Licensed & Fully Insured Inspectors
Experienced inspectors with practical knowledge of new-home construction, practical completion requirements, finishes and common handover defects.
Before taking possession of your new home, a PCI or pre-handover inspection lets you identify visible defects, incomplete work, and workmanship issues before final handover.
Elevate Building Inspections provides independent Practical Completion Inspections (PCI) across Melbourne. Our experienced building inspectors assess accessible areas of your new home and provide a detailed photographic report outlining identified items that you can raise with your builder during the practical completion process.
Whether you’re building a house, townhouse or apartment, we’ll help you understand the condition of your property before you receive the keys.
A PCI (Practical Completion Inspection), also known as a pre-handover inspection, is carried out when construction of your new home is substantially complete and before handover.
At this stage, the property should be largely finished, although defects, incomplete items or finishing work may still remain.
An independent PCI inspection focuses on:
After the inspection, you’ll receive a detailed report you can use when discussing outstanding items with your builder.
Generally, arrange a PCI inspection when your builder advises that your home is approaching practical completion and before final handover.
As soon as you receive a practical completion or handover timeframe, contact us to organise the inspection and coordinate site access.
Having the property independently inspected at this stage means identified defects and incomplete items can be documented while the project is still progressing through the practical completion and handover process.
Your builder’s final walk-through and an independent PCI inspection have different roles.
The builder’s walk-through gives you an opportunity to view the completed home with their representative and discuss outstanding items.
An independent PCI inspection provides a separate assessment focused on the condition of accessible areas of the property, including visible defects, incomplete work, workmanship and finishes.
Elevate Building Inspections works independently for you and provides a documented report you can use when discussing identified items with your builder.
A PCI (Practical Completion Inspection) takes place towards the end of your new home build, before handover. However, some construction issues are easier to identify before they’re covered by plaster, finishes and completed fixtures. Independent inspections at key stages of construction can help identify visible defects and workmanship concerns as your build progresses.
Completed before the concrete slab is poured, a pre-slab inspection assesses visible elements such as footing preparation, reinforcement, penetrations and moisture barriers before they're concealed by concrete.
Once the structural frame is complete, a frame stage inspection checks accessible framing, connections and workmanship before the build progresses and these elements become more difficult to inspect.
A pre-plaster inspection takes place after framing and relevant rough-ins are completed but before plasterboard is installed. It provides an opportunity to identify visible construction issues before walls and ceilings are closed.
A waterproofing inspection assesses accessible wet areas before tiles and finishes conceal the waterproofing system, helping identify visible concerns before the build progresses.
Once construction is substantially complete, a PCI or pre-handover inspection assesses the finished home for visible defects, incomplete work and workmanship concerns before handover. You'll receive a detailed report documenting identified items to discuss with your builder.
Every new home is different, but our pre-handover inspections cover safely accessible internal and external areas of the property.
The aim is to identify visible defects, incomplete items, damaged finishes and workmanship concerns before handover.
We inspect accessible external areas for issues including:
Inside the home, we assess visible finishes and accessible building elements including:
Wet areas receive particular attention due to the potential consequences of poorly completed work.
We assess accessible items including:
Depending on accessibility and the scope of the inspection, we can assess visible and readily operable items such as:
We also look for:
Even a brand-new home can contain defects or incomplete work.
A PCI inspection gives you an independent set of eyes over the finished property before handover.
Some of the issues we commonly identify include:
Patchy paintwork, visible roller marks, dents, poorly finished joints, cracking and other defects affecting walls and ceilings.
Uneven tiles, inconsistent grout lines, poor alignment, damaged tiles and incomplete sealing.
Doors that stick or don’t close correctly, misaligned hardware, gaps around frames and poorly adjusted windows.
Misaligned doors and drawers, damaged cabinetry, unfinished edges and installation issues.
Visible sealing, drainage, tiling or finishing issues in bathrooms, ensuites, laundries and other wet areas.
Missing fittings, unfinished installations, damaged items or work that has not yet been completed.
Identifying these items before handover gives you a clear record of the property’s condition and the concerns you may wish to discuss with your builder.
Once handover occurs, it can be harder to have defects rectified promptly. A PCI inspection helps ensure issues are addressed before ownership transfers.
Small defects can become expensive problems if left unresolved. Identifying them early can save time, stress, and money.
While surveyor inspections focus on minimum compliance, a PCI inspection looks closely at workmanship, finish quality, and completeness.
You’ll know exactly what condition your new home is in before you sign off and move in.
