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When and Why to Have Building Inspection Services

18 July 2019 by Frank Lynch

The crucial moment you need to hire building inspection services is before buying a house or building. Inspections conducted before the purchase of a house help you negotiate on the price. This is not the only time you need an inspection. If you own a house, you should have it inspected annually or twice a year. Houses undergo wear and tear so you need to identify damaged areas and carry out the necessary repairs before they become worse. Another instance you may require building inspection services is when you are planning on selling your house. You want to make sure you quote the right price.

What Does Building Inspection Look For? 

The main purpose of building inspection is to search for damaged areas, which can include roofs, floors, walls, piping, windows, wiring, fencing, garages, drainage systems, etc. It is, therefore, important to hire the right company for the job. An inspector who is a licensed architect, builder, surveyor, structural engineer or a designer will do perfect inspection work.  

Building Inspection Report

After the inspection is completed, the inspector develops a report. This report should be detailed enough and include both visual and hidden problems. Always ask what the inspection will check for and what it won't. This question is important to know whether you might need to hire another specialist for particular inspections. For example, a pest inspection report is different from a building inspection report.

The building report notes down pest damage but will not note down the presence of termites. The pest inspection report notes only damage resulting from pests and indicates the type of pests present. It does not note other types of damage.

You can inquire whether the company you hire offers both a building and pest inspection report to avoid searching for another specialist.

What Does the Building Inspection Report Contain?

The basic things are your name, address, date, reason and scope of the inspection. The report then outlines the findings (areas that need repair), usually in a summarised manner. The repair cost can be estimated, but not always. In some cases, it might not be possible to inspect a particular area. This is noted as well and a reason is provided.

Remember that the inspection does not cover all areas. It will, however, try as much as possible to cover the major concerns that could end up costing a lot to repair in the future.

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