Handover & Practical Completion Inspection
The inspection that produces your defects list — carried out before you accept the building and release the final payment.
Who this report is for
Owners about to take handover of a new home or a completed renovation, who need a documented defects list before they sign off.
When to order it
After the builder gives notice of practical completion and before you attend handover, accept the building or release the final progress payment. This is the point at which you have the most leverage you will ever have.
What is inspected
- Every internal room — walls, ceilings, floors, paint, joinery, doors, windows and hardware
- Wet areas: tiling, falls, seals, junctions, waste points and the evidence of the waterproofing beneath
- Roof exterior and roof void where safe access exists
- External cladding, brickwork, render, windows, doors, flashings and weatherproofing junctions
- Site works: drainage, paths, driveways, fencing, retaining and finished levels
- Fittings, fixtures and services that can be operated on the day
- Items required by the contract or the plans that are visibly incomplete or missing
What you receive
- A written defects list with photographs, formatted so it can be handed straight to the builder
- Each item located and described specifically enough to be actioned without dispute
- Separation of genuine defects from incomplete work and from ordinary finish tolerance
- A reinspection option once the builder reports the items complete
Important exclusions and limitations
Publishing this is unusual. It should not be — you should know where the gaps are before you rely on the document.
- Visual inspection of the completed work. Nothing is opened up.
- It is not a certificate of occupancy, a compliance certificate or an approval of any kind.
- It does not assess engineering design or certify structural adequacy.
- Concealed work completed at earlier stages cannot be assessed at handover — that is the argument for staged inspections.
Technology and equipment used
- Professional FLIR thermal imaging
- Moisture measurement and mapping
- FPV micro-drone access where safe and permitted
Thermal imaging identifies temperature anomalies and supports professional interpretation; it is not proof of a hidden defect on its own. Drone use depends on weather, airspace, privacy and site conditions and supplements physical inspection rather than guaranteeing complete coverage.
Turnaround
Need it fast? An urgent report is delivered within 6 hours of the inspection when you ask for one at the time of booking. Standard turnaround is confirmed in writing with your booking, before the inspection takes place.
Pricing
The guide price for this report starts at $445 (inc GST) for a standard job of this type. The confirmed figure is subject to travel distance and job complexity, and also depends on the property type and size, access, the scope of the report, urgency and any specialist equipment or testing required. You receive a confirmed price and a written scope before anything is booked.
- 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
Service areas
This report is available across Sydney, The Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven. Outside these areas, call 1300 140 579 and ask — travel is often workable.
Questions
Questions about this report
How many defects is normal?
A thorough handover list on a new home commonly runs to dozens of items, and that is not a sign of a bad builder. What matters is the split: a long list of minor finish items is routine, a short list containing a waterproofing or structural item is not.
Should I book before or after I pay the final claim?
Before. Once the final payment is released, the incentive to fix things quickly disappears.
Do you come back to check the fixes?
Yes — that is the Rectification Works Reinspection, and it is worth booking. Items are often marked complete when they have been touched up rather than repaired.
Does the report include what the defects will cost to fix?
No. A handover report identifies and documents defects so they can be rectified under the contract. If you need costed figures — for a claim, a negotiation or to hand to trades for quoting — that is the Costed Rectification Scope of Works, and it is a separate report.
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 579Describe 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
Enquiry received.
Thank you — your request has been sent and you will get a reply with availability, scope and cost.
If you are working to an auction or a cooling-off deadline and need an answer quickly, call 1300 140 579.