Pre-Purchase Building Inspection – Building Only
Building condition without the timber pest component, for properties where pest risk is genuinely low or already covered.
Who this report is for
Buyers of properties where timber pest attack is not the main exposure — full masonry and concrete construction, or a purchase where a current timber pest report already exists.
When to order it
Before exchange or within the cooling-off period, and before auction day if you intend to bid.
What is inspected
- Roof exterior and roof void where safe access exists
- Interior ceilings, walls, floors, windows and doors
- Subfloor where accessible
- Wet areas and the evidence of past or current water movement
- External fabric, cladding, brickwork and mortar condition
- Drainage, paths, retaining walls, decks and balconies
What you receive
- A plain-English written report with photographic evidence
- Defects ordered by significance, not by the order they were found
- An explicit list of what could not be inspected and why
- A conversation with the inspector who attended
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 only. No cutting, lifting or dismantling.
- Timber pest activity and damage are NOT assessed under this report. If termites are a realistic risk, order the combined building and pest inspection instead.
- Not a structural engineering certification.
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 $399 (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 do I know whether I need the pest component?
If the building contains structural timber — a timber frame, timber floor, timber roof structure — take the combined report. Full masonry with a concrete floor and steel roof framing is a different risk profile. Call and describe the property; you will get a straight answer rather than an upsell.
Is this cheaper than building and pest?
It is a smaller scope, so it prices lower within the guide band. You will have the confirmed figure before anything is booked.
What access do you need on the day?
Entry to the property for the full inspection period, plus access to the roof space, the subfloor and any locked rooms, sheds or garages. We arrange this with the agent, the owner or the tenant when the booking is made. Where an area is locked, sealed, unsafe or full of stored goods it cannot be inspected, and the report states that plainly rather than leaving a gap.
What do I actually receive?
A written report with photographs of each significant finding, defects grouped by significance rather than listed flat, an explicit list of what could not be inspected and why, and a phone call with the inspector who attended so you can talk through what the findings mean for your 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 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.