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Independent building inspections & specialist reports · New South Wales

Building inspections that read past the paint.

Led by a licensed NSW builder with more than 20 years on the tools. Every finding photographed, located and ranked — written for the decision you have to make.

Request an Inspection Call 1300 140 579

Proudly Servicing Sydney, the Illawarra, Southern Highlands & Shoalhaven

  • NSW Licensed BuilderLicence number and ABN under View Business Credentials
  • 20+ YearsHands-on construction experience
  • Professional IndemnityInsured
  • $20 MillionPublic Liability Insurance
  • 6-Hour Urgent ReportsWhen requested at the time of booking
  • Sydney · IllawarraSouthern Highlands & Shoalhaven

5.0 from 5 Google reviews

“Helped us identify defects after the builder, worth every cent.”

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Choose your inspection

The right report for the right problem

Start with the situation you are in. Prices below are guide starting prices, GST included — you get a confirmed price and a written scope before anything is booked.

Booking around a deadline? There is no cooling-off period at auction; on a private-treaty purchase it runs to 5pm on the fifth business day. Statutory warranties on new residential work run six years for major defects. NSW Government

View all reports and inspections

Buying Property

Building & Handover

Defects & Leak Investigations

Landlord & Strata

Insurance Reports

Specialist & Compliance Services

Request an Inspection Help me choose All reports and prices

Inside the inspection

What gets inspected, and what a visual inspection cannot tell you

Both halves of that sentence matter. A report that overstates what it covered is worse than no report, because you act on it.

A combined building and pest inspection covers

  • The roof exterior, and the roof void where access allows
  • Ceilings, walls, floors and joinery throughout the interior
  • The subfloor, where access allows
  • Wet areas — bathrooms, laundry, kitchen — for the signs that precede a leak
  • The exterior fabric: cladding, brickwork, windows, doors, eaves and fascias
  • Site drainage, paths, retaining walls, decks, balconies and outbuildings
  • Evidence of termite activity, termite damage, borers and fungal decay
  • Conditions on the property that make timber pest attack more likely

Full details of the combined report →

Roof voids, subfloors and the places reports usually skip

The roof space and the subfloor are where the expensive problems hide, and they are the two areas most reports write off as inaccessible.

Where access is safe and practical, the inspector enters and inspects accessible roof voids and subfloors. Any areas that could not be inspected are identified in the report.

What is safe and practical depends on the property on the day. The limits that apply are set out in the inspection agreement, and what actually happened at your property is recorded in the report itself — against the building, rather than as a general promise made in advance.

What a non-invasive inspection cannot establish

  • Nothing is cut, lifted, opened or dismantled — this is a visual inspection
  • It cannot see inside concealed framing, behind linings, under floor coverings or below ground
  • Areas that are locked, sealed, insulated over, packed with stored goods or unsafe to enter cannot be inspected
  • Thermal imaging shows temperature anomalies, not defects. It tells the inspector where to look harder; it does not see through a wall
  • It is not a structural engineering assessment, a pest treatment proposal, a compliance certificate or a valuation
  • It cannot confirm that a material contains asbestos — that cannot be established by appearance. Where a material warrants further assessment the report identifies it and recommends sampling and NATA-accredited laboratory analysis, which is a separate service
  • It describes the property on the day. A property clear this year is not a property clear next year

Everything that could not be reached or seen is listed in the report, with the reason. That list is part of the report, not an omission from it.

TurnaroundUrgent reports within 6 hours of the inspection, when you ask at the time of booking.

Starting priceBuilding and pest from $499 inc GST. Confirmed price and written scope before anything is booked.

Working to a deadline?Call 1300 140 579 and say the date. There is no cooling-off period at auction.

Price guide

What does a building report cost?

A pre-purchase inspection, a leak investigation, a costed rectification scope and a strata report are not the same piece of work, so they are not the same price. These are guide starting prices for a standard job of each type, GST included.

Pre-Purchase Building Inspection – Building Only

Building condition without the timber pest component, for properties where pest risk is genuinely low or already covered.

From $399

Pre-Purchase Building & Pest Inspection

The standard combined report for a house purchase: building condition and timber pest activity, inspected on the same visit.

From $499

Apartment & Unit Pre-Purchase Inspection – Internal Lot

The inside of the lot you are actually buying, inspected properly, with the common property questions flagged for the strata search.

From $379

Handover & Practical Completion Inspection

The inspection that produces your defects list — carried out before you accept the building and release the final payment.

From $445

General Building Defect Inspection

A whole-of-property defect inspection when you know something is wrong but not what, or how much of it there is.

From $445

Water Ingress, Moisture & Leak Investigation

Finding where the water is actually getting in, using thermal imaging and moisture measurement rather than guesswork.

From $445

Roof Condition Inspection – Visual & Drone

The condition and remaining service life of a roof, inspected from above, below and — where access is unsafe — by drone.

From $349

Pre-Construction Dilapidation Report

A dated photographic record of a property’s condition before the excavation, demolition or construction next door begins.

