Choosing to have a brand new home built should be an exciting and fulfilling experience; there are benefits which accompany the construction of a new home, however with these benefits come no small amount of potential anxieties. These can range from component choices (colours / finishing products and styles) to interaction with your builder and is what’s being built – all good.
During the planning process, there will be joy that you’re having a home built that will meet your individual needs and personal tastes. There will also be concerns, these are often around ‘are your best interests being met with good workmanship and compliant building practices’.
One of the best ways to ensure the most crucial parts of your new home are being built with due care and skill and up to all relevant standards is to invest in independent stage construction inspections.
What are Stage Construction Inspections?
Being complacent and trusting is an option, but will the finished product be what you were expecting / hoping for? To get confidence that you understand how your new build is going, the assessment needs to happen during the build. Stage construction inspections are designed to ensure due care and skill has been exercised in producing workmanship and quality that will ensure your new build is all to code and delivered to the standard you were looking to receive.
To understand how these inspections benefit homeowners, it’s important to first understand what each stage generally entails.
- Slab – The initial focus of stage inspection reports is typically the slab. The inspection takes place after it has been poured and allowed to dry. With a copy of Slab Set Out Plans, a professional building inspector will ensure the dimensions and step downs of the slab are within tolerance, plumbing is placed properly, and the workmanship is of acceptable quality and up to Australian Standards.
- Wall and Roof Framing – After a slab has been poured, the next step in construction will be the framing of the walls and roof. When framing has been completed, an inspector will ensure the roof frame conforms with plans. During this stage of the inspection, they’ll also determine appropriate wall placement, as well making sure windows and doors are the right dimensions and in the right place. Tie down straps and other fastening will also be inspected to make sure they are correctly installed and in line with good practice and codes.
- Pre-Lining / Lock-Up Stage – When the roof is on your new home and the brickwork or weatherboard veneer is complete, construction has moved into the pre-lining / lock-up stage. At this stage the services will be roughed in, but insulation, wall and ceiling coverings have not yet been added. Stage construction inspections at this point will focus on ensuring general workmanship throughout the completed build has been seen to with due care and skill. Key areas of inspection at this stage include a quality assurance assessment of any bricklaying / weatherboard installation and roof covering / flashing installation and that the frames are straight and ready for insulation with all roughed in services located in the appropriate places with correct installation practices.
- Pre-Handover – The final stage of inspection will take place after the builder has indicated the construction project is essentially complete, but before the keys have been handed over to the new owners. Inspector assessment during the pre-handover stage is very detailed and includes a thorough quality assurance assessment of the finished / cleaned external works such as roof & guttering, walls, windows, doors and any external paved areas. Internally all wall and ceiling coverings, plastering, siliconing, floor coverings, fixtures and fittings.
How Stage Independent Construction Inspections Benefit New Homeowners
- Lower stress and concerns during the construction process
- Independent and qualified sounding board for concerns
- Feel confident that works done are to code and have been seen to with due care and skill
Houspect Building Inspections– Buy, Build, Invest and Sell with Confidence