Inspecting properties
Choosing a building inspector
Registration, insurance, scope and exclusions — what to confirm before you engage one.
- A professional report identifies faults, whether they're repairable, and likely repair cost — and flags unauthorised work.
- Confirm professional indemnity insurance before engaging an inspector.
- Check registration and disciplinary history via the Building and Plumbing Commission's public register.
- Engage your own inspector rather than relying solely on an agent- or vendor-supplied report.
What a professional inspection report actually does
Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends engaging a qualified building inspector, surveyor or architect before signing a contract. A professional report identifies faults in the property, whether they can be repaired, and how much repairs are likely to cost, and can highlight unauthorised building work (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026). Confirm your inspector carries full professional indemnity insurance, and treat a pest inspection and, for an older property, an asbestos assessment as separate engagements rather than assuming one report covers everything.
Checking registration
Victoria's Building and Plumbing Commission maintains a free, public register of registered building practitioners, searchable to verify registration and licence status and to check for past disciplinary or prosecution action (Building and Plumbing Commission (Victorian Building Authority), verified 29 Jul 2026). Check this before engaging anyone, not after a report has already been delivered.
Never rely on an agent-supplied report alone
An inspection report commissioned by the seller or agent may be genuinely accurate, but it was scoped and paid for by the other side of the transaction. Consumer Affairs Victoria's general guidance is to engage your own inspector rather than relying solely on a vendor-supplied report (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026).
Practical checklist
Before you engage an inspector
- Check registration and licence status on the public practitioner register
- Confirm the inspector carries professional indemnity insurance
- Ask exactly what's included — building, pest, or both — and what's excluded
- Ask whether you can attend the inspection in person
- Get the report before auction or before signing unconditionally
Relevant Delora tool
Questions for a professional
- What is included and excluded in this inspection's scope?
- Can I attend the inspection, and how soon will the report be available?
Official resources
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Inspect properties before you buy
- Find a practitioner (Building and Plumbing Commission)
Sources and methodology
- Inspect properties before you buy — Consumer Affairs Victoria (retrieved 29 Jul 2026)
- Find a practitioner — Building and Plumbing Commission (Victorian Building Authority) (retrieved 29 Jul 2026)
Figures on this page are drawn from Delora's local knowledge graph, refreshed from these primary sources and checked for changes on a regular schedule. If a figure here looks out of date, the official source above is always the authority — please let us know.