Should I get a building and pest inspection before renovating?

Why inspect a home you already own before renovating?

You live in the house, so you know its quirks. What you usually do not know is what sits behind the plaster, under the floor and in the roof space you have not been into since you moved in. A renovation opens those areas up, and whatever is there becomes part of the job, the budget and the timeline.

An independent building and pest inspection is a visual, non-invasive look at the accessible areas of a home you already own, including visible signs of timber pest activity. Before a renovation it answers a simple question: what am I actually dealing with? A damp subfloor, old termite damage in a wall you plan to keep, a sagging bearer, a roof that leaks over the room you are extending or an earlier addition that does not look permitted all change how you plan the work.

Our pillar guide to building and pest inspections explains the inspection in general. This guide is about using it well when a renovation is the reason. If you are wondering whether an inspection makes sense for a home you have owned for years, the guide on whether you need a building and pest inspection if you already own the home covers that.

What does the inspection look at?

The inspection covers the accessible areas of the home's interior and exterior: walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, plus the roof space and subfloor where there is safe and reasonable access. It records visible signs of cracking, movement and water entry, and it looks for visible signs of timber pest activity such as termites, borers and wood decay, along with the conditions that make that activity more likely, such as excess moisture or timber in contact with soil.

For a renovation, a few areas deserve particular attention, and it helps to tell us about them when you book:

• The rooms you are changing, especially wet areas, where water damage tends to show first.
• Any wall you want to remove or open up, and what is above it.
• The part of the house a new extension will join, including the roof, gutters and footings nearby.
• The subfloor under new loads, such as a heavier kitchen bench or a new bathroom.
• Decks, pergolas and outbuildings you plan to keep or build on.

The inspection is visual. Nothing is opened up, no fittings are removed, and the report describes what was visible on the day. Where an observation needs a closer look, the report can recommend a specialist, such as a structural engineer, a licensed plumber or a licensed electrician.

When is the best time to book it?

Earlier than most people think. The most useful moment is before the design is settled, so the findings can shape the plans rather than arrive as a surprise after demolition. If you already have drawings, the next best moment is before you sign a building contract, so the contract and the price reflect the house as it is.

Timing also matters for the permit side. Many renovations need a building permit, some need a planning permit and some need both. The permit, where one is needed, brings its own mandatory inspections, carried out by, or on behalf of, the relevant building surveyor at set stages. Those are statutory and are separate from any inspection you commission.

Our guide to which permits you need for building work in Victoria explains the difference, and our permit help service helps you prepare what the authority asks for.

What else should you check before the work starts?

A building and pest inspection is often the first step, not the only one. Three things come up again and again in renovations of older Melbourne homes.

Materials that may contain asbestos. Many homes built before about 1990 may contain them, in sheeting, eaves, vinyl flooring, fences and elsewhere. Materials in good condition and left undisturbed are generally treated differently from damaged or disturbed ones, and a renovation disturbs things. Only testing of a sample confirms whether a material contains asbestos.

An asbestos check identifies suspect materials and arranges sampling and laboratory testing where it is needed; the pillar guide on whether your home could contain asbestos is the place to start. Health questions go to a doctor or a health authority.

Moisture and mould. If the renovation is prompted by a damp room, dealing with the source first saves rebuilding the problem into new finishes. Our guide on why mould keeps appearing in your home explains the usual sources and what a mould inspection looks for.

Cracking and movement. Parts of Melbourne sit on reactive clay soils that move with moisture, and removing walls or adding loads can change how a house behaves. Where cracking or sagging is visible, a structural check takes a closer look and says plainly when a structural engineer is needed. The engineer, not the inspection, decides what a wall can carry.

What does the report leave out?

Be clear about the edges before you rely on it. The report describes the visible condition of accessible areas at the time of the inspection. It cannot see inside walls, under floor coverings or into areas that are closed off or unsafe to reach, and defects may exist there. Areas that could not be inspected are listed as limitations.

It is not a structural engineering assessment, a plumbing or electrical inspection, or an asbestos test. It cannot confirm that a property is free of timber pests, because activity can be hidden or intermittent. It is not a certificate of compliance, a warranty or an approval, and it is not a statutory inspection for a building permit. What it gives you is an independent, dated picture to plan from.

How do you prepare and what happens next?

Tell us what you are planning, which rooms are involved and what you are trying to decide. Clear access to the roof space hatch, the subfloor opening, the meter box and the base of walls, especially in the rooms you are renovating. Have any earlier reports, plans and permits ready, and tell us about recent work, leaks or pest treatments.

After the inspection you receive a written report with photos, a clear list of what could not be inspected, and items you may want to attend to or have a specialist look at. Read the scope and limitations first, then the observations area by area, and ask us about anything unclear. Share the relevant parts with your designer and builder so the plans and the contract start from the same picture.

Tell us about your renovation and we will confirm the scope and provide a quote: call 0406 194 163 or send an enquiry and we will come back to you.

Sources and authorities

These public sources set out the requirements this guide refers to. They are the places to confirm what applies to your property; we help you understand and prepare for them.

• Building and Plumbing Commission: when building work needs a building permit, a planning permit or both, and how the mandatory inspections are set on the permit.
• Asbestos in Victoria: asbestos in the home, from building or renovating to licensed removal.
• Consumer Affairs Victoria: building contracts for new homes, renovations and extensions.