The building and pest inspection is the most common type of the property inspection. You can request both services separately or from the same contractor. However, the inspectors who do the investigation must have relevant qualifications. It is NOT automatic that building inspectors have the right to undertake both the building and the pest inspection.
In Australia, the building and pest inspection works require standards such as:
In most cases, the building and the pest inspections are done separately. This is attributed to the fact that not all inspectors have the relevant qualification. However, it is generally cheaper to order the building and pest inspection as the single service. In this case, the contractor's travel time is only charged for a single person.
The building inspection is conducted once, during the construction process. Often, builders provide handover inspectors to finalise the building contract. However, you are not obliged to present building inspection reports for warranty. On the other hand, the pest inspection is a different story. In order not to disqualify the guarantee for pest related damages, you must request pest inspection regularly. Most builders and pest control contractors insists on 2 year checkups.
The average price of the building and pest inspection ranges from $400 to $500. For houses up to 150 square meters the price can be even less than $300. However, the type of the construction, access to the property and the size of the building will determine the true cost of the service. What's more, the prolonged time spent on the building inspection report will further inflate the price.
It is up to you to request the building and pest inspection separately or together. Generally, the combined service costs less. What's more, with the combined service you deal with the same company should disputes arise. There are few businesses which provide the comprehensive-combined inspection. BuildingCentre, ReportsDirect and the Australian Building Inspection Services are "heavy weights" in the building and pest inspection service.
Some other reputable building and pest inspection companies in Melbourne:
The building and pest inspectors in Sydney are: