Friday, October 9, 2009

Building inspection

I just had a chat with someone I know who is a building inspector, who I am planning to have inspect my house when it's built next year.


What he recommended was:

  • If we have a raft slab, have an inspection after it's been setup but before it's poured. He said we might need to write this into the contract that we need to inspect before pouring. But this is not so important if it's a waffle pod, because those are easier to get right, whereas the majority (he may even have said all) of raft slabs have problems. He needs the builder to provide engineering plans for this.

  • The next important stage is frame - this needs to be inspected before it's covered up.

  • Lockup and Fixing stages are not so important, as most issues here can also be picked up during a final inspection. However he gives a discount for these inspections if Final is also done, for the same reason that most issues found will be the same ones.

  • For the final inspection he suggests I walk around with him and we inspect at the same time.

The other thing he mentioned is "workmanship", which he says is typically not included in a contract. He said it's much better if you can get the builder to include a workmanship clause in the contract, which I have not unfortunately. The problem with not having such a clause is that if the builder does a shoddy job that still passes the standards, they can say they have fulfilled the contract..

So what I have done is asked my builder what kind of slab we actually getting, as the contract specifies "raft/waffle pod slab".

If you're wondering what on earth a waffle pod is, check http://www.wafflepodpeople.com.au/


3 comments:

  1. Hi,
    We are having a raft slab. We are not getting an independent inspector at this stage as we had not thought of it previously. The contractors mentioned that the steelworks was going to be a very fiddly job. I noticed when I had a look on Friday that an inspector from the Engineering Office has been there though as it is a requirement before the concrete is poured. There is a list of jobs for them to complete before it will be given the okay to go ahead. So even though we haven't personally had it checked, it has been looked at/inspected and will not be given go ahead until it meets requirements.
    http://tamdaz-themajestic.blogspot.com/

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  2. We're hoping to start our Nolan next month with M and have a piered slab, which I think is a waffle pod? Guess we'll have to check now! Thinking of also getting a frame and final professional inspection done too; if your building inspector wants some free advertising, you could publish their contact details here? :)
    http://tim-and-tina.blogspot.com/

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  3. Thanks for your comments guys.. I actually wrote a reply long ago and somehow it didn't get recorded, grr!

    Anyway, I'm not sure I trust any inspector not employed by myself. That way they have my interests first in mind, whereas a builder's inspector wants to make the builder happy, and an Engineering Office inspector would want to make that office happy, rather than me.

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