Frame Inspection

What we check at frame stage

The frame inspection follows the load path from the roof down to the slab, checking each connection against AS 1684.2 and the truss and bracing engineering. NCC Volume Two Part 3.4 (framing) and Part 3.5 (roof and wall cladding) set the acceptable-construction baseline.

• Wall frames plumb and straight — walls checked for plumb, line and level, with studs sound and free of splits or excessive bow.
• Bracing sheets — pattern and nail spacing — bracing units and their fixing checked against AS 1684.2 clause 8.3, which sets the nailing that lets a brace actually carry racking load.
• Tie-down straps and hold-downs — connections at bracing panels and wall junctions checked so the uplift load path is continuous, per the tie-down provisions of AS 1684.2 Section 9.
• Truss anchor connections and top-plate nailing — every truss-to-plate connection checked for the specified anchor and nail pattern, including at gable ends and girder trusses.
• Truss layout against engineering — spacing, bracing, girder trusses and hangers checked against the truss manufacturer's stamped layout.
• Roof pitch, hip and valley construction — assembled to the roof design, with valley and hip members supported as detailed.
• Bearer and joist spans — for suspended floors, member sizes and spans checked against AS 1684.2 span tables and the engineering.
• Lintel and door-head sizing — openings checked against the engineered lintel schedule for the span and load over them.
• Wind classification match — the framing specification confirmed against the site wind classification (commonly N2, N3 or N4 in SEQ under AS 4055), which is critical on exposed, coastal or elevated sites.
• Termite continuity at the frame-to-slab junction — the termite management system checked for continuity where the frame meets the slab.

Common frame defects and the standards they fail

The defects below are standards-based patterns rather than site-specific claims. Any inspector working to AS 1684.2 and the QBCC guide checks for the same items.

• Non-compliant bracing nailing — a bracing sheet fixed with too few nails, or spacing wider than specified, cannot develop its rated racking capacity. AS 1684.2 clause 8.3 sets the nailing; under-nailed bracing is reported against it.
• Missing truss anchor at a gable end — the tie-down connections in AS 1684.2 Section 9 have to be present at every truss, including the gable, to maintain the uplift load path. A missing or wrong anchor breaks that path.
• Bowed or out-of-tolerance studs — the QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide (clause 12.5) sets limits on wall straightness. Studs bowed beyond the allowed deviation over a set length telegraph through the finished wall and are reported against the guide.

When to book: frame up, before the trades cut in

The frame inspection window opens once the frame is stood, braced and the trusses are fixed, and closes when the pre-plaster trades start or linings go on. Book too early and the bracing and tie-down are incomplete; book too late and plasterboard already hides the connections.

The workable point is with the frame complete and open, before electrical and plumbing rough-in begin. Booking there means every connection is visible and correctable, and it also sets a clean baseline for the pre-plaster inspection that follows — so if a trade later notches a stud or a brace, the change is obvious. We turn the report around the same day for most inspections with photographs and clause references.

Frame inspection and pre-plaster inspection

Frame and pre-plaster are adjacent stages that check different things. The frame inspection assesses the structure while it is clean and open. The pre-plaster inspection comes after the electrician, plumber and insulator have worked in the frame, and checks both that the rough-in is correct and that those trades have not compromised the structure. Before the frame there is the slab inspection; after the linings and fit-out there is the practical completion inspection at handover.

Frequently asked questions