We make the process straightforward.
Your inspector assesses safely accessible areas of the property and documents visible defects, incomplete items and workmanship concerns.
You’ll receive a digital inspection report containing:
The report can be provided to your builder so you can discuss identified defects and outstanding items as part of the practical completion process.
Your builder can assess the items raised and organise appropriate rectification or completion work.
Where required, Elevate Building Inspections can also arrange a follow-up inspection to assess accessible rectification work.
You’ll have an independent record of the property’s condition and a clearer understanding of any outstanding concerns before taking possession of your new home.
Not all practical completion and pre-handover inspections provide the same level of detail, independence or practical construction knowledge. At this final stage of the build, incomplete work, workmanship defects and poor finishes can easily be overlooked.
Once handover and final payment occur, having defects addressed may become more difficult and time-consuming. Elevate Building Inspections provides an independent assessment before handover, helping you identify visible concerns while the builder still has an opportunity to complete rectification work.
Experienced inspectors with practical knowledge of new-home construction, practical completion requirements, finishes and common handover defects.
We work solely for you as the property owner—not the builder, developer, site supervisor or selling agent.
We assess safely accessible internal and external areas for incomplete work, visible defects, damaged finishes, poor workmanship and items requiring further attention.
Our inspection considers visible walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, cabinetry, wet areas, fittings and external elements before the property is formally handed over.
Clear photographic reports are delivered promptly so defects can be raised with the builder before final payment and handover without unnecessary delays.
We do more than provide a defect list. Our reports explain what each concern means and what should be corrected before you accept handover.
Identifying visible concerns before final payment gives the builder an opportunity to complete outstanding work while the project remains under active construction management.
Hands-on experience across Doncaster, Templestowe, Doreen, Diamond Creek, Eltham, Greensborough, Bundoora, Macleod, Montmorency, Heidelberg, Rosanna, Ivanhoe and nearby suburbs.
A PCI and pre-handover inspection gives you an important opportunity to identify visible defects, incomplete items and workmanship concerns before final payment. Our independent assessment helps you approach handover with a clearer understanding of the home's condition and the work that should still be addressed.
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.
Find answers to common questions about PCI and pre-handover inspections, when to book, what we inspect and what happens if defects are identified.
A PCI, or Practical Completion Inspection, is carried out when a new home is substantially complete and approaching handover. It provides an opportunity to independently identify visible defects, incomplete work and workmanship concerns before you take possession of the property.
The terms are commonly used to describe inspections carried out around the practical completion and handover stage. PCI refers specifically to the Practical Completion Inspection, while pre-handover inspection is often used more broadly to describe an independent inspection before the keys are handed over.
Contact us when your builder advises that your home is approaching practical completion or provides an expected handover date. Booking early allows time to coordinate site access and complete the inspection before handover.
A PCI inspection assesses safely accessible areas of the completed home for visible defects, incomplete work, damaged finishes and workmanship concerns. This can include internal and external finishes, doors, windows, cabinetry, tiling, wet areas, fixtures and other accessible elements of the property.
They assess your home at different stages. A pre-plaster inspection takes place before walls and ceilings are closed, allowing accessible construction elements to be assessed before they are concealed. A PCI takes place when the home is substantially complete. Some homeowners choose inspections at several construction stages for greater oversight throughout the build.
Yes. The builder's final walk-through is conducted with the builder or their representative. An independent PCI provides a separate assessment by an inspector working for you, with identified defects and incomplete items documented in a detailed report.
Yes. Where site access and builder requirements allow, you can attend the inspection and discuss the findings with your inspector.
A privately arranged independent PCI is generally separate from the mandatory building inspections required during construction. It is an additional inspection homeowners can arrange to independently assess their new home before handover.
Inspection time varies depending on the size, design, accessibility and condition of the property. We focus on completing a thorough assessment of safely accessible areas rather than rushing through a fixed checklist.
Elevate Building Inspections provides a detailed digital report following the inspection. If you're working towards a specific handover date, let us know when booking so we can discuss the inspection and reporting timeframe.
Your report documents the issues identified during the inspection, giving you a clear record to discuss with your builder as part of the practical completion and handover process. The appropriate response to each item can depend on the nature of the issue and your building contract.
Get an independent assessment of your new home before handover with a detailed report documenting identified defects and incomplete work.
Don’t wait until you’ve received the keys to take a closer look at your new home.
Arrange an independent PCI and pre-handover inspection in Melbourne and get a detailed assessment of your property before handover.