Australian Standards AS 4349.1-2007– Inspection of Buildings

This Inspection is carried out in accordance with AS4349.1-2007 Inspections of Buildings, Part 1: Pre-purchase inspections – Residential buildings. The purpose of this inspection is to identify major defects, the incidence of minor defects and safety hazards associated with the property at the time of the inspection.

• The inspection shall comprise of a visual assessment of the items listed in Appendix C to AS4349.1-2007 for structures within 30 metres of the building and within the site boundaries including fences. Areas for inspection shall cover only safe and accessible areas.
• The overall condition of the building will be compared to similarly constructed and reasonably maintained buildings of approximately the same age.
• Subject to safe and reasonable access the inspection will normally report on the condition of the interior, roof void, exterior, sub floor, roof exterior.
• The inspector will report individually on major defects and safety hazards evident and visible on the date and time of the inspection.The report will also provide a general assessment of the property and collectively comment on minor defects which would form a normal part of property maintenance.
• Where a major defect has been identified, the inspector will give an opinion as to why it is a major defect and specify its location.

Limitations

• The Inspector will conduct a non-invasive visual inspection which will be limited to those accessible areas and sections of the property to which safe and reasonable access is both available and permitted on the date and time of the inspection. Areas where reasonable entry is denied to the inspector, or where safe and reasonable access is not available, are excluded from the inspection. Those areas may be the subject of an additional inspection upon request following the provision or reasonable entry and access.
• The Inspection will not involve any invasive inspection including cutting, breaking apart, dismantling, removing or moving objects including, but not limited to, roofing, wall and ceiling sheeting, ducting, foliage, mouldings, debris, roof insulation, sarking, sisalation, floor or wall coverings, sidings, fixtures, floors, pavers, furnishings, appliances or personal possessions.
• The Inspection and Report compares the inspected building with a building constructed to the generally accepted practice at the time and which has been maintained, so there has been no significant loss of strength and performance.
• The Inspection excludes the inside of walls, between floors, inside skillion roofing, inside the eaves, behind stored goods in cupboards, and other areas that are concealed or obstructed. The inspector will not dig, gouge, force or perform any other invasive procedures.
• The report is not a certificate of compliance that the property complies with the requirements of any Act, regulation, ordinance, local law or by-law, or as a warranty or an insurance policy against problems developing with the building in the future.
• The Inspection will not look for or report on timber pest activity. You should have an inspection carried out in accordance with AS 4349.3-2010 Timber Pest Inspections, by a fully qualified, licensed and insured Timber Pest Inspector.
• If Timber Pest damage is found then it will be reported. The inspector will only report on the damage which is visible.
• No inspection for asbestos will be carried out at the property and no report on the presence or absence of asbestos will be provided. If during the course of the inspection asbestos or materials containing asbestos happened to be noticed then this may be noted in the general remarks section of the report. If asbestos is noted as present within the property then you agree to seek advice from a qualified asbestos removal expert as to the amount and importance of the asbestos present and the cost sealing or of removal.
• No inspection or report will be made for Mould (Mildew) and non-wood decay fungi.
• No inspection for magnesite flooring will be carried out at the property and no report on the presence or absence of magnesite flooring is provided.
• Any estimates provided in the report are merely opinions of possible costs that could be encountered, based on the knowledge and experience of the inspector, and are not estimates in the sense of being a calculation of the likely costs to be incurred. The estimates are not a guarantee or quotation for work to be carried out. The inspector accepts no liability for any estimates provided throughout this report where they occur you agree to obtain and rely on independent quotations for the same work.
• If the property to be inspected is occupied then You must be aware that furnishings or household items may be concealing evidence of problems, which may only be revealed when the items are moved or removed.
• Where the property is a strata or similar title, only the interior and immediate exterior of the specified dwelling will be inspected by the inspector. The inspection will be as outlined in AS 4349.1-2007 Appendix B. Therefore it is advised that the client obtain an inspection of common areas prior to any decision to purchase.
• The Inspection and Report will not report on any defects which may not be apparent due to prevailing weather conditions at the time of the inspection. Such defects may only become apparent in differing weather conditions.
• The inspection cannot report on a defect that was concealed by the owner of the building being inspected.
• he Inspection will not cover or report the items listed in Appendix D to AS4349.1-2007.

Safe and reasonable Access

The Standard AS4349.1-2007 provides information concerning safe and reasonable access.  Only areas where reasonable and safe access is available can be inspected. Access will not be available where there are safety concerns, or obstructions, or the space available is less than the following:

• Roof void – the dimensions of the access hole must be at least 500mm x 400mm, and, reachable by a 3.6M ladder, and, there is at least 600mm x 600mm of space to crawl;
• Roof exterior – must be accessible by a 3.6M ladder placed at ground level.