Pre-purchase building and pest inspection
The standard inspection for Ipswich house buyers: building condition and timber pests in one visit and one report, timed to land before your contract inspection date.
New home stage inspections in Ipswich
Your own inspector at slab, frame, enclosed, fixing and practical completion, so defects are raised before you pay the builder for each stage.
Why inspect your own build
Your building certifier inspects the work at set stages to confirm it complies with the building approval. That is a compliance check, not a quality check for you: it does not measure the work against your contract, your selections or a reasonable standard of finish.
An independent inspector is engaged by you, reports to you, and gives you written findings to take to the builder before you pay for the next stage.
The stages
For houses in Queensland, the certifier's mandatory inspection stages are excavation, footing, slab, frame and final. Owners can ask the certifier for extra inspections at their own cost (QBCC: building inspections and approvals). Your contract's progress payment stages are usually different, so independent inspections are best timed around the payments:
| Stage | When | What an independent inspector commonly checks |
|---|---|---|
| Slab | Before the pour or once poured | Set-out, termite management at penetrations and slab edges, drainage falls |
| Frame | Frame complete, before linings | Wall and roof framing, tie-downs, bracing, straightness |
| Enclosed (lock-up) | Roof, cladding, windows and external doors on | Roof sheeting or tiles, flashings, cladding junctions, window installation |
| Fixing | Linings, cabinetry and wet areas in | Plaster, joinery, waterproofing where visible, internal doors |
| Practical completion | Before the final payment | Full defect list for the builder |
Ask the inspector to align their visits with the stages named in your contract.
Pre-handover (practical completion) defect list
Before the final payment and handover, the inspector goes through the completed home and lists defects and incomplete work: tile and grout faults, doors that bind, paint and plaster blemishes, missing sealant, poor falls on outdoor areas, and contract items not installed. Holding the final payment until defects are fixed gives you the strongest position, so book as soon as the builder gives you a completion date.
New estates around Ipswich
Much of Ipswich's new housing is going up in growth areas such as Ripley, Springfield, Springfield Lakes and Redbank Plains. Many of these homes are slab-on-ground volume builds, where the issues to watch include drainage around the slab, termite management detailing at penetrations, wet-area waterproofing and finishing quality. Heavy rain soon after handover can expose roof and window flashing faults, so note and photograph anything that appears during the builder's defects period.
Practical tips
- Check your contract allows independent inspections, and how much notice the builder needs.
- Give the inspector the approved plans, specifications and engineering before the first visit.
- Send each report to the builder in writing and keep a log of what was fixed.
- Ask the certifier what they inspected at each stage; it helps you see where the gaps are.
Book stage inspections
Tell us your build stage and expected dates on the quote form, and an independent Ipswich inspector will be in touch. See the price guide for how stage pricing works.
Other services
Building inspection
A house inspection on the building's condition only, without the timber pest report. Often used for units and townhouses or where pests are inspected separately.
Termite and timber pest inspection
A termite and timber pest inspection with a written report. This is an inspection, not a treatment: if termites are found, a licensed pest manager quotes separately.