Inspecting properties
Specialist inspections: asbestos and electrical
When a building inspection isn't enough — asbestos assessment, electrical safety certificates and building-practitioner checks.
- Homes built before the mid-1980s are highly likely to contain asbestos; homes built after 1990 are unlikely to.
- Only a licensed professional should remove loosely-bound asbestos.
- Victorian law requires a Certificate of Electrical Safety for all electrical installation work.
- A standard building and pest report doesn't automatically include an asbestos assessment.
Asbestos
Victorian homes built before the mid-1980s are highly likely to contain asbestos products, while homes built after 1990 are unlikely to (Department of Health (Victoria) / Better Health Channel, verified 29 Jul 2026). It is difficult to tell whether a material contains asbestos without a laboratory test — an untested material in an older property should be treated as though it does. Firmly bound asbestos is most commonly found in exterior fibre cement cladding, corrugated cement roofing, vinyl floor tiles, textured paint and flue pipes. A householder may legally remove some asbestos themselves, but guidance recommends only a licensed professional remove loosely-bound asbestos, and that anyone not confident handling material safely engage a licensed asbestos removalist (Department of Health (Victoria) / Better Health Channel, verified 29 Jul 2026).
Electrical safety
Victorian law requires a Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) to be issued for all electrical installation work — a legal document an electrician issues recording the work performed (Energy Safe Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026). For renovated or older properties, you can ask Energy Safe Victoria to search for COES records, and separately check whether the electrician who performed known work is a licensed, registered practitioner via Energy Safe Victoria's public register.
Other specialists
A structural engineer may be relevant for significant cracking or visible movement a building inspector recommends investigating further. A gasfitter or plumber may be relevant for gas appliances or drainage concerns a general inspection can't assess in detail. A pool inspector is relevant wherever a pool or spa's fencing and compliance needs confirming. In every case, the building inspector's report recommending further investigation is the trigger — not a symptom you've diagnosed yourself.
Practical checklist
Deciding whether to escalate
- For a pre-1990 property, consider a dedicated asbestos assessment
- Ask for any available Certificates of Electrical Safety, or request an Energy Safe Victoria search
- Check the electrician's registration via Energy Safe Victoria's public register
- Follow the building inspector's own recommendations for further specialist investigation
Relevant Delora tool
Questions for a professional
- Is this material confirmed asbestos-containing, and if so, firmly or loosely bound?
- Are Certificates of Electrical Safety available for any known electrical work?
Official resources
Sources and methodology
- Asbestos in the home — Department of Health (Victoria) / Better Health Channel (retrieved 29 Jul 2026)
- About Certificates of Electrical Safety — Energy Safe Victoria (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.