Practical Completion Inspection (PCI)

Your final checkpoint before handover. We identify every defect so you can move in with confidence.

Book before you sign handover documents

Call 07 3180 8041 — same-week availability

What is a Practical Completion Inspection?

A Practical Completion Inspection (PCI) is a comprehensive assessment conducted when your builder notifies you that construction is complete. This is your opportunity to identify any defects, incomplete work, or items that don't meet Australian Standards before you take possession.

Our independent inspection ensures nothing is missed, giving you a detailed report to present to your builder for rectification before final handover.

Practical completion is the point at which your builder considers the home essentially finished and ready to hand over. Under the standard HIA and Master Builders contracts used across Queensland, the builder issues a practical-completion notice and you're given a defined period to inspect and raise defects before settlement. The PCI is the inspection you book inside that window.

Timing matters because your leverage changes the moment you sign. Before you accept handover, the builder is contractually obliged to rectify legitimate defects before receiving final payment — the strongest position you'll ever be in. Once you've signed and taken the keys, outstanding items move into the statutory 12-month defect liability process: still your right, but a slower, more contested path. An independent, clause-referenced report handed over before you sign is what keeps the obligation on the builder's side of the line.

Don't sign off on your new home until you know exactly what needs fixing.

What's Included

Complete interior and exterior inspection
Defect identification with photos
Australian Standards compliance check
Finish quality assessment
Incomplete work documentation
Detailed rectification list for builder
Same-day report (issued on-site, exclusions apply)

From $660

Homes under 220m² · Includes GST

Homes over 220m² are quoted individually — call Adam on 07 3180 8041.

What we check at your PCI — the full checklist

Every VG Inspect PCI is documented against the National Construction Code Volume 2, the relevant Australian Standards, and the QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide. Each defect in your report references the specific clause it breaches — so the list you hand your builder is objective, not a matter of opinion. The headline checks on a completed new home include:

Slab and footings — level, edge beam dimensions, reinforcement cover and the termite management system, against AS 2870 (slab design for the site's soil class) and AS 3660.1 (termite management).
Structural frame — timber sizing, bracing nail patterns, tie-down bolts and truss connections against AS 1684 and the engineer's design.
Roof — covering, gutters, valleys, flashings, ridge capping and fall to downpipes, per the manufacturer's specifications and NCC Volume 2 Part 3.5.
External cladding and brickwork — render finish, brick veneer cavity, articulation joints, window head flashings, weep holes and external sealants.
Wet-area waterproofing — shower, bathroom, laundry and balcony membrane height, junctions, falls and substrate per AS 3740 and NCC Volume 2 Part 3.8.1.1. This is the highest-consequence defect category at any new-build inspection.
Internal finishes — plasterboard, cornice, paint, tiling, grout and silicone against QBCC Section 14 tolerances (assessed from 1.5 m under natural light).
Joinery, fixtures and fittings — kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, benchtops, tap and toilet operation and appliances, against your contract specification.
Electrical and plumbing — GPO and switch function, RCD (safety switch) test, smoke-alarm placement and plumbing fixture operation (trades certify compliance separately; we verify presence and basic function).
Site works — driveways, paths, retaining, fencing, drainage falls and finished ground levels relative to the slab, per NCC Volume 2 Part 3.1.2.3 and QBCC Section 2.3.
Contract specification — the fixtures, finishes and inclusions you paid for in the build contract, confirmed as actually installed.
Compliance documentation — Form 16s and Form 21, waterproofing certificate, termite durable notice and energy-efficiency certificate, present and in your name.

The standards we measure against

An independent inspection is only as good as the benchmark behind it. We don't grade your home on opinion — every finding is measured against a published standard and recorded with the clause it relates to. The main references are:

AS 3740 — waterproofing of domestic wet areas (the highest-consequence finishing item).
AS 2870 — residential slabs and footings; the site's soil class drives the slab design and the movement cracking we look for.
AS 1684 — residential timber-framed construction: member sizing, bracing and tie-down.
AS 3660.1 — termite management systems and the durable notice.
AS 3600 — concrete structures, including slab reinforcement.
NCC Volume 2 — Parts 3.5 (weatherproofing and flashings), 3.8.1.1 (wet areas) and 3.1.2.3 (site drainage and finished ground levels).
QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide — including Section 2.3 (site drainage) and Section 14 (internal-finish tolerances).

Measured tolerances, not opinions

The QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide turns judgement calls into measurements. As representative figures (always confirm against the current published edition):

A finished floor is generally outside tolerance beyond about 10 mm of level across a room, or roughly 4 mm under a 2 m straightedge.
An internal wall is generally beyond tolerance leaning more than about 5 mm over a 1.8 m height.
Wall and ceiling bows over about 4 mm under a 2 m straightedge are usually defective.
Tile lippage over roughly 1–2 mm is typically assessable.
Paint is generally defective if brush marks, roller texture, runs or blemishes are visible from about 1.5 m under normal light.
Joinery and trim gaps beyond the guide's limits (often around 1 mm for cabinetry joints) are assessable, not matters of taste.

For the full picture, see the QBCC Standards and Tolerances guide, the Australian Standards we work to, and our inspection methodology.

Common Defects We Find

Real examples from our inspections

Clean out weepholes

Complete ceiling of articulation joints

Paint lintel

Articulation joint to be sealed

Weepholes blocked

Slab crack measurement

Scratched gutter

PVC pipe to be changed to metal

Drainage incomplete

Stairwell void incomplete

Clean door tracks

Gas fit off incomplete

Leaking sink

AC pipe blocking manhole access

Silicone/grout issues

Common defects we find at a PCI

Almost every new home has defects at handover — it's the nature of a hand-built product assembled by many trades on a live site, not a sign of a bad builder. These are the items our inspectors record most often, each graded by severity and tied to the standard it breaches:

Wet-area membrane pinholes, or upturns below the required heightCriticalAS 3740
The single most consequential category — once tiling starts the membrane is hidden for the life of the home, and a failure means a full wet-area strip-out later.
Site drainage and finished levels ponding water against the slabCriticalQBCC 2.3 / NCC 3.1.2.3
Finished ground levels must direct water away from the building; landscaping and final grading on new builds often fall short.
Flashings unsealed, short-lapped or displacedCriticalNCC 3.5
Window, door and roof-junction flashings keep water out of the wall cavity; an unsealed lap lets water track inside long before it shows.
Safety switches (RCDs) not installed or not tripping on testCriticalElectrical safety
Residual current devices are mandatory on new homes; we test the switchboard and flag any circuit left without working RCD protection.
Cracks at door and window corners from slab movementCriticalAS 2870
Reactive soils move slabs; we measure each crack's width and direction to separate normal shrinkage from movement worth rectifying.
Frame tie-down or bracing shortfalls, where still visibleCriticalAS 1684
Structural fixings and bracing must match the engineering; cheapest to catch before plasterboard conceals them.
Paint finish defects visible from 1.5 mMonitorQBCC Section 14
Brush marks, roller texture, runs and blemishes are assessed with the guide's viewing test rather than by opinion.
Tile lippage, hollow tiles, or falls that don't run to the wasteMonitorQBCC Section 14 / AS 3740
We sound-test tiled areas; hollow tiles can lift over time and poor falls leave water pooling in showers and on balconies.
Plasterboard joints, cornice and wall bowing beyond toleranceMonitorQBCC Section 14
Bows over about 4 mm under a 2 m straightedge are generally defective; gentle variation under that is accepted.
Weep holes blocked or omitted in brickworkMonitorNCC 3.5
Weep holes drain the brick veneer cavity; mortar-blocked or missing weeps trap moisture against the frame.
Joinery and trim gaps beyond the guide's limitsMonitorQBCC Standards & Tolerances
Gaps at skirtings, architraves and cabinetry mitres (often beyond ~1 mm for cabinetry) are assessable items, not matters of taste.
Missing compliance documentationCriticalForm 16 / 21
Form 16s, Form 21, the waterproofing certificate, termite durable notice and energy certificate must be present and in your name at handover.

For a plain-English breakdown of how each is assessed, see the QBCC defects guide.

A real example — wet-area waterproofing caught before tiling

Wet-area waterproofing is the highest-consequence stage of a new home build — higher even than the slab. The governing standard, AS 3740-2021, sets which surfaces must be waterproofed and to what extent: the shower floor and wall upturns to the required heights, continuous coverage at the floor-to-wall junctions where water collects, and sealed, flashed penetrations at the floor waste and tap sets, with the membrane applied at the right thickness and allowed to cure before tiling.

The asymmetry is what makes the timing matter. A membrane defect caught while the waterproofing is still visible is a touch-up the trade completes in well under a day. The same defect caught after tiling is a full wet-area strip-out — tiles, screed and often wall linings removed, re-waterproofed and reinstated. That's why this check happens in the narrow window after the membrane is applied and before screeding and tiling seal it in for the life of the home.

See a worked example in our Morayfield wet-area waterproofing case study, where the membrane and flashings were verified against AS 3740 before tiling commenced.

Why you can't just do it yourself

Plenty of buyers walk through their home before handover and feel confident they've found the issues. In our experience, the items that decide a defect dispute are exactly the ones an untrained walk-through misses:

Waterproofing defects — non-compliant shower membranes are invisible once tiles are down and usually only surface as water damage months later.
Structural concerns — bracing deficiencies, roof-fixing problems and connection failures need trained eyes and knowledge of AS 1684 and the engineering.
Tolerance breaches — a wall that looks slightly bowed may or may not exceed the ~4 mm-in-2 m limit; only measurement against the QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide confirms it.
Contract-specification omissions — fixtures, finishes and inclusions you paid for that simply weren't installed, which only a line-by-line check against the contract catches.

