Finding The Best Building Inspector in Golf Coast

A Building  Inspection in Gold Coast is only as good as the inspector who carried out the inspection and each state has different licensing requirements to become a Building Inspector, making it quite difficult to know what you are getting as a buyer. To ensure you get the best outcome, here are a few tips for selecting the best building inspector.

Appropriately Licensed

Ensure your inspector is/was also a licenced Builder and has experience in the class of building you are purchasing. In many states, it is not a requirement for a Building Inspector to actually be a Builder... Crazy, but true!

What most people don't know is the subtle differences the "Builder's" licence class can make and understanding these differences will allow you to understand exactly what type of construction your Inspector will be most competent in.

The are 4 main classes of Builder's licence in Queensland (these will differ slightly in other states, but the principle will be the same):

1. Builder - Low Rise, this class of Builder usually specialises in residential construction and small commercial buildings, they will typically be the best suited for residential inspections.
2. Builder - Medium Rise, this class of Builder usually specialises in small apartment buildings and higher density buildings, this type of construction is usually more commercial in nature, and they may generally have less understanding of residential construction methods.
3. Builder - Open, this class of Builder is unrestricted, they are often building high rise buildings and heavily focused on commercial style construction.
4. Builder - Restricted, this is a speciality license that restricts a builder to only certain type of work, it can be restricted to bathroom renovation or shade sail installation for example, you will need to examine this closely to ensure their skills meet your needs.

As you can see, the different licence classes are quite different in their focus and construction methods and expertise, so be sure to ask not only if they are a builder, what license class they hold/held and what type of construction they worked on to determine their suitability for your inspection type. A complete list of Builder licence types can be found on the QBCC website, they also provide a free licence search.

Suitable Trade Background

While most Builders will have a trade background, that is not a requirement, in fact, to be a "Builder" you don't need to know how to swing a hammer... Personally, I would not engage a Builder that didn't have a trade background. But that's me.

The most common path for a Builder to be licences is from a Carpentry trade background, a Carpenter is someone who works with timber to build the house, the Carpenter is usually considered the senior trade on site and the first to be contacted for a solution when an issue arises, or a change is needed.

Brick layers also have a common path to becoming a builder, however this is less common in Queensland due to the majority of our residential house construction method being light weight timber construction.

In short, it is worthwhile checking the trade background (if any) of your inspector to ensure it is suitable for the construction method used in your style of home.

Provides Custom Reports

Ensure the report is custom written and not a "tick and flick". There has been a worrying trend lately, where inspectors are offering cheap inspections, this means in order to be profitable, they need to do 6 inspections a day, so what they do is rush through and provide a tick and flick report that lacks specific defect details and photos and is full of boiler plate templated content.

The warning sign for this is a report issued from site, typically a properly written inspection report would be issued within 24 hours, allowing the inspector time to properly consider the property defects and reference any required building codes.

Post Inspection Discussion

Ensure the inspector will discuss your report after the inspection. Many inspectors refuse to discuss the report findings and instead only provide the written report, sometimes this is due to lack of real building knowledges and other times it is due to the fact they are rushing as they are providing a cheap tick and flick report. If an inspector refuses to allow you to be onsite during the inspection, this should raise alarm bells.

Complete Inspection

Ensure the inspector will access the roof, ceiling space and sub floor spaces, a trend today is for inspectors to refuse to access these locations, claiming safety concerns. These locations are critical for a thorough inspection and while some situation will be too hazardous for an inspector to access, this should be made clear and be reasonable and be the exception and not the norm.

Beware of Cheap Reports

Don't accept the cheapest quote, this is generally good advice, the cheapest quote is usually the cheapest product, look for an inspector that is charging a reasonable price, so that they can provide the level of expertise and time required to produce a building inspection report that will be of value to you.

Overall, it's important to ask the right questions to ensure that you get a thorough and comprehensive building inspection Gold Coast. By understanding the condition of the property and any potential issues, you can make an informed decision about whether or not to proceed with the purchase.

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