From $445

Defect Rectification Scope of Works & Cost Estimate

A builder’s scope and cost estimate for putting the defects right, in a form trades can quote against.

From $645

Strata, commercial, insurance and specialist compliance reports

Scope varies too much between jobs for a starting price to mean anything. These are quoted after the scope is reviewed.

Quoted on scope

What the confirmed price depends on

  • Property type and size
  • Location and travel
  • Access to the areas that need inspecting
  • The scope of the report
  • Complexity, and how many concerns are involved
  • Urgency
  • Any specialist equipment or testing required

Every price on this website is a guide, is GST-inclusive, and is a starting point for a standard job of that type. The confirmed figure is subject to travel distance and job complexity. You receive a confirmed price and a written scope before anything is booked.

Request an exact quote Help me choose a report See prices for all 64 reports

The report

Read a real report before you order one

A report is only worth what you can act on. Every finding is presented the same way, so you can tell in one pass what is urgent, what is maintenance, and what is a house being a house.

  • Photographed. Every significant finding has an image of the thing itself, not a generic illustration.
  • Located. Each finding says where it is, so you or your tradesperson can stand in front of it.
  • Explained. What was observed, the likely cause, and what it means — in plain English, with the reasoning attached.
  • Ranked. Findings are separated by significance rather than listed flat, so the major items are obvious.
  • Access recorded. Every area that could not be inspected is listed with the reason, instead of quietly left out.
  • Talked through. A phone call with the inspector who attended the property, after you have read it.

The samples below are genuine reports, de-identified for publication. The findings, the photographs and the way they are ranked are exactly as they were issued. Both are free to download in full, with no email address and no enquiry required.

Pre-Purchase Building & Pest Inspection

A house inspected before exchange. Two major items separated from twenty minor ones, each defect located by room and element, photographed, and given a recommendation a tradesperson can quote from.

Download the sample report

Direct link: Sample Pre-Purchase Building & Pest Inspection report (PDF, 20 pages, 12.7 MB) — free, no email address required.
About this inspection →

Handover & Practical Completion Inspection

A new build inspected at practical completion, before the final payment was released. Major items separated from minor, every defect located by room and element, and the builder-facing summary a buyer can hand straight over.

Download the sample report

Direct link: Sample Handover & Practical Completion Inspection report (PDF, 44 pages, 4.8 MB) — free, no email address required.
About this inspection →

Why Building Assessor NSW

Built by a builder. Reported for you.

Four things decide whether a report is worth what you paid for it.

Twenty years of building them

Knowing how a wall was built is what tells you why it is cracking, and whether it matters. Your inspector is a licensed NSW builder, not a checklist.

Instruments, not guesswork

Professional FLIR thermal imaging, moisture measurement and — where access is unsafe — drone inspection come as standard. They shrink the part of the report that says “could not be inspected”. They do not see through walls, and no inspection can guarantee every concealed defect is found.

Photographed, located, ranked

Every defect is photographed, located and classified by seriousness, in plain English, with the reasoning attached. You can see what is urgent and what is a house being a house.

Independent evidence

We are engaged and paid by our client, and the fee is the same whatever the inspection finds. Then you talk it through with the person who walked the property.

How it works

Four steps. No mystery.

  1. Tell us the property and the deadline

    Address or suburb, the concern, and the date you are working to — auction, cooling-off, or a construction stage.

  2. We confirm the report, scope and price

    In writing, before anything is booked. We arrange access in advance with whoever controls it, so the roof space and subfloor are actually reachable on the day.

  3. The inspection

    A methodical walk of the site, exterior, interior, roof void and subfloor, with photographs and moisture readings throughout. Anything that could not be reached is recorded, with the reason.

  4. The report, then a conversation

    Defects located and classified by seriousness. Then talk it through with the person who inspected it, so you know which findings change your decision.

Service areas

Proudly Servicing Sydney, the Illawarra, Southern Highlands & Shoalhaven

Ground conditions, housing age and weather exposure change what fails and how. An inspector who has worked a region knows what to look at first.

Sydney

Established brick and weatherboard stock, knock-down rebuilds, second-storey additions and volume-builder estates.

Southern Sydney, the Sutherland Shire and St George — Cronulla, Miranda, Sylvania, Caringbah, Menai, Engadine, Hurstville, Kogarah, Rockdale and Bexley — through to Macarthur, Campbelltown, Camden and Liverpool.

The Illawarra

Coastal exposure, escarpment drainage and fill — where cracking and moisture are rarely cosmetic.

Wollongong, Figtree, Corrimal, Thirroul, Bulli, Port Kembla, Dapto, Shellharbour, Albion Park, Kiama and Gerringong.

Southern Highlands

Cold-climate condensation, subfloor damp and heritage stock carrying modern additions.

Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Burradoo, Berrima, Robertson, Bundanoon and Exeter.

Shoalhaven

Holiday stock that sits empty, older timber construction, and decks and verandahs taking weather year round.

Nowra, Berry, Shoalhaven Heads, Culburra Beach, Huskisson, Vincentia, Sanctuary Point, Milton and Ulladulla.