The PCI and handover process — what to expect

The legal moment that matters is signing the practical-completion acknowledgement. Once you sign, your statutory 12-month defect liability period under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act begins, and items that should have been picked up beforehand become harder to enforce — not impossible, but harder. A typical handover sequence runs:

Builder notifies you of practical completion — usually 5 to 14 days before your scheduled handover.
You book your VG Inspect PCI — ideally for the morning of, or the day before, your builder walkthrough.
VG Inspect attends for 2 to 3 hours on a standard home and issues the photographic report on-site the same day.
You hand the report to your site supervisor — every item with its photo, location and AS/QBCC clause reference, for rectification within the contract timeframe.
You attend the handover walkthrough and confirm the rectification items are addressed before signing.
Any items still outstanding are recorded in writing — your report becomes the contemporaneous record for the 12-month defect liability period.

After your PCI — your 12-month window

Your report doesn't end at handover. It's the contemporaneous record you rely on for the 12-month statutory defect liability period under the QBCC Act. If items emerge in the months after you move in — cracking, waterproofing failure, fixture or finish defects — the report is your starting point for a written request to the builder, and, if needed, a QBCC dispute.

For peace of mind at the back end of that period, many buyers also book an 11-month warranty inspection — a focused inspection before the 12-month liability window closes, covering the same checklist as the PCI plus the defects that tend to emerge over a home's first year.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I book a PCI?

After the builder advises practical completion but BEFORE you sign the handover documents. Once you sign, your leverage to require defect rectification is significantly reduced.

What's included in a PCI?

Full property assessment — all rooms, fixtures, finishes, external areas, garage, driveway, fencing. Typically 2–3 hours on site for a standard home.

How many defects do you typically find?

Most new homes have 15–30 defects at PCI stage. We've never inspected a defect-free new home.

What happens after the PCI?

You receive a detailed report with photos and AS references for every defect. You provide this to the builder who must rectify before handover. We can re-inspect after rectification for a small fee if needed.

Can I do the PCI myself?

Legally yes, but an independent QBCC-licensed inspection report carries more weight in the rectification process because every defect is referenced against Australian Standards and NCC clauses. The cost of the inspection is typically recovered many times over in rectified defects.

How much does a PCI cost?

$660 inc GST for homes under 220m². Homes over 220m² are quoted individually. Most expensive of our stage inspections because it's the most comprehensive.

Will my builder rectify all the defects?

Reputable builders will rectify all valid defects. Our report references Australian Standards and NCC clauses so disputes are based on objective criteria, not opinion.

What's the difference between the certifier's inspection and a VG Inspect PCI?

Your builder appoints a private certifier who attends key stages and issues Form 16 and Form 21 certificates confirming the work complies with the building approval — a regulatory compliance check. The certifier is not engaged to assess cosmetic defects, finish quality, contract-specification omissions, or items inside the QBCC Standards and Tolerances but outside the approval. A VG Inspect PCI is the independent, buyer-facing assessment that picks up those items before you accept handover.

What if my builder says a defect is within tolerance?

That's exactly why every item in your report is measured and referenced to a clause. If a builder claims something is acceptable, we can point to the specific measurement and the specific QBCC Standards and Tolerances or Australian Standard clause it breaches — for example the paint viewing test (visible from about 1.5 m under normal light) or floor level (out of tolerance beyond roughly 4 mm under a 2 m straightedge). Objective figures settle the question; opinions don't.

Can I attend the PCI with the inspector?

Yes — we encourage it. Walking the home with the inspector is the best way to understand each defect, why it matters, and what rectification should look like, so you can have an informed conversation with your builder at handover. You're welcome to attend the whole inspection or join for the wrap-up.

Do you re-inspect after the builder rectifies?

Yes. Once your builder has actioned the report, we can return to verify each item was rectified properly before you sign, for a small re-inspection fee. It's the cleanest way to confirm the list was genuinely closed out rather than ticked off on paper.

How is a PCI different from a building and pest inspection?

A building and pest inspection is a pre-purchase product for established homes — it covers general condition and timber-pest activity. VG Inspect specialises exclusively in new builds, so a PCI assesses brand-new construction against the contract specification, the National Construction Code and the QBCC Standards and Tolerances Guide before handover. We don't carry out pre-purchase or pest inspections.

Inspecting earlier stages too?

The PCI is the final check before handover, but catching issues at each construction stage is even better value. VG Inspect checks every stage of your new build:

Pre-pour inspection — Caboolture Slab inspection — Caboolture Frame inspection — Caboolture Enclosed (lock-up) inspection — Caboolture Waterproofing inspection — Caboolture All construction stage inspections QBCC defects guide — common new-home defects QBCC Standards and Tolerances — the benchmark we inspect to

Ready to Book Your PCI?