Defect report or expert witness report for a Wollert home
The difference between a defect investigation report for your builder and an expert witness report for VCAT, and which one your matter needs.
A defect investigation looks at problems that appeared after you moved in, such as cracking, leaks or movement. Wollert owners inside the warranty period book it to get the cause written down.
A defect investigation is assessed against the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2015, the National Construction Code and ABCB Housing Provisions, AS 2870 for slabs and footings on reactive sites, AS 3740 for wet areas and AS 3700 for masonry, plus your contract and engineering documents.
36 checkpoints across 9 areas on a standard Wollert defect investigation report. Anything we could not safely reach on the day is written up as a limitation rather than passed over.
Findings from defect investigations in Epping, Mernda and Donnybrook, on the same reactive basalt clay as Wollert. Captions are rewritten from the inspector's report notes. Client addresses withheld.
The difference between a defect investigation report for your builder and an expert witness report for VCAT, and which one your matter needs.
How to read cracks in a Wollert house, what the Guide to Standards and Tolerances allows, and when cracking points to footing movement.
Where water gets into new homes in Wollert, how leaks are traced by visual inspection, and what the standards require of flashings and wet areas.
New Construction Stage Inspections Seven separate inspections through the build, each timed to the last moment the work is still visible. 
Pre-Handover (PCI) Inspections The walk through before you accept keys, with every finish and completion item written down while you still have leverage. 
Pre-Purchase Building Inspections A visual inspection under AS 4349.1 before you go unconditional, reporting significant items rather than a list of scratches. 
Building and Pest Inspections The building inspection and a timber pest inspection under AS 4349.3 in one attendance, with two reports that read against each other. 
Dilapidation Reports Photographic proof of your home's condition before the block next door is built. 
VCAT Expert Witness Reports Independent evidence prepared to VCAT's expert evidence requirements. 
Pre-Sale Inspections Find the faults before a buyer's inspector does, and price the home accordingly. 
Mould Inspections Locate the moisture source behind the mould, not just the surface staining. 
Insurance Claim Assessments An independent view of damage and cause when a claim is disputed. 
Maintenance Inspections An annual check that catches small problems while they are still small. 
Apartment Pre-Settlement Your defect list before settlement on an off the plan apartment. 
Reinspections We return to confirm the builder actually fixed what the report listed. 
Timber Pest Inspections A standalone inspection under AS 4349.3 for evidence of termites and borers. 
Tax Depreciation Schedule Claim the depreciation on a Wollert investment property from day one. Commercial Property Inspections Condition and defect reporting for commercial and industrial buildings. Strata Reports What the owners corporation records say before you buy into a body corporate. Instant online pricing, or talk to the booking team on 1300 471 805.
The specific problems you raise, plus anything related we find while looking at them. Typical Wollert jobs are cracking, water entry, damp, tiling failure, doors binding and slab movement.
No. A defect investigation is written for you and your builder to resolve the problem. It is not a tribunal document. VCAT requires an expert witness report, which we prepare separately.
Cost depends on how many issues there are and whether measurement or moisture work is needed. Most site visits run one to three hours, and we quote a fixed fee before attending.
Usually within two to three business days. Investigation reports take longer than a handover list because each item needs a cause, a supporting observation and a rectification direction.
Electrical, gas and appliance testing is excluded, a licensed electrician or gasfitter does that. We do not cut open walls, lift floors, provide engineering design, price repairs, or write a tribunal document.
Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Wollert sits on reactive clay over basalt, and some seasonal movement is expected. We measure the cracking and report against the accepted tolerance categories.
The Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2015, the NCC and ABCB Housing Provisions, AS 2870 for footings and slabs, AS 3740 for wet areas, and your own contract and engineering documents.
Victoria has a ten year limitation under section 134 of the Building Act 1993, with shorter defect liability periods in most contracts. Domestic Building Insurance may also apply in some situations.
Send it to your builder in writing with a reasonable time to respond. If that fails, the Building and Plumbing Commission dispute resolution service, formerly DBDRV, comes next, then VCAT.
Yes. We attend Wollert 3750 and the surrounding northern corridor including Epping, Epping North, Donnybrook, Craigieburn, Beveridge, Mernda and Doreen for investigation work.