Why we publish our methodology
Most building inspectors do not publish how they inspect. They publish a price list, a phone number, and a logo, and they expect that to be enough. We do it differently, and we do it deliberately, for three reasons.
The first is defensibility. When a builder pushes back on a defect — and the right ones do, because the defect costs them time or money to rectify — the report has to stand up under scrutiny. Every defect in a VG Inspect report cites a specific clause of the National Construction Code, the relevant Australian Standard, or the QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide. The clause reference is the defect's argument. If the clause says the work is non-conforming, the work is non-conforming, regardless of which trade did it or which supervisor signed it off.
The second is actionability. A defect that says "shower waterproofing looks dodgy" is unactionable. A defect that says "membrane upturn at the shower threshold measures 12 mm, below the 25 mm minimum required by AS 3740 clause 3.3.2" tells the builder exactly what to rectify, gives the certifier a clear standard against which to assess the rectification, and gives the buyer a checkable item to confirm at the re-inspection. Clause references convert opinion into instruction.
The third is accountability. A methodology that is public is a methodology the inspector has to follow. If we tell you on this page that we cross-reference the engineering plans on every frame inspection, we have to cross-reference the engineering plans on every frame inspection. The page binds the practice. It also lets you, the buyer, check the report against the methodology and ask — did the inspector do what they said they would do?
This is the entire methodology. The reference points, the pre-inspection process, the on-site walkthrough, the report specification, the eight inspection types, the defect severity framework, and the independence + accountability framework that governs every job. Read it before you book, read it again when the report lands, and hold us to it.
The three reference points
Every VG Inspect inspection runs against three documents. Together they form the regulatory, technical and workmanship envelope that every defect is measured against. The hierarchy matters: NCC sets the legal minimum, AS sets the technical standard, QBCC sets the workmanship tolerance for Queensland specifically.
NCC Volume 2 — National Construction Code, residential section. The regulatory baseline. NCC Volume 2 applies to all Class 1 and Class 10 buildings — which means every detached new home in Queensland. It is the document that the certifier checks against when issuing Form 16 (structural compliance) and Form 21 (final compliance at handover). When a defect is non-compliant with the NCC, it is non-compliant with the law, and the certifier should not sign Form 21 until the defect is rectified.
The relevant Australian Standards. AS publishes the technical detail that the NCC references. A short reference list covering the majority of what we cite in reports:
- →AS 1684 — Residential Timber-Framed Construction — wall studs, plates, bracing, tie-down, member sizing, plumb and straightness tolerances.
- →AS 2870 — Residential Slabs and Footings — slab classification by soil reactivity, reinforcement, slab depth, edge thickening, articulation.
- →AS 3660.1 — Termite Management — chemical and physical termite barriers, inspection zones, post-construction monitoring obligations.
- →AS 3740 — Waterproofing of Wet Areas — membrane integrity, upturns, penetrations, falls to waste, threshold treatment.
- →AS 4773 (masonry), AS 4654 (external waterproofing), AS 3000 (electrical), AS 3500 (plumbing) — cited as relevant per stage.
QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide. The Queensland-specific workmanship and finish quality framework. The Standards and Tolerances Guide covers what the NCC and AS do not — the finish quality threshold that separates acceptable workmanship from a QBCC-actionable defect. It is the document the QBCC dispute resolution process uses if a builder and buyer disagree on whether a piece of work is defective. It is also the document that defines workmanship under the Defect Liability Period.
Three documents. Every defect we log is measured against at least one of them. Most are measured against two or all three.
The pre-inspection process
The inspection starts before we arrive on site. The work in the 24-48 hours before the inspection determines whether the on-site time is spent inspecting or chasing.
Builder confirms stage readiness 24-48 hours in advance. A frame inspection on a frame that is not actually finished is wasted time for everyone. We confirm directly with the site supervisor that the stage is complete, signed off internally by the builder, and ready to be checked. If anything is still in progress (trusses being landed, straps still being nailed off, services still being roughed in), we push the inspection back rather than miss items.
Site supervisor briefed on access, attendance, expected duration. Adam is on site personally, typically for two to four hours depending on home size and stage. The supervisor knows when, knows the access arrangement (key safe, site gate, etc.), and is welcome to attend the walkthrough — many do, because clarifying a defect on site is faster than clarifying it via email after the report lands.
