What is a building report?
A building report is a written document which is produced after a non-invasive, visual inspection is completed on a property. This document portrays the overall property condition, materials used in the construction and the current defects of the property at a given point in time.
Inspected NZ complete their building reports in accordance with the New Zealand Standard - NZS 4306:2005 Residential Property Inspection, for your peace of mind that the job has been completed to the industry standard.
The NZ Standard sets out a framework for the report to cover, this is as follows:
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List off the materials used and the presence of building features within the dwellings construction;
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Explain and categorise each observation (defect) at the time of the inspection and;
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Summarise the inspector’s findings and make comment to the overall condition of the dwelling.
Observations are categorised into the following; gradual deterioration, urgent maintenance, significant defect, weather tightness risk, or safety hazard. All of these are commented on throughout the report if present and visible at the time of the inspection.
The report is broken into the following nine sections:
Summary
The report starts with the summary which is designed for a ‘quick’ overview of the dwelling and only contains the main observations from the body of the report. The summary also contains the inspector’s opinion on the overall condition of the dwelling and any further recommendations of reports which may be required to form a complete picture of the dwelling.
Site
The site covers the all the features which can be found outside the dwelling which do not form part of the dwelling, however are integral to the condition of the overall property. This includes, fencing or retaining walls, the driveway, any paths, along with features such as, site exposure and the orientation of the living spaces.
Subfloor
The subfloor covers the foundations of the property, whether this be a concrete slab or a suspended timber subfloor. This covers elements such as, the visible concrete slab, the foundation wall, piles, subfloor timbers, subfloor plumbing and wiring and insulation. Every dwelling has a different amount of accessibility and visibility to this area, the inspector will do their best to view as much as possible. It is important to note, floor levels are not considered part of a property inspection completed under NZS 4306:2005.
Exterior
The exterior covers the construction type of the structural elements of the dwelling, the exterior claddings and the external windows/doors. Weather tightness risks are also reviewed in this section of the report.
Roof
The roof covers the external elements of the roof, such as the roof cladding, fixing types, guttering, downpipes, soffits/eaves and fascia/bargeboards.
Roof Space
The roof space covers the internal construction of the roof structure, along with, the insulation, plumbing and wiring, any pest infestation, signs of leaking and any rotten timbers. Every dwelling has a different amount of accessibility and visibility to this area, the inspector will do their best to view as much as possible.
Interior
The interior is broken down into a room by room review and comments on the construction materials and any defects present. As well as a visual, non-invasive inspection of the interior, wall socket (plug testing) and non-invasive moisture testing to the externally facing walls/around plumbing fittings is completed.
Services
This section covers an extensive list of services which can be found throughout a wide range of properties. Key services include, electrical, plumbing, hot water, drainage and gas.
Ancillary Spaces
Ancillary spaces are external buildings/out buildings which may be present on the property, examples of these include sleep outs, freestanding garaging, garden sheds, etc.