Are you looking to purchase a new home? Or is it simply that time of year again? You might have seen the term, ‘master building inspector’ starting to pop up in your searches for a building inspector recently. It’s excellent marketing, certainly, but is there any merit to the title of ‘master’? The short answer is: no. It’s just for show. Sounding good at your job and being good at your job, are not always the same thing. The true characteristics of a master building inspector are firstly, they don’t need to give themselves fancy names, their reputation does the talking, and secondly, their years of experience do the same. As far as titles go, you either ‘are’ or ‘are not’. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t varying standards within the industry, so you need to be keeping your eyes peeled for what makes a truly great building inspector…
The basics: What qualifications should my building inspector have?
You’ll be heartened to know that Queensland has very specific regulations around who can become a building inspector. At a minimum, you must hold a low-level licence with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), and you need to have held this licence for five years before you can legally conduct building inspections. Then you must hold your Residential Building Inspection licence. In order to hold this licence, you need to complete a building inspection course and submit your certificate of completion to obtain the licence.
Don’t be afraid to ask your building inspector about their credentials. An unlicensed inspector would also be uninsured, and that is a can of worms you don’t want to open. You could also pause to ask how long they’ve been in the industry and how many properties they’ve inspected. If they aren’t willing to answer your questions prior to your building inspection, they aren’t the right person for the job.
The Action Property Inspections difference
While the minimum standard is fine for some, we shoot for exceptional. Our starting point goes way back to 1983 when owner Andrew commenced his building career. This deep understanding of how a building comes together is the source of strength of knowledge that gets taken into each inspection (totalling over 20,000 now!). With experience firmly rooted in the construction industry, and with current memberships of both Master Builders Association QLD and the Institute of Building Consultants, Andrew has kept his industry knowledge and connections fresh.
Another point of difference is our reporting If your so-called ‘master building inspector’ is providing you with generic plug and play computer generated reports, or has never been a builder themselves, it may be time to find a new one. Our inspection reports are personalised and comprehensive specific to your property.
Finally, you should be on the lookout for personal touches. Does your building inspector offer ongoing phone support? Do they provide you with supporting digital photography? Are you even welcome at the inspection. The good news is that here at Action Property Inspections, the answer to all those questions is an emphatic ‘yes’. We understand how essential the building inspection process is for peace of mind, and are more than happy to go the extra mile for our clients. That is the Action Property Inspections difference.