Adam reviews the engineering plans, contract documents, and prior-stage report (if applicable). This is the most important pre-inspection step. The engineer's structural plan tells us where the lintels should be, what size, what tie-down detail. The plumbing plan tells us where the wet areas are and which need AS 3740 waterproofing. The prior-stage report (if there is one) tells us what was outstanding last time and whether it has been rectified. Inspectors who don't review the plans before they walk on site inspect against the building code instead of against the actual build. That is half the inspection.
Inspection kit prepared. Digital camera (high-resolution, GPS metadata enabled), FLIR thermal imaging camera (moisture and electrical hot-spot detection), drone (roof and high-access where relevant), moisture meter (wet area substrate testing), laser level (plumb and straightness), plumb laser (stud and frame verification), tape, electrical tester, plumbing fixture tester, and the digital report tablet preloaded with the site-specific report template.
Same-day digital report template loaded with site-specific metadata. Address, builder, supervisor name, contract details, prior-stage cross-references, scope of inspection, weather, time on site. Loaded before Adam arrives so the only thing added on site is findings and photos.
On-site inspection — standard stage walkthrough
What actually happens on site, in the order it happens, every job.
Step 1 — Briefing with site supervisor (5-10 minutes). Confirm scope of inspection, walk the current state of the site at a high level, note anything the supervisor wants to flag (incomplete items, in-progress trades, planned variations). Builder-side context that the plans do not show.
Step 2 — Plans cross-check. Walk the home with the engineering, structural and services plans open on the tablet. Confirm that the on-site state aligns with the plans — lintels in the right openings at the right sizes, trusses oriented per the truss layout, services roughed in to the locations on the plumbing and electrical plans. Discrepancies are logged immediately.
Step 3 — Systematic walkthrough. Front to back, exterior to interior, top to bottom. Always the same order, every job, every stage. The order is not arbitrary — it ensures nothing is missed. Inspectors who walk in a different order every job miss items they would catch in a routine order. The routine is the methodology.
Step 4 — Each visible item checked against NCC + AS + QBCC clauses. As each item is checked, it is mentally cross-referenced against the three documents. A bracing strap is checked against AS 1684 (nail spacing, tension, panel layout) and against the engineer's bracing plan. A waterproofing upturn is checked against AS 3740 (height, integrity, threshold treatment). A termite collar is checked against AS 3660.1 (collar height, seal at slab, inspection zone preservation). The clause is in mind as the item is inspected.
Step 5 — Defects photographed with location reference. Every defect is photographed with at least one wide-shot photo (location in the home — room, wall, member) and at least one close-up photo (the defect itself). Each photo is geo-tagged via the camera's GPS metadata. The location reference in the report names the room, wall and structural member, so the builder can find the defect without needing the inspector on site again.
Step 6 — Each defect logged in the digital report on the spot. Photo, location, description, exact clause reference, recommended action, severity classification (Critical / Monitor — see the defect severity framework below). Logging on site means the report is 90% complete before Adam leaves the site, which is why same-day delivery is possible.
Step 7 — Specialised tools used where relevant. FLIR thermal imaging on wet area walls (moisture behind tiles), electrical distribution boards (hot-spot identification), insulation continuity (thermal bridging). Drone on roof, gutters, ridge cap, flashings, and two-storey or split-level exterior. Moisture meter on bathroom and laundry substrates before tiling. The tool is matched to the question — if there is no thermal question, the FLIR stays in the bag.
Step 8 — Final walk-around. Quality check on observations before leaving. Was anything queued for "come back to" that didn't get revisited? Were any items deferred to a re-inspection? Final photographs of overall site state. Brief verbal summary to the supervisor on the headline items (full report follows same day).
The report
What's in every VG Inspect report. The report is the deliverable. The on-site time is the input; the report is the output that the buyer, builder and certifier work from.
Cover page. Home address, builder name, site supervisor name, inspection date, inspection time, weather conditions on site, scope of inspection (which stage, against which Standards), and the QBCC Licence number of the inspector. Cover page metadata is what makes the report a formal record — the kind the QBCC or a court would accept as evidence if a dispute escalates.
