Why you absolutely need “Under Construction” and “Practical Completion” Building Inspections: Tips on Building a New Home or Investment Property in Perth

When it comes to building a new home in Perth, there are a lot of things to consider during the planning stage. The materials to use, the time it will take, the budget to work with, and much, much more. However, one of the most important things you should be considering, is when to conduct the building inspection. In particular, the Under Construction Inspection & Practical Completion Inspections.

You may be wondering, why the property would need to be inspected if the build is handled by a reputable Perth Home Builder? Well, the site supervisor cannot be there every hour of every day during the build and with the multitude of different subcontracted tradesman coming in and out things can get overlooked or, unfortunately, even dodgy workmanship conducted.

With that said, there are precautions you can take by implementing the two most important building inspections during your new build:

1. Under Construction Inspection

Before moving on from one aspect of the build to another, it is important to make sure that everything is correct and according to the plan, contract and Australian Standards.

An “under construction” building inspection will involve the examination of many different factors. These mainly include the slab, frame or brickwork and lock-up.

• Slab inspection will determine whether or not the slab has been positioned correctly on the site and the dimensions are as per the plans along with the plumbing/electrical services are in the correct position. Being the foundation of the home, it’s crucial to make sure there is nothing wrong before the concrete is poured.
• Frame or brickwork inspection helps in identifying how stable the property will stand. We conduct a thorough inspection of the dimensions, connections and general construction of your timber and brickwork to the relevant Australian Standards.
• Lock-up inspection is when the fixtures and fittings of the house are inspected. From the windows and doors to the cupboards and gutters. Each part is examined carefully to make sure there won’t be any issues after handover.

2. Practical Completion Inspection

Once your new home is completed, a final building inspection on the overall finish and function of the building will be conducted – this is known as the Practical Completion Inspection. This is the stage for checking the nitty gritty details of the building plan and ensuring everything has been completed in accordance with the contract.

Nothing will ever run 100% perfectly during a new home build, but the last thing you want is to end up with expensive problems after handover that could have been easily identifiable if a building inspection was conducted during the early build stages.