New home stage inspections in Bendigo

Independent inspections at each payment stage of your build, plus a pre-handover defect list before the final payment.

Why inspect your own build

Your building surveyor carries out the mandatory inspections for the building permit. Those inspections exist to confirm the work complies with the permit and the regulations at set points. They are not a quality check on your behalf, they do not look at finishes, and they do not compare the work with the specification you paid for.

An independent inspector fills that gap. You choose them, they report to you, and their reports give you something specific and in writing to raise with the builder while it is still cheap to fix.

The stages

Most Victorian domestic building contracts pay the builder at base, frame, lock-up and fixing. Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends checking the work before each payment and notes that an independent building consultant or inspector can advise you before you pay (CAV: deposits and payments).

• Base. The slab or footings are complete. The inspector checks set-out against the plans, slab edges and penetrations, termite management and site drainage.
• Frame. The wall and roof frames are up and before plaster goes on. This is the last chance to see bracing, tie-downs, lintels and frame straightness.
• Lock-up. Roof, external walls, windows and external doors are installed. Flashings, sarking, cladding junctions and window installation are the focus.
• Fixing. Plaster, cabinetry, internal doors and wet areas are in. The inspector looks at plaster quality, joinery, waterproofing where visible and general workmanship.

The exact stages and amounts are in your contract. Send it to the inspector and ask them to match their visits to your payment schedule.

Pre-handover (practical completion) defect list

Before the final payment, the inspector goes through the finished home room by room and produces a defect list for the builder. Typical items include chipped tiles and benchtops, doors that stick or do not latch, paint runs and plaster blemishes, missing silicone, poor falls on paths and patios, and items in the contract that were never installed. Holding the final payment until defects are fixed gives you the strongest position, so book this as soon as you have a completion date.

New estates around Bendigo

Bendigo's growth areas include Huntly, Maiden Gully, Strathfieldsaye and Marong, where many homes are volume builds on new subdivisions. Common issues in new estates tend to be drainage around the slab, finish quality, wet-area detailing and items left incomplete at handover rather than major structural faults. Ask your inspector which builders and estates they work in most often, and whether they offer a package for all stages.

Practical tips

• Confirm your contract allows independent inspections and how much notice the builder needs for site access.
• Give the inspector the plans, specifications, engineering drawings and soil report up front.
• Send each report to the builder in writing and keep a log of what was fixed and when.
• If a stage is not complete, you do not have to pay for it as if it were. Get advice before withholding money.

Book stage inspections

Tell us your current stage and expected dates on the quote form, and an independent Bendigo inspector will contact you. Stage pricing depends on the number of visits; see the price guide.

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