Photographs. Every defect has at least two photographs (wide-shot location + close-up defect). Photos are dated, with GPS metadata preserved. Photo quality is high-resolution — at the click level the photographs are legible on a tablet or printed page, not compressed to thumbnails.
Defects list, organised by location. Each defect contains: photo references, location (room / wall / structural member), description in plain English, exact clause reference in the format NCC Volume 2 clause X.X / AS XXXX clause Y / QBCC S&T section Z, recommended rectification action, and severity classification (Critical / Monitor).
Non-defects observed. A list of items inspected and passed. This matters more than buyers usually expect. A report that only lists defects looks like a hunt for problems. A report that lists what was checked and passed alongside what was checked and failed proves comprehensive scope. It also means the buyer knows what was checked — if an item is not on the report, it was not part of the scope.
Cross-references to prior-stage reports (if applicable). Items flagged for re-check from the previous stage are explicitly closed out or carried forward. This is the continuity layer — the same inspector across multiple stages, with each report building on the last.
Compliance notes. Standalone notes on regulatory items encountered on site. Example: "Form 16 sighted at front of site, dated 12 March 2026, signed by structural engineer X. Form 21 not yet issued — expected at practical completion." These notes give the buyer the regulatory state of the build at a glance.
Summary cover letter. Three short paragraphs — one for the buyer, one for the builder, one for the certifier. Each frames the report for that audience's purpose. The buyer's paragraph answers "what should I do with this?". The builder's paragraph lists the rectification scope. The certifier's paragraph flags any items relevant to ongoing compliance certification.
Delivery. Same-day digital. PDF, mobile-readable, photo-rich. Sent to the buyer first; with the buyer's consent, copied to the builder and the certifier. Buyer's consent is explicit — we do not share the report with anyone the buyer has not authorised. Where freely available, embedded clause references hyperlink to the relevant AS/NCC/QBCC reference documents so anyone reading the report can verify the citation.
The eight inspection types
VG Inspect offers eight distinct inspections. Each runs the methodology above against the standards specific to that stage.
- →Pre-pour inspection — $550. Formwork, reinforcement positioning, termite collar placement, bar chair spacing, service penetrations. Standards: AS 3660.1 + AS 2870.
- →Slab inspection — $550. Post-pour slab depth, level, surface, termite collar integrity, vapour barrier edges. Standards: AS 2870 + AS 3660.1.
- →Frame inspection — $550. Member sizing, tie-down, bracing, trusses, plumb, openings, service penetrations. Standards: AS 1684 + QBCC Standards and Tolerances + NCC Volume 2 part 3.4.
- →Waterproofing inspection — $550. Membrane integrity, upturns, penetrations, falls to waste, threshold treatment. The single highest-leverage stage inspection on any build because everything goes under tile. Standards: AS 3740.
- →Enclosed (lock-up) inspection — $550. Cladding, flashings, weatherproofing, window installation, articulation joints, weep holes. Standards: NCC Volume 2 part 3.5 + relevant cladding-specific standards.
- →PCI / handover inspection — $660 (homes under 220m²; larger homes individually quoted). The comprehensive pre-handover check across QBCC Standards and Tolerances + NCC + AS. Produces the defect list for rectification before keys are handed over.
- →Post-handover inspection — $660 (homes under 220m²). For homes received without a prior PCI, within 6 months of handover. Same scope as PCI, applied post-keys.
- →11-month warranty inspection — $550. Booked before the Defect Liability Period closes. Identifies defects developed during the first year of occupation while the builder is still obligated to rectify them. Standards: AS + QBCC defect identification.
Not sure when each stage falls on your build? Use the build-time calculator to estimate stage dates from your build start date. The practical completion to handover timeline guide covers the PCI-to-keys process in detail.
The defect severity framework
How we classify what we find. Severity drives action — what the buyer does with the defect depends on which bucket it falls into.
Critical. Affects structure, safety, weatherproofing, or services. Must be rectified before the next stage proceeds, before handover, or before the Defect Liability Period closes — whichever deadline applies. Examples: missing tie-down rod at gable end (frame stage), waterproofing membrane breach at shower threshold (water stage), live wiring in a junction box without a cover plate (any stage). Critical defects are non-negotiable rectification items.
