The slab is the foundation of your entire home. Once concrete is poured, defects are extremely difficult—and expensive—to rectify. A Pre-Slab / Slab Inspection ensures your builder has completed all critical preparation work correctly before the pour, protecting the structural integrity of your new home from day one.
At Elevate Building Inspections, we provide independent pre-slab inspections across Melbourne, giving you confidence that your build complies with approved plans, engineering requirements, and Australian Standards. 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.ccc
A pre-slab (also called a slab or pre-pour) inspection is carried out after site preparation and reinforcement are complete, but before concrete is poured.
This inspection verifies that all structural elements beneath the slab have been installed correctly and are ready for concrete placement. Because these components become permanently concealed, this stage is one of the most critical inspections in the entire build process.
Ground preparation and excavation depth
Correct footing dimensions and setbacks
Soil conditions consistent with engineering design
Correct placement and size of reinforcement mesh
Adequate lap lengths and coverage
Proper support and bar chairs to maintain cover
Under-slab plumbing layout and positioning
Penetrations and pipe protection
Compliance with approved plumbing plans
Slab edge beams and rebates
Correct slab dimensions and levels
Alignment with approved drawings
Comparison against structural engineering plans
Identification of omissions or deviations
Photo-documented defects and concerns
Our inspectors assess all accessible components prior to the concrete pour.
Errors at slab stage can lead to cracking, movement, uneven floors, and long-term structural issues—especially in Melbourne’s reactive clay soils.
Fixing slab defects after construction can involve major disruption, engineering costs, or legal disputes.
Ensures compliance with:
- Approved engineering drawings
- Council-approved plans
- AS 2870 – Residential Slabs and Footings
- NCC / Building Code requirements
You’ll know your home is built on a solid, compliant foundation—before it’s locked in permanently.
A pre-slab inspection should be booked once reinforcement, plumbing, and formwork are complete—but before concrete is poured.
Because slab pours are often scheduled quickly, we recommend booking early to avoid delaying the build or the pour date.
Even with reputable builders, slab inspections frequently identify:
Incorrect or missing reinforcement
Insufficient concrete cover to steel
Plumbing not matching approved plans
Inadequate site preparation or footing depth
Formwork inconsistencies or poor set-out
Identifying these issues early gives you the opportunity to have them rectified before they become permanent.
Not all pre-slab inspections deliver the same level of scrutiny or independence. At this stage of construction, critical structural elements are about to be permanently concealed, making accuracy and attention to detail essential. When the slab is poured, there’s no second chance.
Homeowners building across Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs choose us for pre-slab inspections because we offer:
Fully licensed and insured inspectors with extensive experience in slab, footing, and early-stage construction inspections
Independent, unbiased assessments — we work for you, not the builder, developer, or site supervisor
Prompt reporting, allowing issues to be identified and rectified before the concrete pour proceeds
Clear, practical recommendations, not just technical observations — we explain what issues mean and how they should be corrected before work continues
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 helping you move forward with confidence—knowing your slab has been independently assessed before it’s permanently set in place.
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 pre-slab inspection is an independent inspection conducted after site preparation, reinforcement, and plumbing are completed, but before concrete is poured. It checks that all structural elements beneath the slab have been constructed in accordance with approved plans, engineering drawings, and Australian Standards.
A pre-slab inspection should be booked once the slab preparation is complete and before the concrete pour is scheduled. Because slab pours are often booked with little notice, it’s best to arrange your inspection early to avoid delays.
Once concrete is poured, slab components such as reinforcement and under-slab plumbing are permanently concealed. A pre-slab inspection helps identify issues early, reducing the risk of structural defects, slab movement, cracking, or costly rectification later.
A pre-slab inspection typically includes checks of:
Site preparation and footing dimensions
Steel reinforcement placement and coverage
Under-slab plumbing and penetrations
Formwork, set-out, and slab edge beams
Compliance with engineering drawings and AS 2870 – Residential Slabs and Footings
Pre-slab inspections are not legally required for private builds, but they are strongly recommended. Mandatory inspections conducted by surveyors focus on compliance at a minimum level and may not identify workmanship issues or deviations from plans.
No. A building surveyor’s inspection is a compliance check, not a detailed quality or workmanship assessment. A pre-slab inspection provides an independent, client-focused review to identify issues before they are permanently covered.
In most cases, no. Inspections are completed promptly, and reports are issued quickly so any required corrections can be addressed before the scheduled pour. Identifying issues early often prevents far greater delays later in the build.
If issues are identified, they can usually be rectified before the concrete pour. You’ll receive a clear report outlining the findings, which can be provided to your builder to address prior to proceeding.
Before concrete is poured, make sure your slab and footings meet Australian building standards. A pre-slab inspection provides early-stage compliance checks, identifies hidden structural issues, and gives you confidence that your new home is being built on a solid foundation from the very beginning.
