Building a new home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make. After years of planning and saving, the last thing you want is to discover defects, poor finishes, or incomplete workmanship after handover. Even with reputable builders, hidden issues can be missed during a standard walk-through.
A New Home & Pre-Handover Inspection helps protect your investment by ensuring your property meets expected quality, safety, and building standards before final payment or possession. Identifying issues early allows your builder to rectify them prior to handover—saving you time, stress, and unexpected costs later.
At Elevate Building Inspections, we specialise in new home and pre-handover inspections across Melbourne, providing independent, detailed assessments to uncover defects, workmanship issues, and non-compliance before the keys are handed over. We service Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs including Doncaster, Templestowe, Doreen, Diamond Creek, Eltham, Greensborough, Bundoora, Macleod, Montmorency, Heidelberg, Rosanna, Epping, Ivanhoe, Reservoir, Croydon, and surrounding areas—giving new homeowners the confidence that their home has been built to the standard they deserve and ensuring a smooth, stress-free move-in.
The ideal time to book a New Home / Pre-Handover (PCI) Inspection is when your builder advises the property is ready for Practical Completion.
At this stage:
Construction is essentially complete
Final payment has not yet been made
You still have leverage to ensure defects are addressed
In Victoria, Practical Completion typically occurs:
2–3 weeks before handover, and
Before the final invoice is issued
This timing is critical. Once settlement occurs, it can be far more difficult to have builders or subcontractors return to rectify issues.
By arranging your inspection at Practical Completion, you ensure:
Defects are clearly identified and documented
Your builder remains responsible for repairs
Issues are fixed before you move in—not after
We understand build schedules move quickly, which is why we offer flexible appointments and can often attend site within 48 hours, depending on location and urgency. Booking early helps ensure a smooth, stress-free handover.
Let your builder know you’ll be arranging an independent inspection—it’s your legal right, and access must be provided.
Brickwork, render, and cladding for finish quality, alignment, joints, and weep holes
Roof structure, tiles or metal roofing, flashings, gutters, and downpipes
Driveways, drainage, retaining walls, fencing, decks, and balconies
External doors and windows for sealing, clearances, and weatherproofing
Site grading and landscaping to prevent water pooling near foundations
Roof framing, trusses, battens, sarking, and insulation
Signs of leaks, moisture, or condensation
Insulation coverage and ventilation pathways
Bearers, joists, stumps, and piers for settlement or defects
Sub-floor ventilation and moisture control
Stored debris that may conceal issues
Walls, ceilings, cornices, skirting boards for finish quality and defects
Doors and windows for operation, alignment, locks, and seals
Joinery, cabinetry, kitchens, and bathrooms for fit and finish
Tiling, grout, and flooring for correct installation
Plumbing fixtures for function and visible leaks (non-intrusive)
Electrical fixtures, switches, power points, and smoke alarms (visual check only)
Paint and surface coatings for coverage and finish quality
Alignment with approved plans, specifications, and contract inclusions
Review of visible compliance with building codes and standards
Confirmation of handover documentation (warranties, manuals, certificates)
A pre-handover inspection (also called a new home inspection or PCI – Practical Completion Inspection) is conducted just before you take possession of your newly built home. It ensures the property is complete, built to code, and free from defects before final payment or settlement.
Our approach is detailed, systematic and aligned with industry best practice (including reference to standards such as AS 4349.1 for building inspections).
A pre-handover inspection checks your new home meets acceptable standards before final payment, allowing defects or incomplete work to be fixed while the builder is still responsible.
Identifying issues early helps avoid costly repairs after move-in and ensures problems are rectified under the builder’s warranty.
Your inspection confirms the home meets Australian Standards, the National Construction Code, and your building contract requirements.
An independent inspection gives you peace of mind that your home is safe, complete, and ready for handover.
We follow a structured and methodical inspection process to assess the quality, completion, and compliance of a newly built home before handover. Our inspections are designed to identify defects, incomplete work, safety issues, and non-compliant workmanship before final payment or settlement.
Not all pre-handover and new home inspectors deliver the same level of detail or independence. When it comes to protecting one of your most important investments, you need an inspection team you can trust to get it right before handover.
Homeowners and buyers across Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs choose us because we offer:
Fully licensed and insured inspectors with extensive new-home and pre-handover experience
Independent, unbiased assessments — we work for you, not the builder, developer, or agent
Fast report turnaround, so defects can be raised and addressed without delaying handover
Clear, practical recommendations, not just defect lists — we explain what issues mean and how they should be rectified
Strong local knowledge, with hands-on experience across Doncaster, Templestowe, Doreen, Diamond Creek, Eltham, Greensborough, Bundoora, Macleod, Montmorency, Heidelberg, Rosanna, Ivanhoe, and surrounding suburbs
We’re committed to professionalism, transparency, and giving you the confidence to move forward at handover knowing your new home has been independently assessed.
We use a non-destructive moisture meter to detect elevated moisture levels within walls, floors, ceilings and other building materials without causing damage. This professional-grade tool measures moisture at both surface and deeper levels, allowing us to identify hidden dampness, water ingress and moisture-related defects that may not be visible during a visual inspection. It is particularly effective for locating rising damp, roof leaks, subfloor moisture and areas at risk of timber decay — common issues in many Melbourne properties built on reactive clay soils.
Our inspections also utilise a thermal imaging camera to identify temperature variations that can indicate underlying building issues. Thermal imaging allows us to detect problems such as moisture intrusion, insulation gaps, overheating electrical components and areas of heat loss — all without invasive testing. By highlighting hot and cold spots within building elements, thermal imaging helps pinpoint concealed defects quickly and accurately, providing valuable insight into issues that may otherwise go unnoticed during a standard visual inspection.
A New Home or Pre-Handover Inspection (also known as a PCI – Practical Completion Inspection) is carried out just before handover to identify defects, incomplete work, or non-compliant workmanship before final payment is made.
You should book your inspection when your builder advises the property is ready for Practical Completion—typically 2–3 weeks before handover and before your final invoice is due.
It allows defects to be identified and rectified while the builder is still contractually responsible, helping you avoid costly repairs and disputes after settlement.
The inspection covers accessible internal and external areas, roof space, subfloor (if applicable), finishes, fixtures, safety items, and visible compliance with plans, specifications, and building standards.
Yes. Inspections are carried out with reference to Australian Standards, the National Construction Code, and your building contract where applicable.
Yes. You’re welcome to attend the inspection and discuss findings directly with the inspector on site.
Most pre-handover inspections take between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the size and complexity of the home.
Your detailed digital report is typically delivered within 24 hours, allowing you to raise defects with your builder promptly.
Before accepting handover of your new home, make sure it meets Australian building standards. A new home building inspection provides clarity, compliance checks, and peace of mind at every stage.