Monitor. Within tolerance OR borderline. Re-check at next inspection or at handover. Doesn't block stage clearance but goes on the buyer's watch list. Examples: a wall stud 2 mm out of plumb in a non-load-bearing wall (within AS 1684 tolerance but at the edge), slight cosmetic crack in a non-structural finish (within QBCC Standards and Tolerances but worth watching). Monitor items become Critical if they progress; they remain Monitor if they don't.
Cosmetic. Finish defects beyond QBCC Standards and Tolerances threshold. Recoverable under the DLP. Builder typically rectifies during the defect liability period as part of routine post-handover warranty work. Examples: scratched architrave, paint runs on skirting, minor chip on tile edge. Cosmetic defects are listed in the report so the buyer can raise them at the 11-month warranty inspection, when the DLP rectification window is still open.
Severity is not opinion. It is a classification driven by the clause reference. A Critical defect cites a Critical-severity clause. A Monitor defect cites a tolerance-edge clause. A Cosmetic defect cites a Standards and Tolerances finish-quality threshold. The classification is auditable.
Independence + accountability
The methodology is only as good as the inspector applying it. The following commitments govern every job.
- →Not employed, paid, referred or appointed by any builder. VG Inspect works for the buyer. We are not on any builder's panel, not on any developer's preferred-supplier list, not paid a referral fee by any trade. The fee on the report cover page is the only money that moves in this transaction.
- →QBCC-licensed under Licence 1318443. Verifiable at qbcc.qld.gov.au/online-services. Licence holder, scope, current status — all public record. We encourage every buyer to verify the licence before engaging us.
- →100% personal attendance. Adam Gates attends every job. There are no junior inspectors, no offshored observations, no "name on the door" delegates. The person who inspects your home is the person whose name appears on the report.
- →5.0 stars across 65 Google reviews. Public, individually signed, verifiable. We do not curate the reviews. The buyers who use VG Inspect write about the experience in their own words.
- →11 years of site supervision experience before founding VG Inspect. Adam knows what a thorough builder's supervisor's day looks like because he was one. The inspection methodology is shaped by that experience — by knowing what a tradie can fix in 15 minutes at frame stage, what a tradie cannot fix once linings go on, and which items a supervisor will quietly thank you for catching early.
- →Every report is signed off personally. No assistant signs the report. No system signs the report. Adam signs the report. The person who licences the report is the person who stood in your home.
Frequently asked questions
Why do you publish your methodology?
Three reasons: trust, accountability, and defensibility. Publishing how we inspect lets the buyer hold us to the process. It binds the practice to a public standard. And it makes the report stronger when a builder pushes back — every defect references a specific clause, and the methodology shows how that clause was applied on site.
Do you tell the builder what you found?
Yes — same-day. The report is sent to the buyer first; with the buyer's explicit consent, the builder and the certifier are copied. Most buyers consent because the builder needs the report to rectify. A small number of buyers prefer to send the report themselves after a few hours of review. Either way, the builder sees the same report the buyer sees.
What if the builder disagrees with a defect?
The clause reference makes the case. If the report cites AS 3740 clause 3.3.2 and the rectification work doesn't meet that clause, the work is non-conforming, and the builder's recourse is to rectify the work, not to dispute the clause. If the disagreement persists, the QBCC dispute resolution process is available — and the clause-referenced report is exactly the kind of evidence that process is designed to accept.
Can you re-inspect after rectification?
Yes. The re-inspection fee is waived if the re-inspection is booked within 14 days of the original inspection. After 14 days, a standard stage inspection fee ($550) applies. Most stage rectifications resolve in well under 14 days, so most re-inspections are no additional cost to the buyer.
How does your report compare to the certifier's report?
The certifier checks regulatory compliance — does the work meet the NCC sufficiently for the certifier to issue Form 16 or Form 21. The certifier is not paid by the buyer and does not represent the buyer's interests. We add the workmanship layer (QBCC Standards and Tolerances), the buyer-side perspective, and the clause-referenced defect detail the buyer needs to push rectification through to completion. The two reports are complementary, not substitutable.