Common new build defects we find
Every defect on these pages was found by our inspectors in a new home in South East Queensland this year. Each one has a real photo, why it matters, how we check it and what the builder needs to do to fix it. Across 63 handover inspections, every home had at least one defect.
we inspected had at least one defect
had 10 or more defects
were already leaking at handover
had a gap in the pest barrier
VG Inspect handover (PCI) inspections, May to October 2026 (63 homes)
The 10 most common defects
- Paint touch-ups needed81%
- Silicone or sealant missing or substandard62%
- Fascia, gutter or flashing scratched or dented56%
- Final clean not done54%
- Incomplete items41%
- Window or door frames scratched or dented40%
- Windows or doors binding, or locks not working38%
- Cabinetry or benchtop chipped or damaged37%
- Door hardware missing37%
- Gaps at fascia, soffit or cladding left unsealed35%
Where defects show up
- Paint & plaster86%
- Roof & gutters76%
- Bathroom / wet areas73%
- Brickwork, render & external walls73%
- Doors & windows70%
Every defect, with the photo and the fix
See the rules we check
Shower screen leaking at handover
Shower screens were leaking in 13% of the new homes we inspected at handover.
Leaking taps, traps and toilets before move-in
16% of the homes we inspected at handover (10 of 63) already had an active leak.
Main water connection leaking at the wall
Part of the 16% of homes we found with an active leak at handover.
Water main through an unsealed hole, pipe not clamped
Service penetrations (air-con, NBN, conduits, water pipes) were left unsealed in 19% of homes at handover.
Sharp cut tile edge left exposed
Safety items (sharp tile edges, protruding reo or bolts, missing window restrictors) turned up in 10% of homes at handover.
Gaps at fascias, soffits and cladding
Nearly 1 in 3 new homes we inspected (30%) had gaps that let pests in. Unsealed fascia, soffit or cladding junctions turned up in 35%.
Ceiling insulation missing in the roof space
We go up through the manhole on every handover inspection. In one recent home, whole sections had no ceiling batts at all.
Exposed steel and voids at the slab edge
Concrete slab or driveway damage, holes or poor finish turned up in 19% of homes at handover.
Termite barrier damaged at the slab edge
Termite protection items (durable notice missing, barrier cut or breached, slab edge covered) turned up in 21% of homes at handover.
External door sill not falling away from the house
70% of the homes we inspected at handover had at least one door or window defect.
Dented roof sheets, scratched gutters and fascias
76% of homes had at least one roof or gutter defect. Fascias, gutters or flashings were scratched or dented in 56%.
Cracked and dislodged roof tiles
Roof sheets or tiles were dented or damaged in 14% of homes at handover.
Blocked weep holes in brick and rendered walls
Weep holes were blocked or missing in 16% of homes at handover.
Upper floor that moves underfoot
Flooring defects (squeaks, bounce, dips) turned up in 10% of homes at handover.
Chip in a brand-new bath
76% of homes had at least one bathroom, wet-area or tiling defect at handover.
Stormwater pipe showing at the surface
Downpipes or stormwater were incomplete or defective in 27% of homes at handover.
Broken waterstop, or membrane stopping short of it
76% of homes had at least one bathroom, wet-area or tiling defect at handover.
Driveway with no saw cuts (control joints)
Driveway saw cuts were missing in 14% of homes at handover.
Damaged stormwater outlet at the kerb
Downpipes or stormwater were incomplete or defective in 27% of homes at handover.
Wall frame bottom plate overhanging its support
One of the items we mark on site at frame stage and write up with the standard and the fix.
Loose tie-down rods
One of the frame-stage items that's invisible once the plaster goes on.
Spot-fixed tiles (glue dabs, not a full bed)
Tiles stuck on with dabs of adhesive show up clearly through our thermal camera.
Ceiling joints not back blocked
You can only see this from the roof space, which is why we go up on every handover.
Open wall and missing tiles behind a floating vanity
We get down low in every bathroom, because that's where things get missed.
Timber floor more than 4mm out over 2000mm
We measure floors at handover, not just look at them.
Vanity out of level
Our digital level read 9mm per 1000mm on this new vanity.
Stormwater line holding water
We look down every stormwater riser we can find at handover.