Often we get asked questions about our building and pest inspection services. Below are the most commonly asked questions and answers for your assistance.

How do I arrange a building and pest inspection?

When you are ready to book your inspections, just call or email us and our friendly staff will make all the arrangements for you.

Once we have all of your details we will then contact your agent for you to gain access to the property. We will confirm the date and time of your inspections with you and make sure they are undertaken at a time that suits your requirements.

How can I pay for my inspection?

You can pay your inspectors directly at your inspections. They can accept the following; cash, credit card. Alternatively you can pay by EFT payment or credit card prior to your inspections.

I would like to attend my inspection, can I do this?

Yes, you can, Once your inspectors have completed their inspection of the property they can then discuss their findings with you. Providing a verbal summary of any major issues they identified, which will then be followed up with written reports within 24 hours.

What if I can’t attend my inspection?

If you are unable to attend your inspections our inspectors are happy to give you a call after they are completed and provide you with a verbal summary of their findings. Once you receive your reports they are happy to go over these with you also.

Do you send out 2 inspectors for a combined building & pest inspection?

Yes we do. A licensed building inspector and a licensed pest inspector with both attend your inspections at the same time. They will both independently inspect your property and provide you with 2 separate reports. This provides you with two sets of expert eyes thoroughly inspecting your property. Both inspectors have many years experience in their own individual fields.

Do you use thermal/infrared imaging cameras?

Yes. Thermal imaging is included in your inspections at no extra cost. Please visit our pest inspections page for more details on thermal imaging and other equipment.

Are you insured?

Yes we are. Our inspections and reports are covered by professional indemnity insurance from Australia’s leading insurer for building and pest inspections – Rapid Solutions. We also hold public liability insurance cover.

Are you licensed?

Yes. Both our building and pest inspectors are fully licensed as required by the QBCC to undertake and report on pre-purchase and pre-sale building and pest inspections. Our licence numbers and details will also appear on all of our agreements and reports.

Are your inspectors experienced?

Yes, our building inspector has over 30 years hands experience as a licensed builder. He has vast experience in extensions, renovations as well as new homes. Our pest inspectors have many years experience not only as inspectors but also installing termite systems and undertaking termite control. We have undertaken 1000’s of building and pest inspections in our local area and have become highly respected within our industry and also by our satisfied customers. The majority of our work comes to us through referrals from satisfied customers who have used our services.

How soon can I get my reports?

You will receive your confidential and professionally written report within 24 hours of your inspections. Reports can be emailed, faxed or sent by Express mail. We are also happy to forward copies of your reports directly to your conveyancer or solicitor if required. Verbal reports are available immediately at your inspection or via a telephone call from our inspectors just after your inspection.

How long do I have to undertake my building & pest inspections?

The timeframe to have your building and pest inspections undertaken is usually stated in your Contract of Sale.  On the REIQ Standard Residential Contract you will see this at the bottom of page 2 – Inspection Date.  If possible you should allow yourself sufficient time to undertake these inspections, 10 -14 days is recommended. However,  a lot of contracts only allow for 5-7 days which means you should arrange for your building and pest inspections to be undertaken as soon as possible after signing the contract.

Why should you get a building and pest inspection undertaken before you buy?

Buying a home is one of the most expensive purchases you are likely to make. You will be looking at properties that are appealing and have all the features you are looking for to suit your needs. While these features are important to you, you will also need to look further into whether the properties you are considering are going to cost you money down the track to maintain, or are in need of costly repairs. To know this, you need to engage experts in the building and pest industry to do this for you. The most appealing home can be hiding some very serious and very costly defects. It could also have termite problems you are unable to detect by yourself. Undertaking a pre-purchase building and pest inspection before you settle on a property will alert you to any issues allowing you to make a more informed decision about whether to proceed with the property or to cancel your contract. The reports you receive can also assist you to negotiate the costs of any recommended repairs or termite treatments with the seller.

If you are selling a property in the future, any prospective purchasers will most likely request a pre-purchase building and pest inspection as a condition of purchase. You don’t want to be finding out that your home has expensive repairs and serious defects that you didn’t know about until this time. You may have to undertake and pay for these costly repairs before you can successfully sell your property. This could be extremely stressful for you if you require a quick sale at that time.

What should I do if recommendations are made in my reports?

If your inspectors make recommendations in your reports for further inspection and investigation by licensed tradespersons etc, you should have these recommendations undertaken prior to the purchasing or settlement of the property. Recommendations are made as a requirement of the Australian Standards for these reports. Recommendations are made so that you can engage a suitably experienced and licensed tradesperson to return to the property and provide you with a qualified opinion, advise or costings as to what is required.  Your Building and Pest inspectors are not licensed plumbers, electricians or structural engineers etc. While they may have a very good  idea of what is required to repair a defect noted in their reports, they cannot step outside of their own licenses and provide this information in your building and pest inspections reports for you. For example, ALL cracking small or otherwise needs to be investigated by a licensed Structural Engineer.  A Structural Engineer can inform you of the seriousness of cracking and their opinion will be backed by their insurance cover. Hopefully no action may need to be taken but they may also identify one of the most costly repairs you could be faced with as well. Only the structural engineer will have the  insurance protection for you if they got it wrong.

