New Home Defects — The 10 Most Expensive to Fix After Handover
VG Inspect finds hundreds of defects per month across new homes in SEQ. The majority are straightforward to fix before handover — a paint touch-up, an adjustment to a door hinge, a missing grout joint. But some defects, if not caught before you sign the handover certificate, become extremely expensive rectification projects.
Here are the 10 most costly new home defects to fix after handover — based on real rectification costs across Queensland.
1. Non-Compliant Waterproofing After Tiling
Shower membrane height non-compliance found before tiling: zero cost to fix. Found after tiling: full tile removal, substrate replacement, membrane reinstallation, re-tiling. A single shower is a substantial rectification project; multiple wet areas, significantly more.
2. Missing Wall Bracing After Plasterboard
Missing structural bracing found at frame stage: straightforward correction. Found after plasterboard installation: opening up walls, installing bracing, repairing plasterboard, repainting. A single missing brace is a meaningful reinstatement; multiple non-compliant walls scale rapidly from there.
3. Termite Barrier Gap After Concrete Pour
Termite management system gap found at pre-pour: simple rectification. Found after the slab is poured: excavation, partial slab removal or chemical supplementary treatment, reinstatement. Costs vary widely but never cheap.
4. Site Drainage Directing Water Toward the Building
Drainage fall toward the building found at PCI: ground regrading at the builder's cost. Found after settlement: excavation, drainage system installation, landscaping reinstatement. On a sloping lot with significant cut and fill, this can be an expensive engineering project.
5. Incorrect Roof Fixing in Wind Regions
Roof fixing deficiency found at frame or PCI: rectification at the builder's cost. Found after a major wind event: insurance claim, repairs, potential disputes. Preventing it: included in the PCI.
6. Driveway Control Joint Failure
Missing driveway control joints found at slab stage: zero cost. Found after the concrete cracks uncontrollably: driveway demolition and replacement.
7. Footing or Slab Non-Compliance (Variable — Potentially Very High)
Slab non-compliance found at pre-pour: correction before the pour. Found after: engineering assessment, potential underpinning, partial demolition in severe cases. Costs are highly variable but can reach six figures in serious cases.
8. Incomplete or Incorrect Electrical Work
Missing safety switches, incorrect circuit protection, or unlicensed electrical work found at PCI: rectification at the builder's cost. Found after settlement and insurance claim: costs may not be covered depending on the nature of the fault.
9. Plumbing Defects Causing Water Damage (Variable)
Plumbing defects — incorrect fall on drainage lines, incomplete connection, substandard jointing — found at inspection: builder rectification. Found after water damage occurs: insurance claim, reinstatement costs, mould remediation.
10. Missing or Incorrect Contract Items (Variable)
Items specified in your contract but not delivered — appliances, tiles, fencing, landscaping — are straightforward to require before handover. After signing, they become disputes. Some are simple to resolve. Others require legal action.
Book your inspection before handover. QBCC licence 1318443.