If you're building a new home in Queensland, two inspections matter most — the PCI before you accept the keys, and the warranty inspection before your defect liability period expires. Here's exactly what each one covers, when to book each, and the answer to the most common question we receive — do I need both?
What a PCI Inspection Covers
A PCI — Practical Completion Inspection — takes place before you sign the handover certificate and accept the keys. It is your last opportunity to have defects fixed at your builder's cost before you take possession.
A PCI covers every element of the completed home. Wet areas and waterproofing. Roof and gutters. External cladding and windows. Internal walls, ceilings, and floors. Joinery and fixtures. Site drainage. Landscaping and fencing. Every item specified in your building contract.
The PCI report is presented to your builder before handover. Defects are rectified before you collect the keys — or documented and agreed for rectification immediately after.
What a Warranty Inspection Covers
A warranty inspection takes place at the 10-month mark of your defect liability period — giving you 10 months of living in the home for latent defects to manifest, and two months remaining to notify your builder and require rectification before the 12-month period expires.
A warranty inspection covers defects that have appeared or progressed since handover. Internal cracking that has developed and widened. Waterproofing failures that are now visible as moisture staining or grout discolouration. Drainage defects that are now directing water toward the building. Door and window operation issues that have appeared as the structure has settled.
Do You Need Both?
Yes, if you want maximum protection. The PCI identifies defects present at completion — items the builder has not finished or has built incorrectly. The warranty inspection identifies defects that have developed during the first year of occupancy — items that passed at PCI but have subsequently failed or become apparent.
Many defects found at warranty stage were present at PCI but not yet visible. Waterproofing failures, for example, may not produce visible moisture staining until months after handover. A warranty inspection catches these before your legal right to require free rectification expires.
Ready to book your inspection? A VG Inspect QBCC-licensed inspector attends every job.
Book an InspectionThe Short Answer
If you can only book one inspection — book the PCI. It gives you the most leverage at the lowest cost.
If you can book two — book both. The PCI protects you at handover. The warranty inspection protects you from the defects that reveal themselves once you start living in the home.
VG Inspect offers both. PCI from $660. Warranty inspection from $550. QBCC licence 1318443.
