When you are building your home, the recommendation is that you should get all the stages of the building construction inspected by a certified professional. Our new home inspection involves four separate inspections that take place in different stages of the construction.
This is one of the best ways to make sure that no problems go unnoticed and that the structure is built as per plan and standards. This helps ensure that the final product will be stable, resilient and durable. The different stages of a new home inspection include:
Stages of a New Home Inspection
#1 Base
The professional will inspect the slab dimensions and the footing, waffle pods, waterproof membrane as well as the steel reinforcement in the structure. They may also look at a site to identify drainage problems that could affect the foundation. This check takes place right through the construction process. The building inspector may require the structural engineering documentation. You would need to acquire this from your builder as it isn’t part of the standard contract documentation.
#2 Frame
This includes a detailed inspection of the steel and timber framework. The building inspector will check the structural connections as well as the engineer’s details. Other general construction issues related to the Australian standards would be inspected. Some of the items that are covered in this particular inspection include:
- Fixing and alignment of the framework to the concrete slab
- Whether the frame is leveled correctly
- Whether the bracing has been installed appropriately
- The fascia boards, bargeboards are aligned well
- There is no damage to the door and window frames
- Roof trusses have adequate bracing and have been installed as per manufacturer requirements.
- The structural flooring is leveled & fixed properly and that it doesn’t squeak or move
#3 Lock-up
This includes a detailed inspection of the external wall claddings including:
- Weatherboards/rendered polystyrene/brickwork
- Bargeboards and gutters
- Fascia boards
- Roof claddings
- External doors and windows
- Flashings and weepholes
- Articulation joints
- Damage to specially-coated surfaces
The recommendation is that this particular visit should be made once the first three courses of bricks have been laid. This ensures that the excess mortar would have been removed from the waterproof course membrane.
#4 Pre-Plaster
Inspection of the pre-plaster isn’t aligned to a specific stage of construction. However, the recommendation is that this check should be conducted at the framing & lock-up stages. The different aspects that would be inspected include:
- Insulation to the internal and perimeter walls
- Electrical wiring to check the correct location of power points and light switches
- Shower Bases and baths are installed as per plan
- Frame damage caused by plumbing or electrical installations- damage to noggins and bracing and bottom plates/studs.
Other Inspections
In addition to these standard four inspections, the professionals will also focus on these aspects:
Fixing
All internal architraves, skirting, cabinets and cupboards, cladding, doors, baths, basins built-in shelves, troughs, sinks, are installed & fixed in position ready for a coat of paint. This particular inspection is done to identify whether there are any plastering defects that require fixing before painting.
Final
This inspection takes place once the construction is complete (the builder’s contractual obligations have been finalized), and the home is presented to the client. In this inspection, the expert will reinspect every item that had been covered in the previous stages as well as ones that hadn’t been covered.
Getting a home inspection done at every stage of your new home build is one of the best ways to ensure the stability and integrity of the structure in the years to come.
If you want to know more about our services here at Inspect It First, don’t hesitate to call us at 1300 557 047 or contact us through our contact form and we will revert shortly.
Thanks for reading,
Inspect It First Team
1300 557 047