Do I need an independent building inspector if I have a certifier?

What your certifier checks

A principal certifier is a public official and an independent regulator. Building Commission NSW explains that certifiers don't work for builders or developers and must act in the public interest. They carry out mandatory inspections at set stages. If they find work that does not comply, they must issue a written direction to fix it.

The certifier's role has clear limits. The government's information sheet on certifiers states that certifiers do not supervise or manage builders or building sites. It also says the occupation certificate at the end does not confirm that the builder has met your contract. A certifier still acts on any work that does not comply, without confirming that every finish and inclusion in your contract has been delivered.

What an independent building inspector does

An independent building inspector, often called a building consultant, works under an agreement with you. The NSW Government's guidance on building contracts suggests a progress inspection by an independent building consultant or architect before each payment on a new home. That inspection checks that the work claimed has been done and meets the appropriate standards. The guidance suggests allowing $250 to $500 for each visit.

The term can cause confusion in NSW. A registered building inspector is also a class of certifier who inspects houses with the principal certifier's approval and agreement. When carrying out those statutory inspections, they work within the certification system rather than as your adviser. If you hire someone to act for you, check that their agreement says they report to you.

Which stages should an independent inspector check?

Match the inspections to the stages in your contract's progress payment schedule, since each payment is the point where you confirm work is done. On a new house the most useful visits fall where work is about to be covered and becomes hard to see again:

• the footings and slab, before concrete is poured
• the frame, before roofing and linings close it in
• lockup and services, while wet area waterproofing, plumbing and wiring are still visible
• practical completion, before you accept the house at handover

At the final stage an inspector can judge finishes against the Guide to Standards and Tolerances published by Building Commission NSW. It sets out how surfaces should be viewed and what counts as a defect. Agree in your contract how the inspector will get access to the site for each visit, so an inspection does not hold up the program.

When an independent inspector adds the most

An inspector adds most where nobody else is checking the builder on your behalf. If you engage an architect to administer the contract on the traditional route, that architect already assesses claims and inspects the work for you. In a design and build arrangement the architect works for the same firm as the builders, a trade-off we cover in our page on the disadvantages of design and build.

How we work with inspectors at SHORE

As our build process sets out, our own supervisors run the structure and check it against the drawings we prepared. We measure the set-out twice because every trade that follows builds on it. During lockup and services we hold walkthroughs with you, while a change is still a conversation rather than a variation.

If you plan to engage an independent inspector, tell us before the contract is signed so the stages and site access are agreed from the start. To see how we deliver a home from first site visit to handover, explore our custom homes in Sydney.