Fire separation between attached homes: what builders must get right
Between attached homes, the separating wall, its penetrations and its junctions decide whether a fire stays in one dwelling. These are the details most often missed on site.
12 min read
Topic
Inspections
Articles and news about Inspections for Australian builders.
Fire separation between attached homes: what builders must get right
Between attached homes, the separating wall, its penetrations and its junctions decide whether a fire stays in one dwelling. These are the details most often missed on site.
12 min read
The most common building defects in NSW, and how builders stop them happening
Building Commission NSW’s research and audits point to the same culprits year after year: waterproofing first, fire safety second, then structure, the building enclosure and services. Here is where defects come from, and the site controls that stop them.
7 min read
Occupation certificates in NSW: what builders need to have ready for the final inspection
The occupation certificate is the last step in the approval process and often the first thing a client and their lender ask for. Delays usually come from missing paperwork, not failed work. Here is what the certifier needs and how to be ready.
7 min read
NSW pool barrier rules: what builders and renovators need to get right before summer
Pool barriers are one of the few building elements where a small defect can cost a child’s life. With pool season approaching, here is what NSW law requires, which standard applies, and the renovation trap that catches builders out.
7 min read
Nearly 1,400 Victorian pool fences under review after inspector banned
The BPC has asked councils to review pool barriers certified by an inspector it has banned for three years. What happened, what pool owners and builders should check, and the common barrier faults that put children at risk.
5 min read
Wet area waterproofing membranes: liquid, sheet and where each one fails
Leaking showers are one of the most common and expensive defects in Australian homes. Most failures are not the membrane’s fault but the junctions, penetrations, curing and compatibility around it.
7 min read
Building Commission NSW blitz: 150 site inspections, 25 fines on the Mid North Coast and New England
The regulator’s latest regional blitz found generally good compliance, but fines were issued for unlicensed work, missing site signs, unsupervised contractors and unauthorised plumbing. The same checks could come to any site.
6 min read
Critical stage inspections in NSW: what gets inspected on a house, when, and how not to fail
Footings, slab, frame, wet areas, stormwater and final: the inspections a NSW house must pass before it can be occupied. What the certifier looks at, and the preparation that gets you through first time.
8 min read
What principal certifiers actually check at each NSW inspection
A principal certifier is not there to supervise your trades. They are there to test the work against the approved documents and the NCC, and to issue the certificates that keep the job moving. Knowing what they look at, and what makes them stop, is a commercial skill.
13 min read