Your agent and your solicitor are not licensed tradespersons and should not be offering advise or persuading you over whether or not these recommendations are required. You should undertake and organise these recommendations yourself, independently and have quotes written in your own name. Once you have obtained the quotes by the appropriately licensed tradespersons you can provide these quotes to your agent who can then negotiate these with the property owner. The tradespersons who provided the quotes for you can explain to you what is required or not and can also answer any further questions that your agent or the property owner need to have clarified. You are not expected to have this trade knowledge yourself, you only need to provide the quotes from the tradespersons of you choice.

Unfortunately, at the moment many agents and owners are interfering in this process. Take your time to get the quotes you need and even ask for an extension of time if you need this. This is a very important part of the property purchase and should be carried out independent of other parties for your own protection.

What if existing reports have been offered by the agent?

Sometimes agents may have access to previous building and pest inspection reports on the same property and offer these to you. Any report that does not have your name and details on it does not belong to you. Reports not written for you cannot be used to present to your financial body to fulfil your building and pest inspection requirements. There will be no insurance cover for you if you rely on another person’s report, only the person named on the reports has the insurance protection. We often have reports sent to us in other persons names by our clients and we can tell they have also been altered. So be very wary if you are offered a report like this. They are Read Only reports and will not protect you in any way. If an agent offers to sell you a report, beware, not only is this illegal it also offers you no protection at all without your own name and details being added to the report by the inspector only.

Organise your own reports to protect your investment.

What do I do if I find live termites?

If you find live termites in your home, firstly do not disturb the termites and do not spray them with household sprays. Cover and protect the area so that the termites will stay in the location where you discovered them. Then call us on 1300 884 204 and we can have one of our experienced termite inspectors out to inspect the extent of the infestation for you.

Do houses with concrete slabs require a timber pest inspection?

Yes. The concrete slab is in contact with the ground. Termites can enter through gaps in the slab, through cracking and also through areas where the slab has been penetrated to install pipes for water, electricity and drainage. Extensions requiring an adjoining section of concrete slab may also create a gap for termites to enter the dwelling and have access to the internal structures.

What happens if a serious defect is identified?

If your building inspector has identified a major or minor defect during your building inspection, it does not necessarily mean that you need to cancel your contract. Discuss the defect and what is required to rectify/repair the defect with your inspector. Almost all defects are repairable and most can be easily remedied. Your inspectors will make recommendations in your reports for licenced trade services you will require for further investigation or repairs. You can arrange for quotes from these trade services. Once you know the costs to undertake any rectification/repair work, you can then negotiate these costs with the current owner.

Most homes that we inspect are not “brand new” homes and will most likely have some minor defects. These are usually age-related and form part of the general maintenance of a home. Your building inspector is happy to discuss general maintenance with you such as; replacing sealants in the wet areas etc. Often these seem unimportant to purchasers, but if left unattended can lead to a more serious defect in the future. Your Building Inspection Report will compare your property to a similar, well maintained property of the same age and will not compare it to the same condition of a property that is a “brand new” home.

 Why is Cracking so important?

Cracking can be a very serious defect if identified in your Building Inspection Report. Cracking is not the type of repair that you should undertake yourself. You should always follow the recommendations made by your  Building Inspector and have all cracking inspected by a Structural Engineer prior to purchasing a property. Your agent and the current owner are not qualified to comment on cracking and you should obtain your own independent advice from a Structural Engineer.  If you do not have the cause of the cracking identified prior to purchase, then the cracking will then become your problem after settlement. A small crack today may be a very serious and costly defect in the future.  More information about Cracking in Building Inspection reports.

What is Surface Water Drainage?

Surface water drainage is very important and one of the most important items your Pre-purchase building Inspector will be looking at. If the surface water drainage is inadequate it can cause serious problems such as foundation cracking and also attract termites.  Read more about Surface Water Drainage

Do you report on safety hazards?

Yes. Any items identified by the inspectors as being a safety hazard will be noted in your reports. These are important items that usually need to be repaired or altered to avoid personal injury. Items such as handrails, steps, trip hazards and poor workmanship etc can be safety hazards.

Why is it important to be 100% independent of agents?

We believe that all parties involved in the process of selling a property should be independent of each other to protect your interests. We believe it is a conflict of interest, especially if agents and building and pest inspectors have any kind of agreement for referring services.  All information regarding your inspections should be kept confidential between you and your inspectors until you are ready to discuss the results yourself with your agent or conveyancer. We have policies in place to never provide information about your inspections to agents or anyone else without requesting your permission first.

How much does a building and pest inspection cost?

Our prices for building and pest inspections will vary depending upon whether your prospective property is a unit in a high rise building or a free-standing home. The costs incurred to undertake a building and pest inspection are very small compared to the hidden repair bills you may encounter if you purchase a property without having these inspections undertaken. Don’t take a risk, have your property inspected by our expert inspectors before you buy!

Find licensed contractors in your local area

Do you need further inspections or quotes from a licensed contractor in your area? Then start your search on the Queensland Building & Construction Commission website using their “Find a local contractor” directory.

Building and pest inspections Quotes

If you require a quote for a building and pest inspection, please complete our Online Quote form. Once we receive the details for your prospective property, we will promptly reply to your quote request.

Please visit our Resources page for more handy information and facts sheets.

Our building & pest inspection Services include:

• Pre-purchase building inspections and pest inspections
• Pre-Sale building & pest inspections
• Pre-Auction building and pest inspections
• Handover inspections for new homes