What Does a Frame Inspection Check? A Plain English Guide for Queensland Buyers

What is the Frame Stage?

The frame stage occurs after your concrete slab has been poured and cured, and after the structural timber or steel framework of your home has been erected. This includes the wall frames, roof trusses, floor framing (for two-storey homes) and all associated structural connections.

Your builder's certifier will conduct a basic frame inspection before signing off on the stage. This sign-off confirms minimum code compliance. It does not confirm that the work has been completed to the level of quality and workmanship your contract requires.

A VG Inspect frame inspection checks significantly beyond minimum code compliance — against AS1684.2 (Residential Timber-Framed Construction), AS4440 (Nail-Plated Timber Roof Trusses) and the QBCC Standards and Tolerances.

Bracing and Tie-Downs

Structural bracing is the system that allows your home to resist lateral forces — wind loads in Queensland's wind classification zones. Bracing defects are among the most common and most serious frame stage findings.

We check: - Bracing nail patterns against AS1684.2 Table 8.18 — a common defect is nails overdriven or underdriven, which compromises the bracing capacity - Ply sheet bracing installation — nails at outer edges must be at 150mm maximum centres, central studs at 300mm maximum - Speed brace and angle brace installation — length must be between 1800mm and 2700mm, angle between 45 and 60 degrees - Tie-down rod connections — chemset anchors are checked for proper installation, rods checked for correct diameter and nut engagement

Truss Installation

Roof trusses are prefabricated structural elements engineered specifically for your home's roof design. Their installation must comply with AS4440 and the truss manufacturer's specifications.

We check: - Saddle fixings at ridge connections — Trip-L-Grips or equivalent are required at pitches above 15 degrees - Truss to top plate connections — the correct strap or bracket type for the wind classification - Diagonal bracing within the roof space — required at specific intervals to prevent the truss system racking - Gang nail plates — must be properly embedded into timber, not lifted or partially applied

Bottom Plate Fixings

The bottom plate is the horizontal timber that sits on your concrete slab and anchors the wall frame. Its fixing to the slab is the connection point between your structural frame and your foundation.

We check: - Masonry nail spacing — 75mm nails at maximum 1200mm centres as per AS1684.2 Table 9.4 - Bottom plate overhang — 90mm plates must not overhang the slab edge by more than 15mm; 70mm plates by more than 10mm - Bottom plates at external walls — must be fully fixed at specified centres, not left unfixed in sections

Intersecting Wall Connections

Where internal walls meet external walls or other internal walls, blocking must be installed to provide a structural connection and a fixing point for wall linings.

We check: - Blocking installation at all wall junctions — minimum 200mm long, maximum 900mm centres - Nailing — 2/75mm nails per block, both into the junction stud and into the intersecting plate - The common defect of using wedges instead of proper blocks

Brick Veneer Cavity

For homes with brick veneer external walls, a clear cavity of minimum 25mm must be maintained between the masonry and the wall frame. This cavity is essential for moisture management and wall performance.

We regularly find plumbing pipes, electrical conduits and air conditioning refrigerant lines that have been run through the wall frame in a way that breaches the cavity — touching the brick on one side and the frame on the other.

We check: - Cavity clearance at all points — minimum 25mm for services, 35mm where electrical conduits are present - Mortar dags dropped into the cavity touching the sarking — must be cleaned out before cavity fill - Sarking installation and taping — all penetrations must be taped with AS4200-compliant foil tape

Roof and Wall Sarking

Sarking is the reflective foil membrane installed under roofing and within wall cavities. It provides thermal performance and acts as a secondary weather barrier.

We check: - Anticon blanket installation under metal roofing — joints must be taped and the blanket must be fixed without sagging - Sisalation and wall wrap — all service penetrations must be taped, over-cuts must be patched - Product suitability — the correct vapour permeability class for Queensland's Climate Zone 2

Window and Door Installation

Windows and doors at frame stage should be installed with packers at all fixing points to ensure wind loads are transferred correctly into the frame rather than being carried by the window or door frame itself.

We check: - Packer installation at all jamb and head fixings - Fixing gauge — for N2 and N3 wind classifications, minimum 1.8mm gauge fixings are required under AS2047 - Window reveal installation — must be straight and true, not bowed

What Happens If Defects Are Found?

Every defect we identify at frame stage is documented with photographs and referenced to the specific Australian Standard or QBCC clause that has been breached. You receive a formal PDF report within 24 hours.

This report goes to your builder with a request for rectification before plastering proceeds. Frame stage defects are the most important to catch and the most straightforward to fix — no walls need to be opened, no tiles need to come off. They're just timber and fixings.

The same defects found at handover — or worse, after you've been living in the home — require walls to be opened, trades to return, and disputes that can take months to resolve.

Book your frame inspection as soon as your builder's certifier signs off on the stage. The window is short.