It's a reasonable question. You're paying a premium for a brand-new home. Your builder has their own quality control process. A building certifier has inspected it. Why would you pay another $660 for an independent inspector?
Here is the honest, data-backed answer — based on what VG Inspect actually finds.
What We Find on New Homes
VG Inspect finds an average of 15 to 30 defects per new home PCI across SEQ. That's the average — not the worst case. On the lower end, we find 8 to 12 items. On the upper end, we have identified more than 60 defects on a single home.
These are not all minor cosmetic items. Across all inspections, the breakdown is approximately:
- 60% are cosmetic or finishing defects — paint, grout, minor seal gaps — that the builder should have addressed but didn't - 30% are compliance defects — waterproofing height, drainage falls, roof fixing — that require specific rectification against Australian Standards - 10% are significant or structural defects — missing bracing, termite barrier gaps, slab non-compliance — that have long-term consequences if not rectified
That 10% is what makes the inspection essential. Significant defects found after handover, after you've signed the certificate, are your problem to argue about — not your builder's obligation to fix at their cost.
What the Defects Would Cost to Fix Without an Inspection
If you skip the PCI and move into a home with non-compliant waterproofing, the typical timeline is 18 to 36 months before moisture damage becomes visible. By that point, you are outside the 12-month defect liability period and potentially outside the practical range for a warranty claim.
Waterproofing rectification requiring full tile removal: $5,000 to $15,000. Structural bracing rectification after plasterboard: $8,000 to $25,000. Slab termite barrier reinstatement: $3,000 to $12,000.
An inspection costs $660.
The Builder's Quality Control Is Not a Substitute
Your builder's site supervisor performs internal checks. The private building certifier inspects at mandatory hold points. Neither of these parties works for you. When they find defects, they manage the information in the builder's interests.
When VG Inspect finds defects, we document them in a report that you own and control. You decide how to use it.
Ready to book your inspection? A VG Inspect QBCC-licensed inspector attends every job.
Book an InspectionThe Answer
Yes. An independent building inspection on a new home is worth it. Not because builders are dishonest — most are not — but because defects occur in volume construction regardless of intent, and an independent inspector is the only party in the process whose job is to find them for you.
Book before you collect the keys. QBCC licence 1318443.
