Independent Construction Inspections a ‘MUST DO’

Building surveyors are engaged as part of the building process. A key part of their job is to provide independent oversight of the building work to ensure that it complies and that it’s safe.

A building surveyor’s role includes:

 approving or rejecting applications for building permits

 carrying out inspections of buildings and building works for structural items, framing, safety (step heights, hand-rails, smoke detectors, glazing, balustrades, ceiling heights etc)

 issuing directions to ensure building works are carried out with the relevant permits, and in accordance with relevant laws and standards

 issuing occupancy permits / certificates of final inspection, and

 issuing building orders, including orders to evacuate a building, stop building works or perform building works.

BUT BEWARE

Your building surveyor (either private or municipal) HAS NO JURISDICTION or DUTY OF CARE over matters that do not impact the Building Permit which includes the Quality of Workmanship of all trades such as (tiling, painting, plastering, cabinetry, fixtures and fittings, HVAC, flooring, landscaping etc).

There is no independent party checking the building works for compliance at the Lock-Up / Fix / & Final PCI stage. Without independent inspections and reports, it is like having a student correct his/her own exam paper. I highly recommend engaging independent construction inspections for at least the above mentioned 3 stages. Consider it as ‘Live Insurance’ so that building defects can be fixed in real-time rather than them becoming expensive dispute items after handover once the Builder has collected all the contract money!