Building and Pest Inspections Melbourne

One visit, one report: a building inspection to AS 4349.1 and a timber pest inspection to AS 4349.3, from inner-city terraces to new estate homes.

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Reviewed by Maison Azdari, Co-Founder, Senior Building Consultant & Expert Witness

Do you need a pest inspection in Melbourne?

Termites are less widespread in Melbourne than in Sydney or Brisbane, but they are established in parts of the east, the north-east and the bush fringe, and several councils are declared termite areas. Borers and wood rot are common in older timber homes everywhere. A building and pest inspection checks for all three in one visit.

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Independently verified with every regulator and industry body we work under

Building & Plumbing Commission

Registration CDB-U 53425

NSW Fair Trading

Licence 366177C

Queensland Building & Construction Commission

Licence 15249792

Australian Society of Building Consultants

SIP Member #141

Strata Community Association

Member #41288

Building Dispute Practitioners Society

Member #01560

What Melbourne Buyers Usually Need to Know

In Melbourne the big questions tend to be structural: is that crack movement or settlement, are the stumps sound, is the damp coming up from the ground or in through the roof? The pest half of the inspection answers the rest: termites where they are active, borers in old floorboards and rot in decks, pergolas and weatherboards. Booking both together means one visit and one report.

What Happens on the Day

Your inspector checks the roof and roof space, the subfloor where there is safe access, every room, the wet areas, the exterior walls and the site, including fences, retaining walls, paths and drainage within 30 metres of the house. For the pest half they use moisture meters, thermal imaging and Termatrac radar. The report arrives within 24 hours with a photo of every finding, and your inspector is a phone call away.

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What We Find in Melbourne Homes

VIC Registration CDB-U 53425

Cracking on reactive clay

The basalt plains in the west and north, from Sunshine and Werribee to Craigieburn, have highly reactive clay. It swells in wet winters and shrinks in dry summers, so we often find stepped cracks in brickwork, sloping floors and doors that will not close. The report says when movement needs an engineer.

Stumps under weatherboard homes

Many post-war weatherboard and brick veneer homes sit on timber or concrete stumps. Timber stumps rot and sink over time, which shows as uneven floors and cracked plaster. We check the stumps from the subfloor and say whether restumping looks likely.

Rising damp in Victorian terraces

In Fitzroy, Carlton, Richmond, Brunswick and the other inner suburbs, solid brick terraces often have failed damp courses. Look for salt and fretting mortar along the base of the walls. Damp subfloors also bring wood rot and, in some areas, termites.

Defects in new estate homes

In the growth corridors, such as Tarneit, Truganina, Clyde and Craigieburn, homes only a few years old still turn up defects: cracked slabs and render, poor drainage, roof tile and flashing faults. If the home is still under the builder warranty, the report is your evidence.

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What Is in Your Melbourne Report

Your Melbourne building and pest report opens with a summary of major defects, minor defects and safety hazards, followed by the timber pest findings: termites, borers, wood rot and the moisture problems behind them. Every finding has a photo.

Cracking and movement, and whether it needs an engineer
Stumps, bearers, joists and subfloor ventilation
Roof covering, flashings, gutters and roof space
Wet areas, with moisture readings
Termites and termite damage (AS 4349.3)
Borers and wood decay in floors, decks and weatherboards
Rising damp and the conditions that cause it
Safety hazards, with a photo of every finding

Tell us about the property and your deadline, and see your quote for a Melbourne building and pest inspection online.

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Building and Pest Inspections Melbourne: inspector checking a home

Building and Pest Inspections Across Greater Melbourne

Owner Inspections also services nearby areas including:

Box Hill Camberwell Kew Doncaster Glen Waverley Ringwood Croydon Eltham Brunswick Preston Essendon Footscray Sunshine Werribee Tarneit Craigieburn Dandenong Frankston Cranbourne Pakenham

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Need a Melbourne building and pest inspection? Our qualified inspectors are ready to assess your property and provide a comprehensive, professional report.

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Latest Tools and Technology

We use state-of-the-art equipment to deliver accurate and comprehensive inspections

Cloud-Based Reports

Thermal Imaging Camera

Moisture Hygrometer

Termatrac T3i Radar

Digital Inclinometer

DJI Mavic 3 Drone

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Building and Pest Inspections Melbourne: FAQs

Answers to common questions from Melbourne buyers

Yes, though not everywhere. Termites are established in parts of the eastern and north-eastern suburbs and the bush fringe, and under the Victorian Building Regulations councils can declare areas where buildings are likely to be attacked by termites. New homes in those areas need a termite management system. Elsewhere in Melbourne, borers and wood decay are the more common timber pest findings.

Before auction day. There is no cooling-off period at a Victorian auction, or for 3 business days before or after a publicly advertised auction. On other private sales you have 3 business days to cool off, and pulling out costs the greater of $100 or 0.2% of the price.

No. The Section 32 vendor statement covers title, zoning, outgoings, owners corporation details and building permits issued in the last seven years. It says nothing about cracking, stumps, damp or termites. That is what the inspection is for.

Most Melbourne houses take 2 to 3 hours on site. Older homes with a full subfloor, or large blocks with outbuildings, can take longer. The report arrives within 24 hours.

The report shows which stumps look failed and what that is doing to the floors and walls. Get a quote from a restumping contractor before your deadline, then take both to your conveyancer to renegotiate, ask for repairs or withdraw within cooling-off.

It depends on the size and type of the property, how old it is and where it is. You get a fixed quote online before you book, with no travel charges across Greater Melbourne.

Yes. Owner Inspections holds VIC Registration CDB-U 53425 with the Building and Plumbing Commission, and every inspector carries professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Inspections follow AS 4349.1 and AS 4349.3.