Frequently Asked Questions

All building and pest inspectors in Queensland operate under the same set of guidelines set by Australian Standards, Workplace Health and Safety and the conditions of the licenses.  These conditions listed below are not specific to DedAnt Building and Pest Inspections but are industry wide.

The inspection will be not check for general maintenance items such as poor paint work, damaged carpets and flooring, door handles and fixtures. In addition, the Inspector will not check the plumbing, electrical and gas installations as this is outside their qualification scope

Subject to reasonable and safe access and minimum requirements, the inspection will report on the condition of the following areas

• The interior of the property
• The roof space of the property (subject to height and safety restrictions)
• The exterior of the property
• The sub floor space of the property (subject to height and safety restrictions)
• The roof exterior (subject to height and whether restrictions) of the property
• Structures within 30m of the building relevant to inspection and within the site boundaries, including fences

The Inspector must comply with workplace health and safety regulations and will not enter or inspect an unsafe area.

The extent of the inspection is limited to visual and non-invasive inspection only. The inspector cannot move any furniture, items, chattels or things to see behind or under the item.  The inspector will use equipment to ascertain moisture or heat behind walls, but cannot inspect inside walls, between floors, behind kitchen cupboards etc.

The inspector is limited when inspecting the roof cavity by the dimensions of the manhole and cavity and will only enter this area if safe to do so.  The access hole must be minimum 400 x 500mm and the crawl space minimum 600 x 600mm.  There are also other factors that might limit an inspector’s access to this area. The inspector is also limited by the height of the roof and can visually inspect from only a 3.6m ladder and if safe to do so, the inspector cannot climb onto the roof.  Inspection of the sub floor is subject to the inspector’s discretion as to whether access is safe and reasonable.

In a building and pest inspection, the inspector cannot inspect any non-structural element, common property that forms part of strata title, test for asbestos, magnesite or mould, comment on plumbing or electrical wiring, switches or appliances (with the exception of a very obvious issue such as wires hanging out of the ceiling or walls) comment on swimming pools, comment whether the property has any signs of residual drug use /  manufacture or comment whether fireplaces or chimneys are functional.  It is recommended that you engage qualified trades people to inspect these items as they are outside of the building and pest inspection scope.

Please note that DedAnt Building and Pest Inspection can supply services of invasive property inspections and asbestos testing however these are additional services that will  need to be agreed upon with the seller in writing as these tests require creating small holes in the property.  We also supply property meth testing, but this is an additional service over and above the scope of the building and pest inspection.

The inspector will also not comment on any defects which are apparent due to prevailing whether conditions at the time of the inspection including rising damp and leaks as these such defect only become apparent in differing whether conditions.

The Pre-Purchase Inspection Package essentially can be broken down to a 3 Step Process:  Visual for structural defects, moisture detection and heat detection using specialised equipment.  If moisture is found it can indicate leaking pipes hidden behind walls, a beacon for termites as they need water to survive.  The heat detection can indicate termite activity behind a wall.

The inspector will classify defects as - 

Major Defects, which may include structural issues like cracking & movement, deformation, presence of excessive moisture behind walls and under floors, structural timber pest damage, serious safety hazards, Signs of Timber Pests including, Fungal Decay, Wood Borers, Evidence of Infestation of Subterranean Termites with location & extent of activity found.

Minor Defects, which may include the Condition of Non-Structural Elements, like chipped tiles, broken handles and locks etc.

The inspection will also look for conditions conducive to structural damage including: defective plumbing, roof guttering, down pipes and & flashing, defective or bridged damp proof course, poor tradesman-like work,  corrosion, lack of sub floor ventilation, trees & shrubs, additions & improvements and incomplete construction, poorly installed or lack of insulation, and classify these accordingly.

The Report will discuss if relevant, conditions conducive to timber pest attack including inadequate subfloor ventilation, untreated or non-durable timber used in a hazardous environment, bridging or breaching of the termite barrier and/or “insufficient slab edge exposure”, evidence of existing Termite Management Programs and Advice on Termite Prevention & Management

The Inspector must comply with workplace health and safety regulations and will not enter or inspect an unsafe area.

The inspector is limited when inspecting the roof cavity by the dimensions of the manhole and cavity and will only enter this area if safe to do so.  The access hole must be minimum 400 x 500mm and the crawl space minimum 600 x 600mm.  There are also other factors that might limit an inspector’s access to this area. The inspector is also limited by the height of the roof and can visually inspect from only a 3.6m ladder and if safe to do so, the inspector cannot climb onto the roof.  Inspection of the sub floor is subject to the inspector’s discretion as to whether access is safe and reasonable.

A professional inspector will not comment on whether the house is a suitable purchase or not but can provide the findings of the inspection and discuss the severity of defects contained in the property. The report will also compare the property to others of similar age and type.  From this, the buyer can make an informed decision.  The report may give the buyer negotiating power on the contract price.  Some buyers will love the property and purchase regardless, others will walk away, but the buyer is the only one who can make that decision.

You will be surprised as to some big issues that have been found on some quite young homes.  On completion of the build, it is essential to get a handover inspection to ensure that there are no major issues with the new build.  Had this not been done, there could have been a multitude of issues hiding in the construction of the property.  Start out in your new home with the confidence that the structure is sound, and you are getting what you pay for.

A combined building and pest inspection on average will take about one-hour, larger house and older homes may take longer depending upon size, structure and condition.

DedAnt use the most advanced equipment for moisture and termite detection.   These include thermal imaging cameras and moisture metres.  They are not only used in the wet areas but anywhere where evidence of such issues may present.  This will show up things like termite infestations or water leaks that are not visually seen or perceptible to the human eye.  A borescope may also be used onsite.

Reports will generally be sent within 24 hours.  Same day reports can be arranged, please speak to our friendly office staff about your requirements.

Absolutely, the building and pest inspection will identify if there are structural issues in the property and the pest inspection if there are timber pests.  Termites can still affect the timber within the house such as flooring, walls, window frames, doors etc.

The Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011 (Qld) provides a wide definition of the term ‘dividing fence’ and sets out that neighbouring property owners must contribute equally to the costs of building and maintaining a sufficient dividing fence, unless agreed otherwise.

Retaining Walls, however, serve a different purpose as they are engineered to support built-up or excavated earth, and are therefore not normally a matter of joint responsibility.

However, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) can include the retaining wall in their orders with fencing issues, when fence repair is dependent upon the work for the retaining wall.  So common sense needs to prevail, and neighbours need to work as a team in resolving such disputes as it can be a complex and costly legal issue that could likely split costs anyway.

Dedant cannot provide quotes or estimates for any rectification work, this is outside the scope of the inspection.

Each defect is listed on the report with the relevant trade to contact for more information.  This is the trade that should quote for rectification.

The pre-purchase building and pest inspection will give you an overall indication of the condition of the property, however there are other factors outside this report that could be important considerations when making such a big purchase.  Factors such as fencing requirements and costs, retaining walls, stairs, landscaping, drainage, flood prone, fall of the land, trees and bush land, suitability for pets, busy roads and noise, easements, neighbourhood, neighbours, proximity to schools, shops, public transport and hospitals and other location factors important to your family and situation.  Commercial or Residential Zoning could also be an important factor in your decision making.