The Inspection Stages in a Queensland Build, and What Happens at Each

In Queensland, building work is inspected by a building certifier at defined stages set out in the building approval. Most residential certification is done by private certifiers rather than the council.

These inspections are compliance checks against the approved documents, the National Construction Code and the relevant standards. They are not a quality review of the finish, and they are not a substitute for the builder's own supervision.

Plumbing and drainage work is inspected separately, generally by the local authority's plumbing inspector, against its own approval.

Before concrete goes in, the excavation, steel reinforcement, formwork and any piering are inspected against the engineering design. On a reactive clay site this is where the engineered footing system gets verified.

This inspection matters more than any other, because everything above it depends on it and nothing about it can be corrected later without enormous cost.

As an owner this is worth attending if you can. You will not assess the steel, but you will see whether the site has been prepared properly and whether the set-out matches what you approved.

The slab inspection checks reinforcement placement and cover, the vapour barrier, service penetrations and the formwork before the pour.

Once concrete is placed, anything in the wrong position stays in the wrong position. Plumbing penetrations set in the slab define where wet areas can go, so it is worth checking the set-out against your plan before the pour rather than after.

The frame inspection happens once the structure is up and the roof is on, but before internal linings cover anything. Bracing, tie-downs, beam sizes, lintels, and the structural connections are all checked against the engineering.

This is the most valuable stage for an owner walk-through. With the frame open you can see room sizes and ceiling heights for the first time, check that window and door openings are where you expect, and verify that power and data rough-ins are in sensible positions.

Changes are still relatively cheap at frame stage and become expensive immediately afterwards. Once plasterboard goes on, moving a power point means opening a wall.

The final inspection confirms the completed building complies with the approval and the code, covering safety items such as smoke alarms, balustrade heights, glazing, wet area waterproofing documentation and the required certificates.

A final certificate or certificate of occupancy follows. You should not be making final payment without it, and you should receive the accompanying documentation — Form 15 and Form 16 certificates, waterproofing certificates, termite protection documentation, warranties and manuals.

Keep all of it. It is what a buyer's solicitor will ask for when you eventually sell, and reconstructing it years later is difficult.

Certifier inspections check compliance. They do not check whether the tiling is level, the paint finish is acceptable or the doors close properly. That is the builder's responsibility and your interest.

Many owners engage an independent building inspector at frame stage and again before handover. On a large project that is money well spent, and a good builder will not object to it.

We walk clients through at frame stage as a matter of course, because it is the last cheap opportunity to change anything. Our Brisbane new home page sets out how we run the rest of the program.