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:

  • a morning inspection will take place between 8am and noon; or
  • an afternoon inspection will take place between noon and 5pm.

 

Phone Our Inspections Support team on (03) 941 8222, 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 our building inspection booking form, anytime.
  • You can request your preferred date and whether you require a morning or afternoon or anytime 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 booking, please call our Inspections Support Team on 03 941 8222.

Cancellations must be made by 4pm on the working day prior to when your inspection was scheduled to take place.

The Council charges an inspection 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 onsite and available (this may include hard copy or electronically readable) for the inspection
  • name, phone number and email address of person onsite during inspection
  • email address(es) to send a copy of the inspection site notice to
  • LBP registration number (residential only)
  • chosen date and time (morning or afternoon)
  • type of inspection.

It is preferred that you or a representative is on-site for an inspection.

You must be on-site when we are attending a final inspection and all the approved building consent documentation must be onsite and available (this may include hard copy or electronically readable) during all inspections.

Above 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 building inspector with a safe and suitable method (for example, a cherry picker) for accessing the above ground areas so that the inspection can take place.

The building inspector is not responsible for organising this so make sure you organise for this before the building inspector arrives.

What happens onsite?

The building inspector will ensure that the building work being carried out in accordance with the approved 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 details of the building work to be rectified will be recorded on the site inspection notice. It is likely you will need to book another inspection to allow inspection of the remedial work.

You will be charged for all re-inspections, usually at the current applicable rate. If the building 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 mean:

  • All or some building work on may have to stop while the non-compliance is being remedied. When the remedy has been completed, the building inspector will need to confirm that the remedy has been complied with.
  • Serious breaches may result in a notice to fix being issued:
    A notice to fix (Form 13) is a formal notice issued by the Council advising that a specified person is contravening or failing to comply with the Building Act. If a notice to fix is issued, you must address the issues identified within a prescribed time frame stated on the notice to prevent further action being taken. All or some of the building work may have to stop until the non-compliance has been remedied and the building inspector has confirmed that the notice to fix has been complied with. Further enforcement of a notice to fix may be undertaken by the Council.
  • You may need to apply to amend your building consent.

You can amend your building consent by either a minor variation or an amendment. 

Please refer to making changes after your building consent has been issued for further information.

A final inspection is carried out when all other listed inspections have been completed and passed, and all details on the approved building consent documentation have been completed.

Sometimes, other than the final inspection, there will be other inspections types (including onsite disposal field, heating unit and solar hot water system) which need to also be completed. Please ensure that this is identified when booking inspections so additional time can be allocated.

This is the last opportunity the Council has to inspect the completed building and it is, therefore, important that all aspects of the building work are completed.

In order for the Council to carry out this inspection, the building work must be completed to a standard where it can pass. A final inspection is not designed to provide a list of outstanding items for the contractor to complete.

Once the building work and inspections are completed you will then need to apply for a code compliance certificate including supplying all remaining construction documentation.

For commercial buildings, if your building work is not quite finished and you’re not ready to apply for a code compliance certificate, and you wish to open your premises (or part of your premises) to members of the public you will have to apply for a certificate for public use.