An independent building inspection should be conducted at each progress stage claim, and prior to making the final payment for a new home.
Hiring a building inspector is an effective way to get an unbiased opinion on your build. Your home needs to meet the National Construction Code (NCC) and follow good practice, and an inspector checks that it does.
A building inspection is necessary to detect any potential defects that the building supervisor assigned to construct your new home may have missed. Building inspectors check various details of the construction process that may not have been considered.
C16 - Practical Completion Inspection Checklist
$119.00 AUD
Last updated 5 Oct 2026 · Revision 1 · Free updates for life
Checklist Type: Major (Practical Completion Stage)
Form Factor: Fillable, print-ready PDF (A4, 45 pages) with a two-page defects register
When to use: Practical completion: inspecting your finished home before you accept it
A 293-point practical completion checklist for new Class 1a homes. Inspect every room and the outside, collect certificates, keys and warranties, and record defects in a register.
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BUT THE HOUSE WAS INSPECTED BY A BUILDING CERTIFIER?
It is important to remember that a certifier's frame stage inspection and final certificate does not guarantee the house was built correctly. Even though council or building certifiers may enforce code compliance, they may not be able to detect any flaws in the workmanship or materials used. This can lead to unexpected and costly repairs down the track.
Building certifiers carry out a frame stage inspection, but understand that they're only checking bracing and tie-down compliance. They aren't checking room dimensions, plumb and straight, material quality or methods of construction, only that the structure matches the certified bracing and tie-down plans.
Most complaints builders receive about new homes are about plaster and paint quality. Most building supervisors I've observed DO NOT check walls for plumb and straight, and in my experience about three quarters of plaster and paint complaints trace back to walls that weren't checked at frame stage.
In my estimate, stud spacing and frame quality account for roughly another 10%. The rest comes down to how the paint is applied, as it's often not done to the manufacturer's recommendations: a thorough pre-paint, boxing the paint, sanding between coats, a three-coat system and back rolling sprayed coats, to name a few.
For this reason, having an independent property inspector conduct a thorough inspection is highly recommended, as they are able to assess if the construction meets relevant standards and identify any minor defects.
Major defects can also be picked up and fixed before you move in, so you can move in with confidence.
COMMON ISSUES FOUND IN NEW HOMES
Patent defects are classified as defects in a property that are found through observations made by the buyer of the home. Examples of these issues would include broken windows, damage to any plasterboard and cracks in drywall, flooring, or walls.
These are easy to spot even for an untrained eye, but they still get missed. A qualified building inspector makes sure they don't.
Latent defects refer to hidden issues within a property which could often go unnoticed until a pest or building inspector examines them closer. Problems such as leaking shower, flashings, subsidence due to shifts in soil beneath the house and roof leaks (all major defects) can occur even in new homes
It can be difficult to identify certain abnormalities without the use of specialised tools such as concrete moisture testing or thermal imaging, which detect moisture beneath surfaces.
It is important for prospective home owners to involve an experienced inspector to identify potential latent defects during the early stages, which could potentially become evident in investigations or claims during the warranty period.
WHY USE AN INDEPENDENT BUILDING INSPECTOR?
Engaging an independent building inspector is a smart move when you are building a new home. An unbiased inspection will ensure that you are informed about any defects and issues with the build so that you can make an informed decision at each progress stage claim.
Project builders are notorious (among building supervisors) for overloading supervisors with more houses than they can manage. It's in the company's interest, because it saves the cost of hiring another supervisor.
The QBCC requires adequate supervision but doesn't set a fixed number of homes per supervisor. Ask your builder how many jobs your supervisor runs.
The QBCC does try to specify what "adequate supervision is" and you can read all about it here on the QBCC website.
Using an independent building inspector for progress claim inspections like slab stage, frame stage, enclosed stage, fixing stage and practical completion stage is a great way to have an additional set of qualified eyes keeping the builder and trades "honest".
In my experience, many trades haven't read the Australian Standards that apply to their work, which is why a second set of eyes helps. If I weren't a builder, I'd look for a building inspector who is up to date with the NCC and the Australian Standards it references.
BUT MY BUILDER HAS A 30 YEAR STRUCTURAL WARRANTY, WHY WOULD I USE A BUILDING INSPECTOR WHEN THEY HAVE MY BACK?
Read the details of the builder's structural warranty thoroughly. Many builder structural warranties exclude a lot, and enforcing them can mean going to QCAT or court.
In Queensland, the standard contract gives you a 12-month defects liability period from practical completion (QBCC New Home Construction Contract GC 29.1). The QBCC Home Warranty Scheme covers non-structural defects that appear within 6 months of completion (lodged within 7 months) and structural defects for 6 years and 6 months. Once those periods are over, a builder may not respond to issues you report.
If a builder won't honour their structural warranty, enforcing it can mean civil proceedings, with the legal costs that come with them.
WHAT DOES A BUILDING INSPECTION REPORT INCLUDE?
Construction inspection reports generally include exterior and interior area observations, notes and photos to illustrate issues identified.
Building inspectors should use checklists that are divided into sections and include factual/observable information. Additionally, they should apply their knowledge to assess the building's compliance instead of just ticking items off a list to be paid.
Note that any building inspection commissioned may have inspection caveats such as "site unseen". If the inspector was unable to inspect certain elements, such as framework, due to not being engaged until after these were already completed, then these elements are excluded from their inspection.
CONCLUSION
The main reasons why I believe it is a good idea to hire a building inspector in addition to relying on your contracted builder are:
- Hiring a building inspector to conduct an unbiased inspection of your new home is essential to ensure it meets all necessary standards and codes.
- Building inspectors check aspects of the construction process that building certifiers may not have considered.
- Latent defects need to be found before you move in, which means involving an experienced inspector.
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