Western Australia Building Inspection FAQs

How to choose a building inspector?

The building inspection industry is unregulated, meaning an inspector does not require any specific qualifications. However, to ensure your give you future home the most thorough review you should check that your inspector has the following credentials;

  • Registered Builder

  • Experience

  • Reports in accordance with AS 4349.1 – 2007

  • Public Liability Insurance

  • Professional Indemnity Insurance

What is AS 4349.2 -2007 all about?

““The objective of this Standard is to provide persons and organizations concerned with pre- purchase inspections of residential dwellings with the basic criteria necessary in order to facilitate inspections and reports that satisfy the requirements of both the client and inspector.””
— Preface extract from AS 4349.2-2007

If you make an offer on a property subject to a building inspection, that building inspection must be in accordance with Australian Standard 4349.1 -2007. This is the standard most contracts of sale refer to, including the REIWA annexure.

Why should I have a building inspection?

With all the excitement and emotion that comes with buying a property, major and minor defects to a property can easily be missed by the un-trained eye. You’re most likely envisioning the space, the future use and the potential of the property, while not necessarily making note of the ‘structural condition’ of the building itself. A building inspector however, is only interested in the condition of the property. 

As it is not mandatory to have a building inspection undertaken when buying a home in WA, it leaves considerable risk to the unsuspecting buyer. A property that is structurally defective can easily go unnoticed. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that at minimum a basic structural inspection should be undertaken. Structural inspection reports cost as little as $325, a small price to pay for peace of mind. For an extra $170, you can get a full Comprehensive report. This includes an inspection report on all the structural items as well as checking for moisture related defects, minor defects, maintenance issues, and the function of doors, cupboards, taps, sinks etc. Keeping in mind that many small defects and maintenance issues can quickly add up, costing thousands of dollars either up front or later if they have gone unnoticed.