Building And Pest Inspectors in Brisbane

As licensed and professionally trained specialists, our Brisbane building and pest inspectors work to determine buildings structural soundness. Through a thorough inspection, they seek any major defects that could impair the safety and longevity of a property. They will also check that the property is in compliance with contractual specifics and all building industry codes. Their findings are then outlined in a detailed building report.

What Are Building Inspectors Looking For?

During a lengthy visual inspection process, your Brisbane property will be reviewed, this includes the interior and exterior of the building, the roof space, under-floor space and roof exterior. They will be looking for any signs of concern and will check:

• Whether all doors and windows can be opened.
• That there are smoke detectors in place (visual inspection only).
• That all built-in cupboard and cabinet doors open and close properly.
• For water leaks, both active or for past evidence of issues.
• For signs of mould or rising damp, even where it may have been painted over in efforts to hide its presence.
• That floors, walls and ceilings are free of warps, bulges or sagging.
• Retaining walls.
• Exterior walls, noting any cracks in bricks, mortar or evidence of subsidence.
• The safety and age of the circuitry. This includes checking the presence of a safety switch which is required by law.
• Safety hazards such as staircases not built to code, flooring (slip hazards), balustrades that are broken or too low and more.
• The roof frame, roofing materials, guttering and drainpipes for damage or evidence of leaks. For optimal viewing, A1 Building And Pest Consultancy utilise a drone to inspect all roofs up to 30 meters in height.
• The subfloor or beneath the property for adequate ventilation and drainage measures.

What We Don’t Offer

• Swimming pools.
• Air conditioning functionality and compressors.
• Whether there are working smoke alarms.
• Taps or plumbing for function, leaks, rust or damage.
• Gas fittings.
• That any toilets are operational and without fault.
• The hot water system for signs of rust or leaks.
• For the presence of asbestos.
• Zoning regulations
• Appliances.

Should during the course of our building inspections in Brisbane we notice an area of concern we don’t usually report on, we may still mention it in passing. Anything that is non-structural however, is not legally required to be inspected or noted. This is why you should always carry out a visual inspection of your own and thoroughly check the areas noted above also.

Specific requests such as pool safety inspections can be carried out as part of our building inspection process when required. Most importantly, a building inspector cannot make guarantees about the structural soundness of a property. Their role is to detect and alert you to defects that may or might be related to any structural movement or instability and advise accordingly.

The combination of a personal inspection alongside our professional services is the best way to ensure all elements of a property are checked for safety and functionality.

Similar to a building inspection report, a pest inspector reviews timber floors, walls, window and door frames, doors, cabinets, crawl spaces, roof frames, eaves, and foundations. Rather than looking for structural concerns, they are expertly trained to spot evidence of pest infestations or termite damage.

Even the most well-hidden termite activity can often be discovered through our pest inspections Brisbane. In addition to a visual inspection, our experienced inspectors may also use advanced technology such as Termatrac motion detectors which can find live termites inside wall and floor cavities,

What Are Pest Inspectors Looking For?

During an inspection, our Brisbane inspectors are looking for signs of pests and also noting any evidence of past pest problems. Not only looking for termites, our quality reports include details of any other pests such as ants, spiders, cockroaches, fleas, bed bugs and more. While the presence of these insects may not indicate an infestation or major concern, it is important to note them in any case. In pre-purchase Brisbane building and pest inspections, we go a step further than your standard pest inspection.

Alongside details of visible damage or presence of pests, we also note risk factors for future infestations. An example of a risk factor would be pooling water, poor drainage or ventilation beneath the home. Termites thrive in damp, humid conditions so this scenario would be a prime location for an infestation to begin. This information can help you take preventative action should you proceed with a purchase and therefore hopefully avoid pest problems down the line. Our highly skilled experts will look for a number of signs to identify pest infestations, either active or in the past including:

• Evidence of rodent or possum activity (nests, dropping etc)
• Dead pests such as cockroaches or ants inside cupboards
• Faeces, track marks, discarded wings.
• Pest-related odours caused by urine, droppings, discarded food waste etc.
• Frail or damaged wood and holes in timber.
• Nests both inside and outside the property.
• Live insect activity such as flying termites or ant trails.

Detailed investigation

Our review includes details of whether there is a current termite management system in place or whether there are any telltale signs related to current or old termite damage. Where required, we may prescribe invasive investigation to the areas in question through the use of specialised Boroscope cameras.

Our combined Brisbane building pest inspection services are incredibly detailed. We work hard to pick up signs other inspectors may miss, ensuring your Brisbane property purchase is made with full disclosure of any pest-related risks.

Are Pest Inspections And Termite Inspections The Same Thing?

To enable building inspections in Brisbane to be carried out in a timely and efficient manner, all doors, cabinets and access points should be readily accessible.

