In short: On a fast program the pre-pour and the frame are worth more than everything after them, because they are the two stages that cannot be revisited.
Two stages that are permanent
Pre-pour and frame. Both are short windows, both are covered permanently by the next trade, and both are where the findings we record in Mickleham cluster - loose pods, cover to reinforcement, bracing not installed.
Later stages are recoverable
Lock-up and PCI findings are largely finish and weather envelope items. They matter, and they are worth inspecting, but most remain accessible afterwards. A missing tie down is not.
What the surveyor is not covering
The building surveyor is engaged by the builder and checks compliance with the permit. Mandatory inspections and a private inspection can both pass on the same day and mean different things. In Victoria the escalation path if a builder disagrees runs through Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria and then VCAT.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Mickleham. Licensed building practitioners.
