The Pre Slab Pour inspection examines your home's foundation, piers, steel, and formwork before the concrete is poured. This ensures that everything is correctly constructed and prepared for the concrete pour.

Typically, this inspection is carried out on the afternoon preceding the scheduled concrete pour. After the concrete is poured, it becomes impossible to identify any underlying issues within the slab structure until it is too late.

The Frame Stage is achieved when the wall and roof framing are fully completed. In some double-storey homes, it's possible to reach this stage without finishing the garage or other lower roof areas.

During the Frame Stage, a building surveyor's inspector is required to inspect the house frame. However, it's not uncommon for frames with numerous defects and incomplete areas to be approved. The frequency of defects overlooked by these inspectors is frequently surprising.

The Pre-Plaster stage occurs just before the plasterboard is installed. This phase is critical for inspection because it represents the final opportunity to examine the walls and roof frame before they are concealed by plaster.

Once any defects from the framing stage have been addressed by the builder, service trades such as plumbers, electricians, and heating contractors proceed to install their wiring and piping. Unfortunately, they sometimes do so with little consideration for the frame's structure, often causing damage in various areas. These issues are then hidden by the plaster, only to emerge later as problems for the homeowner.

Fixing and waterproofing are two distinct stages of construction that typically happen concurrently. This phase marks the final chance to inspect the home before painting and tiling commence.

The fixing stage is considered complete once the doors, architraves, skirting boards, and joinery (such as the kitchen, vanity, and internal stairs) are installed. It is also usually the point at which the final building progress payment is made before completion.

Once your new home is practically complete, the builder will reach out to schedule a Pre-Handover Inspection. This inspection goes by various names—PCI (Practical Completion Inspection), NHP (New Home Presentation), among others—but they all refer to the same process.

This inspection is your chance to go through the new home and identify any issues or defects that you want the builder to address before final settlement and handover of keys. At this point, the home might not be fully complete or have a Certificate of Occupancy, but the inspection is conducted because the builder considers the house to be practically complete.