Handover or Practical Completion Inspections occur prior to final payments being made and the handover of keys to the client. They are a comprehensive inspection of the property to determine any damage or defects that need to be rectified. Our inspectors conduct these inspections as per the Australian Standards and the QBCC Guide to Standards and Tolerances to ensure clients receive a quality finish and final product. Handover Inspections have become increasingly popular as we see a lower standard of workmanship, higher associated build costs, and difficulty accessing trades and construction materials. We recommend using an independent building inspector to complete a detailed building inspection and report to act as a checklist for rectifications before handover.
Comprehensive Inspections:
Our inspections include a comprehensive inspection throughout the property to identify unfinished works, defects, finishes not meeting the Australian Standards or QBCC Guide to Standards and Tolerances, as well as damage. Our highly experienced inspectors have an eye for detail, particularly defects that may be overlooked by a client and not picked up until you’ve taken possession of the home. Defects and damage are dotted out by the inspectors and are included in our reports to ensure that they are presented to the builder, allowing rectifications to occur prior to handover.
Detailed Reports:
Our inspectors complete detailed reports to act as checklists for the builder. We have completed reports in excess of 100 pages on new construction prior to handover due to the poor quality of work that is unfortunately occurring across the building industry. As independent inspectors our responsibility is to pick up on defects, damage or poor-quality workmanship. Whether you are new to the building experience, or have built many homes, we recommend Handover and Stage Inspections throughout your building process to ensure a quality build and final product. If you choose to get Stage Inspections it allows us to check if rectifications have occurred along the way. We regularly find items that have not been rectified and would otherwise be covered up by the builders throughout the build.
The Process:
When you have received a date for your Practical Completion walk through or Handover Inspection walk through, we ask you to contact us and arrange your inspection. We ask for building plans to allow us to accurately quote the inspection and ensure plenty of time for a comprehensive inspection with our qualified inspectors. We then ask you to notify your builder that you are arranging an independent building inspection with us. Once this has been arranged we will then contact the site supervisor to arrange access for the inspection. Walk throughs usually occur with the client and builder onsite. Our inspectors complete their inspection and discuss findings at the end of the inspection. This is followed by a comprehensive report that can be sent to the builder for rectifications to occur.
Whether choosing to get Stage Inspections along the way or a Practical Completion or Handover Inspection at the end stage of your build, we encourage you to invest in peace of mind with an independent inspector.