Most building and pest inspections are arranged by buyers, so owners sometimes assume an inspection is only for a purchase. It is not. A building and pest inspection is an independent, visual look at a home's accessible areas and at visible signs of timber pest activity, and it can be just as useful when the home is already yours.
This guide helps you decide whether one makes sense for your situation, what it looks at in an existing home, how it differs from a pre-purchase inspection, and what the report can and cannot do. If you want the broader picture first, start with our guide to what a building and pest inspection is and when you need one.
Is an owner ever required to have one?
An independent inspection you commission is not a statutory requirement. It is separate from the mandatory inspections that the relevant building surveyor carries out, or arranges, for a building permit, and it never replaces them. If you are mid-way through permitted work, the building surveyor's inspections are the ones the permit relies on.
There are situations where a report of some kind can be required or expected. Owner-builders who sell a home they built may need an inspection report before the sale and may have other obligations; check the current requirements with the Victorian building regulator and ask your conveyancer or lawyer. Our owner-builder inspections page covers that case. A lender, an insurer or a dispute process may also ask for a report, and the request itself usually tells you what kind.
Outside those cases, the decision is yours. The useful question is not "am I required to" but "what do I want to know".
When does an inspection make sense for a home you own?
Four situations come up most often.
Before you renovate. An inspection sets a baseline before walls are opened and floors are lifted. It can show where moisture is already present, where timber is in contact with soil, and which areas the builder should expect to deal with. Older homes may also contain materials that may contain asbestos, which is a separate question; our guide to whether your home could contain asbestos explains how that is identified and tested.
Before you sell. Knowing the home's visible condition before you list it lets you decide what to attend to, what to disclose and what to leave for the buyer's own inspection. It also means fewer surprises when the buyer's report arrives.
After a long gap. Many owners have never looked in the roof space or the subfloor, or have not since they bought. Conditions change. Gutters block, garden beds build up against walls, decks age, and timber pest activity can start without any sign inside the house.
When something specific worries you. A crack that has grown, a door that has started to stick, a soft patch in a floor, a damp smell in a bedroom, or sawdust under a timber beam are all good reasons to have an independent look rather than guess.
What does the inspection look at in an existing home?
The scope is the same as for a buyer, but you can shape it around your question. We look at the accessible areas of the interior and exterior, including walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors, and at the roof space and subfloor where there is safe and reasonable access. We record visible signs of cracking, movement and water entry, and visible signs of timber pest activity such as termites, borers and wood decay.
We also note conditions that can make timber pest activity more likely: excess moisture, poor subfloor ventilation, timber in contact with soil, stored timber against the house and garden beds built up above the damp course. Those are often the most useful observations for an owner, because they are the things you can change.
Site elements close to the home, such as paths, retaining walls, fences and outbuildings, are included as agreed in the scope. Tell us the main question you want answered and we will set the inspection up around it.
What about timber pests if you have never had a problem?
Timber pest activity, including termites, is common in Victoria, in suburbs as well as in the bush. It can be hidden and intermittent, and the first sign is often found in a roof space or subfloor rather than a living room. Having never seen a problem is not strong evidence that there is none; it may only mean nobody has looked in the places where the signs show first.
The inspection records visible signs at the time of the inspection. It cannot confirm that a property is free of timber pests, because activity can be concealed inside timber or behind linings, and it can start after the inspection. What it gives you is a dated record of what was visible, plus the conditions around the home that affect the risk, so you can act on those.
If visible activity or damage is found, the report describes it and points you to a licensed pest manager for treatment. We do not treat or spray anything.
How is it different from a pre-purchase inspection?
The approach is the same: a visual, non-invasive inspection of accessible areas, including a look for timber pest signs. A pre-purchase inspection is set up around a purchase, so the auction date, the contract deadline and the seller's agent shape the timing and the access. For a home you already own, you control the access, you can clear the subfloor opening and the roof hatch before we arrive, and you can be there to point things out.
That control matters. Pre-purchase inspections often carry a long list of limitations because stored goods, locked sheds and short inspection windows get in the way. An owner can keep that list short.
What does the report give you, and what does it not do?
You receive a written report describing what was observed at the time of the inspection, photos supporting the key observations, a clear list of areas that could not be inspected and why, and items you may want to attend to or have a specialist look at, in plain language. We walk you through it and answer questions.
The report has limits, and it is better to know them before you book:
- It is visual and non-invasive. Walls, floors and linings are not opened up, and concealed or unsafe areas are not inspected, so defects may exist there.
- It is not a structural engineering assessment. Where cracking or movement looks significant, the report says so and a structural inspection or a structural engineer is the next step.
- It does not test for mould or assess health. Visible mould and signs of moisture can be noted, and a separate mould inspection looks at likely causes; health questions go to a doctor.
- It is not a warranty, an insurance policy or a certificate of compliance, and it does not say that the home complies with anything.
- It describes the home on the day. Conditions change afterwards.
How do you decide, and what should you tell us?
If you are planning work, selling, or have a specific concern, an inspection usually earns its place. If the home is well kept, recently looked at and nothing has changed, you may reasonably wait. Either way, the decision stays with you, and we will say plainly if a different service fits better.
When you enquire, tell us the property, roughly how old it is, what you are deciding and anything you have noticed. Mention previous reports, termite treatments and recent work, and whether the roof space and subfloor can be reached. If the home is rented out, let us know so access can be arranged with your property manager or the renter with proper notice.
Not sure which inspection you need? Ask us. Send an enquiry or call 0406 194 163 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 home; we help you understand and prepare for them.
- Building and Plumbing Commission: Victoria's building regulator, with consumer guidance on building work, building permits, owner-builders and what building surveyors do.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: consumer guidance on buying, building and selling a home in Victoria.
