Your builder will invite you to a walk-through before practical completion — sometimes called a pre-settlement inspection or client walk. This is your opportunity to view the home and note any items before handover.
Here's what to look for — and an honest explanation of why this walk-through, however thorough, is not a substitute for an independent PCI.
What to Check at Every Walk-Through
Every tap, switch, and power point. Turn on every tap, flush every toilet, test every light switch, and check every power point with a charger or tester. Functional defects are the easiest to demonstrate and the hardest for a builder to dispute.
Every door and window. Open and close every door and window. Check that every door latches correctly, every window locks, and every sliding door runs smoothly on its track. Misaligned doors and windows that were installed incorrectly at frame stage become progressively worse over time.
Every wall and ceiling surface. Look for paint defects — runs, roller texture variation, holidays, and colour variation. Look for plasterboard jointing defects — visible joins, nail pops, and cracking at cornice junctions. Use a torch held at a low angle against the wall surface — this technique reveals surface irregularities that are invisible in overhead lighting.
Every wet area. Check every tile for hollow spots by tapping — a hollow sound indicates debonded adhesive. Check every grout line for gaps or cracking. Check every silicone joint at wall-to-floor junctions for completeness.
Site drainage. Walk around the perimeter of the home and check that the ground falls away from the building. Stand at the lowest point on each face and assess whether water would drain toward or away from the slab.
Contract compliance. Open the contract specification and check that every specified item is present — appliances, tapware, tile selections, fencing, landscaping.
What You Will Miss
An untrained eye will miss shower membrane height — which requires a measurement against the wall, not a visual assessment. It will miss roof fixing deficiencies, which require access to the roof space. It will miss termite management system completeness, which requires knowledge of where to look. It will miss structural frame compliance issues, which are invisible after plasterboard.
These are not minor items. They are the categories where defects are most expensive to rectify after handover.
A trained QBCC-licensed inspector attending your home for 90 to 120 minutes will identify significantly more than you will during a 30-minute walk-through. Both have value — and both can happen.
Ask your builder to schedule the walk-through 48 hours before the independent PCI. Use the walk-through to identify the obvious items. Use the PCI to identify everything else.
Book your PCI. QBCC licence 1318443.
