Bored pier inspection, Wollert

Stage1 of 7

When to bookOnce the holes are bored and the cages are in, before any concrete goes near them

Time on siteAbout 1 hour on site

Inspected againstAS 2870, AS 3600, the geotechnical report and the engineer's footing design

What is included in a Wollert bored piers inspection

Pier positions and spacing against the footing plan
Pier diameter checked at the top of each hole
Depth against the engineer's design and the soil report
Founding material at the base where visible
Reinforcement cage size, laps and starter bars
Cover to the cage and centralisers
Hole cleanliness, spoil and loose material
Standing water or seepage before the pour
Steel projection into the slab or beam
Termite and service penetrations near piers
Set-out against the site plan and boundaries
Records and photographs for the engineer where required

Why it matters here

Bored piers inspections on Wollert builds

Wollert sits on the Newer Volcanics basalt plains, so the profile is usually heavy reactive clay sitting over basalt, with rock floaters through it. A rig can stop on a floater and call it rock. Piers on this ground have to reach the founding material the engineer nominated, and the lot's own soil report governs that depth.

What we find at this stage in Wollert

Piers drilled shallower than the depth the engineer's footing plan calls up
Holes stopped on a rock floater rather than the nominated founding material
Loose spoil, mud or slurry left in the base of the hole before pouring
Pier diameter under size, or the hole belled out and off the set-out point
Steel cages short, out of centre, or sitting on the ground with no spacers
Water standing in the hole with no plan to remove it before concrete goes in

Meter box and conduit installed and looking sound, Wollert — Meter box and conduit installed and looking sound

Not enough concrete cover over the steel, which lets the reinforcement corrode, Wollert — Not enough concrete cover over the steel, which lets the reinforcement corrode

Some bars shown on the engineering plans have not been installed, Wollert — Some bars shown on the engineering plans have not been installed

Sample findings

Sample defects found during our bored piers inspections in Wollert

Annotated findings from Bored piers inspections on Wollert builds. Client addresses withheld.

Extra bar chairs needed to hold the steel at the right concrete cover, found during a bored pier inspection in Wollert — Extra bar chairs needed to hold the steel at the right concrete cover

Hot water service mesh not yet in place under the slab area, found during a bored pier inspection in Wollert — Hot water service mesh not yet in place under the slab area

Slab formwork needs more bracing so it holds its shape during the pour, found during a bored pier inspection in Wollert — Slab formwork needs more bracing so it holds its shape during the pour

Reinforcement not sitting on bar chairs, so it is not held clear of the ground, found during a bored pier inspection in Wollert — Reinforcement not sitting on bar chairs, so it is not held clear of the ground

Wide external beam missing the extra bottom bar its width calls for, found during a bored pier inspection in Wollert — Wide external beam missing the extra bottom bar its width calls for

The other stages of a Wollert build

All construction stage inspections in Wollert →

Guides

Construction stage guides for Wollert

6 March 2026 · 7 min read

When to book each stage inspection on a Wollert build

How to time the pre-slab, frame, lock-up, waterproofing and fixing inspections on a new Wollert home so faults are found while work is open.

21 March 2026 · 7 min read

Reactive clay and slab design on Wollert building sites

Wollert sits on Newer Volcanics basalt with heavy reactive clay above it. What that means for slab design and your pre-slab check.

4 April 2026 · 6 min read

If your Wollert builder refuses an independent inspector

What to do in Victoria when a builder blocks your private stage inspector, including contract access, written notice and the BPC dispute pathway.

All guides →

FAQ

Bored piers inspections in Wollert: common questions

Can you check pier depth after the concrete is poured?

No. Once concrete is in the hole the depth, the base and the cage are all hidden. A pier inspection only works before the pour, which is why it has to be booked around the drilling day.

Who decides how deep my piers have to be?

The engineer does, working from the soil report for your lot and AS 2870. We measure what was drilled against that design rather than against a rule of thumb, because depths change from lot to lot.

Does every home in the corridor need bored piers?

No. Some lots are built on a stiffened raft slab with no piers at all. Piers appear where the soil report and the footing design call for them, commonly on reactive or filled ground.

What if the rig hits rock early?

That is a question for the engineer, not the builder alone. Rock floaters near the surface are common on basalt country, and founding on one is not the same as founding on the rock the design assumed.

How long are you on site for a Wollert inspection?

Usually one to two hours, depending on how many piers are open and whether the drilling is still running. We report the same day or the next business day with photos of each hole we could see.

Do you go into the holes?

No. All of our work is visual and from the surface, using a measuring tape and a light. We do not enter excavations and we do not carry out any testing of soil or concrete.