Everything you need to know before booking a building inspection.

Inspections are undertaken by appointment only, Monday to Friday between 8am and 5pm (excluding public holidays).

Appointments are for either morning or afternoon, we do not book inspections for a specific time:

  • an AM inspection (this will take place between 8am and noon); or
  • a PM inspection (this will take place between noon and 5pm).

How to book an inspection

Phone (03) 941 8222
Phone the Council's Inspections Scheduling team 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
  • We will schedule the next available appointment with an inspector who is able to undertake your inspection.
  • Your inspection will be booked on the spot and confirmed during the call.
Online Complete this online form at any time, helpful if you are unable to call us during office hours.
  • You can request your preferred date and whether you require an “AM”, “PM” or “any time” appointment.
  • Once you submit this online form, the Council's Inspections Scheduling team will review the information. If your requested date and time window is not available, we will call you to book the next available appointment. Otherwise you can assume the appointment is scheduled and an inspector will attend within the requested time window.
  • We will also text or call the day before your booked inspection to confirm you are ready.

Change or cancel a booking

If you wish to change or cancel your inspection, please call our Bookings Team on (03) 941 8222. Cancellations must be made by 4pm the working day prior to your inspection taking place. The Council charges a fee for cancellations made on the day for when the inspection is scheduled to take place.

What information do I provide when I book an inspection?

Please have the following information to available:

  • building consent number
  • site address
  • site details (e.g. lot number or subdivision details)
  • confirmation your approved building consent documentation will be on site and available (this may include hard copy or electronically readable) for the inspection
  • when you hope to have the inspection undertaken
  • the contact person's name, phone number and email address

Inspections – consented building documentation must be onsite

It is preferred that you or a representative can be on site for an inspection. You must be on site when we are attending a Final Inspection and all consented building documentation must be on site and available (this may include hard copy or electronically readable) during all inspections.

Off-ground areas

The area to be inspected may include those that cannot be easily accessed. An example may be the second or third storey of a building or another area which cannot be easily seen from ground level.

You will need to provide the inspector with a safe and suitable method (for example, a cherry picker) for accessing the off-ground areas so that the inspection can take place. The inspector is not responsible for organising this so make sure you organise for this before the inspector arrives.

What happens onsite?

The building inspector will verify that the building work has been completed in accordance with the building consent documents. At the end of each inspection, the outcome will be recorded on a site inspection notice and emailed to you.

If an inspection outcome is recorded as failed, the work to be rectified will be recorded on the site inspection notice. It is likely you will need to book another inspection for remedial work.

You will be charged for all re-inspections, usually at the current applicable rate. If the work is not remedied to the satisfaction of the building inspector, a notice to fix may be issued.

Non-compliance with building consent documents

If the inspection finds non-compliance with the building consent documents, the reasons for non-compliance will be recorded on the inspection record that will be provided to you. The outcomes of a non-compliant inspection may be:

  • Some work may be able to continue
    Work on some other areas of the building may be able to continue while the work on the area of non-compliance is being remedied. When the remedy has been completed, the inspector will need to verify that the remedy has been achieved in compliance with the building consent documents.
  • Serious breaches may result in a notice to fix
    All work on the building may have to stop until the non-compliance has been remedied and the inspector has verified that the remedy has been achieved in compliance with the building consent documents. This may result in a Notice to fix.
    A Notice to Fix (Form 13) is a formal notice issued by the Council advising that certain works have not been carried out in accordance with the Building Act.
    If a notice to fix is issued, you must address the issues identified within a prescribed timeframe stated on the notice to prevent further action being taken.
    Enforcement of a notice to fix is undertaken by the Council. 
  • You may need to apply to amend your building consent.

What happens if I want to make an amendment to the consented plans during construction?

You can amend your building consent by either:

Final inspection

Once the building work has been completed to the satisfaction of the building consent, a final inspection will be done. Once it has passed, compile any building consent and related documents that have not already been submitted and apply for a code compliance certificate.