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Contact our team to arrange your Section 137B inspection. We'll confirm the property details and owner-builder works requiring assessment.
Selling a home you’ve built or renovated as an owner-builder? Elevate Building Inspections provides Section 137B Owner Builder Defects Reports across Melbourne.
We offer independent inspections and clear photo reports. We usually deliver reports within 24 hours. If you built or renovated your property, and you plan to sell it within six years and six months, you must follow Victorian law.
You need a Section 137B Owner Builder Defects Report. At Elevate Building Inspections, we specialise in accurate and compliant Section 137B Owner Builder reports in Melbourne. This gives you and potential buyers peace of mind.
Our licensed building inspectors give clear, unbiased reports on your property’s condition. They help you meet legal duties under the Building Act across Melbourne.
Without a valid 137B report, your contract of sale may become unenforceable. In short: the 137B report protects you, the seller, and the buyer. It ensures transparency, reduces risk, and gives both parties confidence to move forward.
A Section 137B Owner Builder Report is a legally mandated inspection report under the Building Act 1993 (Victoria). An owner-builder must provide the report when they build or renovate a property.
Apply it if you sell the property within 6 years and 6 months of completion.
The main purpose of the 137B report is to find defects in work or materials. It also checks compliance with building rules.
It provides clear information for potential buyers. Without this report, your sales contract may not be enforceable. This can delay or even stop the sale.
In essence, the Section 137B report acts as a safeguard for both sellers and buyers, ensuring that:
A Section 137B report may be required when you sell a property.
This applies if an owner-builder completed building work in the past 6 years and 6 months.
This generally applies where:
• You carried out or managed residential building work as an owner-builder.
• The property is being sold within the applicable 6-year-and-6-month period.
• The work is subject to Victoria’s owner-builder sale requirements.
The report provides an independent assessment of the owner-builder work and identifies defects observed during the inspection.
After the inspection, you’ll receive a detailed Owner Builder Defects Report that includes:
Clear identification of defects
Photographs of each issue
Practical recommendations for fixing the defects
Easy-to-read formatting suitable for legal and real estate purposes
This report gives you the transparency required to comply with Victorian building regulations and gives buyers confidence in the quality of your work.
Our section 137B inspections cover all major building elements, including:
Structural elements: Foundations, subfloor structures, framing, load-bearing walls, and roof structures, assessed for defects, safety issues, and non-compliant workmanship.
Internal areas: Ceilings, walls, flooring, skirting, doors, windows, and fixtures, with attention to cracking, poor finishes, and functional issues.
External areas: Brickwork or cladding, external walls, fencing, driveways, paths, and surrounding areas, checking for deterioration, water ingress, and installation issues.
Plumbing & drainage (visual): Fixtures, drainage points, visible leaks, water flow, and signs of moisture damage.
Electrical (visual only): Light fittings, switches, power points, and visible safety or compliance concerns.
General workmanship: Overall quality of finishes, correct installation of materials, and defects requiring rectification that may impact safety or resale value.
We make arranging your Section 137B Owner Builder Report straightforward, from booking your inspection to receiving your completed report.
Contact our team to arrange your Section 137B inspection. We'll confirm the property details and owner-builder works requiring assessment.
Our experienced inspectors assess safely accessible areas of the property, identifying visible defects, workmanship concerns and signs of deterioration.
We document our findings with detailed photographs and written observations, providing a clear record of the property's condition at the time of inspection.
Your Section 137B Owner Builder Report is typically delivered within 24 hours, helping you prepare the documentation required when selling your property.
Elevate Building Inspections provides independent Section 137B Owner Builder Reports across Melbourne. Our skilled inspectors check for visible defects and record the condition of owner-builder work. This helps homeowners get ready to sell their property.
Practical building knowledge and experience assessing owner-builder renovations and extensions.
Reports prepared with an understanding of Section 137B property sale requirements.
Objective inspections documenting the visible condition of owner-builder work.
Detailed photographs and straightforward explanations of visible building defects.
Prompt digital reports to help keep your property sale on schedule.
Servicing Greensborough, Eltham, Doreen, Doncaster, Heidelberg and surrounding suburbs.
During Section 137B owner-builder inspections, we use a non-destructive moisture meter to check for elevated moisture levels in accessible walls, floors and other building materials.
This helps identify potential water ingress, dampness and moisture-related defects associated with owner-builder renovations, extensions and building work. Moisture readings support our visual assessment and help document areas requiring further investigation in the Section 137B report.
Our Section 137B inspections may also use thermal imaging to identify temperature differences that could indicate moisture intrusion, insulation gaps or other potential building defects.
This technology supports the assessment of owner-builder work by highlighting areas that may require closer inspection, without damaging building surfaces. Relevant findings are documented in the Section 137B Owner Builder Report.
Answers to common questions about Section 137B Owner Builder Reports, inspection requirements and selling an owner-built property in Victoria.
A Section 137B Owner Builder Report documents visible defects and relevant building work completed by an owner-builder. It may be required when selling an owner-built or owner-renovated property in Victoria.
A report may be required when selling a Victorian property containing owner-builder work completed within the previous six years and six months. Requirements depend on the work and sale circumstances. Check with your conveyancer or solicitor.
A Section 137B defects report generally must be no more than six months old when used for the relevant property sale. An updated inspection may be needed if your report has expired.
They can. Section 137B requirements may apply to owner-builder extensions, structural alterations and major renovations, not just newly built homes. Whether a report is required depends on the applicable sale requirements.
Our inspectors assess relevant owner-builder work for visible defects and workmanship concerns. Safely accessible areas are inspected, with findings documented through photographs and written observations.
Identified defects are documented in your report. Depending on their nature, you may need further advice or repairs. Your conveyancer or solicitor can explain how the findings affect your property sale.
The report may form part of the documents provided to purchasers when selling an owner-built property. Your conveyancer or solicitor can confirm how it should be included in your sale documentation.
Most inspections take approximately 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the property's size, accessibility and extent of owner-builder work.
Elevate Building Inspections typically delivers Section 137B Owner Builder Reports within 24 hours of inspection. Let us know if you have an upcoming property sale deadline.
Yes. We provide Section 137B Owner Builder Reports across Melbourne, including Greensborough, Eltham, Diamond Creek, Doreen, Doncaster, Heidelberg and surrounding suburbs.
Get an independent Owner Builder Defects Report to help prepare for your property sale.
If you’re preparing to sell a property containing owner-builder work, arrange your Section 137B inspection before progressing with the required sale documentation. Elevate provides independent Owner Builder Defects Reports across Melbourne, with clear reporting and prompt turnaround.