a list, it's easy to look at the kitchen benchtop and forget the downpipes, or check the doors and never test the power points.

C16 gives you:

A complete route through the home, so nothing gets skipped, from Before You Start through to Defects and Handover.
A written record the builder signs, so every defect is agreed in writing before you pay.
A collection list for everything you're owed: certificates, keys, remotes, devices, warranties and service information.

When to use it

When the builder tells you the home has reached practical completion. Ask for it in writing, with the date.
At the PCI itself. Book it in daylight, with power, water and gas connected, and bring a torch, tape measure, spirit level, power point tester and your CINS numbers.
Before you pay the final claim. Every Issue should be on the signed defects register, with a date for repair.

Why use it

Because once you've accepted the home, the conversation changes. Before practical completion, fixing a defect is part of finishing the job. After it, you're relying on your defects period and on proving the problem was there all along.

Some of the costliest items are easy to miss on the day:

Water: ground that doesn't fall away from the slab, downpipes not connected to stormwater, and wet areas without the right falls.
Certificates: the documents your home needs, such as electrical, plumbing, waterproofing, termite and smoke alarm certificates. C16 has 34 certificate checks.
Keys and devices: every key, remote, valve key and device, and the warranty and service information for what's been installed.

What's in it for you

Confidence on the day. You'll know what to look at and what to ask, and you'll have a reason to slow the walk-through down.
A defects list that holds up. Dated, photographed with CINS numbers, and signed by the builder.
Everything handed over. Nothing left in a site office or a supervisor's ute.
A start on your defects period. Under Queensland's standard contracts, the builder must fix defects that appear within 12 months of practical completion. Your PCI record is the baseline for that.

What's inside: the 19 sections

Section	Checks
S1 Before you start	8
S2 Certificates	34
S3 Roof and gutters	14
S4 Walls and cladding	10
S5 Grounds and drains	16
S6 Steps and decks	9
S7 Tank, hot water and termite protection	16
S8 Garage	9
S9 Entry, doors and windows	16
S10 Every room: finishes	17
S11 Bedrooms and robes	9
S12 Kitchen and appliances	20
S13 Bathrooms, ensuite and WC	24
S14 Laundry	8
S15 Electrical, lighting and safety	17
S16 Heating, cooling and ventilation	7
S17 Keys, remotes and devices	19
S18 Warranty and service information	26
S19 Defects list and handover	14
Total	293

Plus the defects register, a result page to total your marks, and notes pages.

Preview C16 · Get C16 for $119

Building from scratch? C16 is also in the Peace of Mind Starter bundle (with C4 and C17) and the Fixing to Handover bundle.

A few honest caveats

C16 is a guide, not professional advice. An independent building inspector will see things a homeowner won't, and many people use both.
Your contract sets how practical completion and defects work. Read it before the PCI.
Don't pay the final claim until every defect is either fixed or listed in writing with a date for repair.