Every builder who has excavated next to an older house has had the phone call: the neighbour has found a crack and is sure you caused it. Sometimes you did. Often the crack was there for twenty years. A dilapidation report, done properly before the work starts, is the only thing that settles that argument quickly and fairly. This template records the neighbouring property and the council assets room by room, with a photo schedule and the owner’s acknowledgement.
What a dilapidation report is (and is not)
A dilapidation report, sometimes called a pre-construction inspection or condition report, records the existing condition of a property at a point in time. It describes and photographs cracks, movement, water staining, damaged surfaces and anything else that could later be blamed on the construction work. It is not a structural assessment and it does not diagnose causes. Its job is to be an accurate, dated record that both sides can rely on later.
When you need one
Dilapidation reports are commonly a condition of development consent or a complying development certificate, particularly where the work involves:
- excavation near a boundary, basements, or cut and fill;
- demolition of structures close to neighbouring buildings;
- piling, rock breaking or heavy compaction that causes vibration;
- heavy vehicles using the footpath or crossing the kerb.
Read your consent conditions carefully. They usually say which properties must be inspected, whether a qualified person such as a structural engineer must prepare the report, and who must receive a copy (the owner, the certifier, council). Councils often require a report on the footpath, kerb and road along the frontage because they hold a security deposit against damage to them.
Even where no condition requires it, a dilapidation report is cheap insurance. The cost of an afternoon’s inspection is trivial against a disputed claim for repainting a neighbour’s house.
How to record defects so the report holds up
A report that says “some cracking to walls” is useless when the dispute comes. Every defect needs:
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Exact location | “East wall of bedroom 2, 300 mm below cornice, left of window” can be found again. “Bedroom” cannot. |
| Type and direction | Stepped, vertical, horizontal or diagonal cracks point to different causes. |
| Length and width | Measured with a tape and crack gauge, so any later widening can be shown. |
| Age indicators | Dirty or painted-over edges suggest an old crack; clean, sharp edges suggest a recent one. |
| Photo reference | Every defect is tied to a numbered, date-stamped photo with scale. |
Also record the things that are fine. “No visible cracking to the north elevation” is evidence too.
Photographs: the part that wins disputes
Take a wide shot to show where each defect is, then a close-up with a crack gauge or tape measure in frame for scale. Keep them date-stamped and number them to match the schedule in section 6. Photograph doors and windows that stick, uneven floors and existing water stains. A short video walk-through is a useful backup.
Access and the neighbour
Write to each neighbour before the work, explain why the inspection helps them as well as you, and book a time. Most agree once they understand it protects them. If someone refuses, record the request and the refusal, inspect and photograph everything you can see from outside, and tell the certifier. Ask the owner to sign the acknowledgement: they are confirming the report records what was seen that day, not agreeing about the cause of anything.
After the work: the post-construction inspection
Re-inspect when the work that could affect the property is finished, using the same report. Compare defect by defect. Where something has changed, the report shows exactly what, which makes a fair repair quick to agree. Where nothing has changed, the matter is closed. Keep both reports with the site diary, which records the dates of excavation and vibration work in between.
Council assets
Section 5 records the footpath, kerb and gutter, road surface, nature strip, street trees, pits and poles along the frontage. Damage to these is one of the most common deductions from a builder’s security deposit, and much of it pre-dates the job. Photograph the whole frontage before the first truck arrives.
Reading cracks: what to record, not diagnose
A dilapidation report records; it does not diagnose. But knowing what different cracks can indicate helps you describe them properly and notice when something needs an engineer.
| What you see | Record carefully |
|---|---|
| Hairline cracks along plasterboard joints and cornices | Location, length; often shrinkage or minor movement, very common in older homes |
| Stepped cracks through brick mortar joints | Length, maximum width, whether it widens up or down, dirty or clean edges |
| Cracks at the corners of windows and doors | Direction and width; whether the door or window sticks |
| Sloping floors or gaps under skirtings | Where, and roughly how much, with a level photo if possible |
| Cracked paving, driveways and paths | Width and any vertical displacement (trip lip) |
If you see wide or active-looking cracks, significant displacement, or anything suggesting an existing structural problem, recommend the owner has it assessed by an engineer before your work starts, and record that you did.
Video, drones and digital reports
A continuous, date-stamped video walk-through of each room and elevation is a very useful supplement to the written report and photos, because it shows everything, including what you did not think to photograph. A drone can capture roofs and gutters without climbing, subject to the rules for flying near people and property and the neighbour’s consent. Store the files with the report, with a note of the date and who recorded them. Digital report apps are fine if they produce a fixed, dated report that both parties can keep; the owner’s signed copy is what matters in a dispute.