Taking steps to prepare your home for our attendance allows for more effective and detailed reporting whereby areas of concern can be easily identified and addressed. The time required to carry out an inspection will be greatly influenced by how accessible the areas to be inspected are. Should a necessary area not be accessible due to clutter or an overgrown garden, this could lead to the report being incomplete. In some instances, we may be unable to accommodate the reporting at all if we deem vital areas for inspection inaccessible. Therefore, to allow us to make the best possible assessment of a property we ask that you prepare accordingly.

Indoors this will mean removing any clutter or furniture that impedes access. Outdoors, trees and shrubs should be trimmed and grass mowed.

What To Expect During The Inspection

Our Brisbane building and pest inspectors are licensed and fully trained to carry out expert pre-purchase inspections. Our team are polite, respectful and committed to carrying out inspections as quickly and quietly as possible to minimise disruption to property owners. The inspection will begin with a walkthrough of the property both inside and out followed by a more detailed inspection carried out via the below process:

• Structural defects will be noted and recorded first.
• Wet Areas assessments are carried out second, including bathrooms, kitchen and laundry, checking for any signs of leaks.
• A thorough check for concealed termite damage or active termites, including roof voids, under floors, within cupboards and other known sites where pests frequent
• Inspection of roofs, checking for leaking roofs including flashing and penetration points failure.
• Retaining wall conditions.

During our time at a property, we request that someone remain on-site, this ensures the safety of our staff and yourself while also ensuring we can gain access to any locked areas on the property.

You can expect an inspection to last between one to two hours. The exact duration of the inspection will vary dependent on the size of the property and ease of access.

After The Inspection

Following an inspection, a detailed report will be completed and delivered to you same day or within 24hrs. Should the report be needed sooner, this can be negotiated also. At the close of the report, the property will be given a rating relevant to its age and condition. Your written report will offer an unbiased, easily understood and fair appraisal of the home and the presence of any pests.

We are committed to delivering essential information to homeowners or prospective owners. We understand these reports may be confusing or overwhelming and welcome further questions should clarification be required.

We offer face to face or phone appointments of a minimum of 15 minutes to discuss our findings and rating of the property as needed. Should you require additional support from an expert in relation to our findings, we have a trusted network of experts that we can refer you to.

Best building inspectors in Brisbane specialise in providing different types of buildings and pest inspection services for both residential and commercial properties.

Most of the time, an inspector can arrange to have the property inspected by any given business day and provide the report the same day. This is to give you plenty of time to review the specifics and decide whether or not to purchase the home.

• Pre-sale Inspection: Brisbane building and pest inspectors can help with this inspection in the process of selling your home. Here, the goal is to find potential places of concerns so you can rectify them before the sale.
• New-build Inspection: This building and pest inspection in Brisbane is done during the start of a new project where the stage inspection has to be done following the building and construction phase.
• Inspections for commercial property: Such inspections are carried by building and pest inspectors in Brisbane to help benefit business owners or managers of a company. The goal here is to give the business owner a report that outlines any type of defect or maintenance problem in a commercial property that needs fixing, either in a short term or a long-term basis.

A pre-sale building and pest inspection is undertaken when you are planning on selling your property. The purpose of this inspection is to identify any areas of concern so that you are aware of, or can address any issues, prior to the property going to the market.

A pre-purchase building and pest inspection is undertaken when you are purchasing a property and your offer has been accepted. Your offer will most likely be subject to a building and pest inspection, which is generally required to be completed in 7 days. A new build inspection is undertaken when you are taking up a new building project and would like staged inspections to be completed throughout the building and construction process.

Can A Property 'Fail' An Inspection?

While a building and pest inspection is not a pass or fail type of test as such, there are instances in which our findings may determine a property is not fit for habitation or may recommend it to be avoided. Issues that would lead to a property ‘failing’ an inspection can include but are not limited to:

• Evidence of significant movement in the building structure that cannot be repaired safely or without excessive expense. This is most often seen as large cracks in the foundation, cracks in the external masonry, subsidence of foundations and more.
• Penetrating water damage that has seeped into the foundations or masonry and left large amounts of damage. This can lead to mould and damp problems, alongside structural concerns due to decaying timbers while also making an ideal, wet habitat for termites.
• Advanced decay or degradation of the property as a whole. If supporting pylons, weight-bearing joists, staircases, flooring, walls, window surrounds etc are rotten or too damaged property may be marked as hazardous. This means it is unfit for habitation and likely needs to be knocked down rather than repaired.
• A pest infestation that is so advanced that treatment cannot resolve the consequences of their infestation. This is most often seen in the case of termites whereby the overall structure of the home has been compromised.
• Issues regarding the integrity of the roof. Sagging rooflines, rotten roof supports, cracked tiles, rusted sheet metal, water damage and more will all be cause for concern. If a properties roof is failing, this usually indicates there will be a myriad of other issues in the property due to water ingress.

• 1 bedroom apartment up to 80sqm –From $350
• 2 bedroom apartment up to 120sqm –From $420
• 3 bedroom house/apartmentFrom $440
• 4 bedroom house/apartmentFrom $460
• 5 bedroom house/apartmentFrom $500