Outside these areas? Call 1300 140 579 and ask — travel is often workable. Or browse the reports.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How soon can you inspect?

Same-day appointments are sometimes possible, and around 48 hours’ notice is normally sufficient — subject to property access, location, inspection scope and current availability. Tell us your deadline when you enquire and we will confirm the earliest time we can get there. Working to an auction or cooling-off date? Call 1300 140 579 straight away.

What does a report cost?

It depends on the report, because they are not equivalent pieces of work. A pre-purchase building inspection starts from $399, building and pest from $499, an apartment or unit inspection from $379, a defect or leak investigation from $445, and a costed rectification scope from $645 — GST included. Strata, commercial, insurance and specialist compliance reports are quoted on scope. Every figure is a starting point for a standard job of that type; you get a confirmed price and a written scope before anything is booked. See the full price guide.

Which report do I actually need?

Describe the property and the concern and we will tell you — including when the answer is that you do not need a report at all. If you would rather do it in writing, choose “Not sure which report I need” in the request form and we will come back with a recommendation and a price.

Can I be there during the inspection?

Yes. The client or an authorised representative may attend, subject to the property owner’s access conditions and site-safety requirements. The inspector does need to work methodically and without interruption, so detailed findings are discussed after the written report has been issued — an observation can have several possible causes, and the evidence has to be weighed before a conclusion is drawn.

Is a building inspector licensed in NSW?

New South Wales does not currently require a specific building-inspector licence for pre-purchase building inspections. Building Assessor NSW inspections are led by a fully licensed NSW builder with more than 20 years of hands-on construction experience. A builder’s licence is not itself a building-inspector licence — it is evidence of construction qualifications. Ask any inspector about qualifications, experience and Professional Indemnity cover.

What can a visual inspection not tell me?

It cannot see inside concealed framing, below ground, behind stored goods, or through anything that would have to be opened up to look. A pre-purchase inspection is a non-invasive visual assessment of the readily accessible areas on the day, as described by AS 4349.1. Everything that could not be reached or seen is recorded in the report, with the reason.

Do you inspect the roof void and the subfloor?

Where access is safe and practical, the inspector enters and inspects accessible roof voids and subfloors. Any areas that could not be inspected are identified in the report. What is safe and practical depends on the property on the day, and the limits that apply are set out in the inspection agreement. How the inspection works.

Will the report tell me if there is asbestos?

Not from looking at it, and no standard visual building or pest report can — asbestos cannot be confirmed by appearance. Where a material warrants further assessment, the report identifies it and recommends sampling and NATA-accredited laboratory analysis. That testing is a separate service, quoted on scope, and it is not included in the pre-purchase price. Asbestos identification, sampling and NATA laboratory analysis.

Can I see a sample report before I book?

Yes — download one now, free, with no email address and no enquiry required: Pre-Purchase Building & Pest Inspection (PDF, 20 pages) and Handover & Practical Completion Inspection (PDF, 44 pages). These are genuine Building Assessor NSW reports, de-identified for publication: the findings, the photographs and the way they are ranked are exactly as they were issued. See how findings are presented.

Do you do timber pest inspections too?

Yes — as a combined building and timber pest inspection, or as a timber pest inspection on its own if you already hold a current building report. The combined inspection is the usual choice on a purchase, because both are carried out in the one visit and reported together.

Do you inspect apartments?

Yes. An apartment inspection covers the interior of the lot you are buying, and flags the common property questions worth putting to a strata records search. On an apartment purchase the strata records are often the higher-value of the two, so it is usually worth doing both.

Will you tell me what the repairs will cost?

Not automatically. A standard condition or defect report identifies and explains what was observed, the likely causes and the priorities — repair pricing is a separate scope. If you need figures for budgeting, negotiation or insurance, request a Defect Rectification Scope of Works & Cost Estimate. We confirm the additional scope and price before booking.

Do you work with insurers?

Yes. Independent building condition and rectification reports, reconsideration reports where cover has been declined, damage assessments, and independent reviews of an insurer’s scope or costs. No report promises an insurance outcome — what it does is put accurate, photographed building evidence in front of the decision.

Request a report

Tell us the property and the problem

You will get a confirmed price and a written scope before anything is booked. No deposit is taken to answer a question.

Would rather just talk it through?

1300 140 579

Describe the property and the concern. You will get a straight answer about which report fits, including when the answer is that you do not need one.

  • NSW Licensed Builder
  • Professional Indemnity Insured
  • $20 Million Public Liability Insurance
  • More than 20 years of hands-on building experience
  • Independent — the report is written for you

Describe the property and the concern and you will be told which report fits.

Custom Quote Required

Up to 3 files, 8 MB each. PDF, image or Word. Files are stored on the server outside the public website and are not published.

Your details are used to answer your enquiry, prepare your quote and arrange your inspection — which can include contacting whoever controls access to the property. They are not sold and are not used for unrelated marketing.

Every request is read by the inspector, not a call centre.