Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Feb 02, 2010 9:24 am Our PCI is coming up next week, and we weren't going to have a building inspector. We are bringing along 2 family members who have worked in house construction in various areas for years (tiling, bricks, labouring, plastering, etc), mr smith is an electrician. I thought that we wouldn't need one because we are all familiar with different areas of construction. But everyone we've spoken to thinks we are bananas not getting one, as they say building inspectors go through checklists to make sure nothing is missed and apparently they have an eye to pick up all mistakes. We didn't budget for one thinking that it would be ok for the 4 of us to look at it, and due to certain circumstances we really can't afford one at the moment. AND THEN just to top it off we're told our builder can't wait until I'm back in Perth for it as it's not within 5 days so I'll have to get mr smith to do it on my behalf, and I can't even be there so now I'm really stressing! Anywho I'm thinking, maybe if I can get hold of a checklist, we can get mr smith and our family members to go through it and since they work in house construction they'll be able to spot most things if they are off.... So, the whole point of telling you my life story is pretty please with a giant cherry on the top and whipped cream and Ice Magic do any of you have a copy of the checklist used in your building inspection we could attempt to use it for mine and I can sleep at night? The house is in Perth if it helps (not sure if they don't apply to everywhere.....) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 2Feb 02, 2010 9:45 am Ok, we did ours last Thursday. The list (which I have here) has everything on it and then space to write more. So the 'checklist' to start off with is : Power connected Gas connected Laminates Oven Sink Hotplate Rangehood Site clean complete Footpath/kerb condition Touch up paint Meterbox locks Bath/Spa Glazing Window frames Ceramic tiles/Grout Shower screens/Mirrors Basins/Trough Flyscreens Manhole cover Spare roof tiles Termite sticker Roof tile maintenance sticker Hot water unit Hardstand Garage door Leaks to plumbing fixtures Door furniture Plaster patch Falls to shower floors Painting Paving Spare tiles in Pantry Manuals for appliances Water drains from Bath/basin/sink Once you've checked that list and ensure everything is as ordered, or not if that is the case, they tick the box or write N/A and also fill out the bottom of the form. For our house, we checked that each and every door in the house shut properly and checked from inside the room, as well as outside. Because of this, we need the master bedroom door replaced, as well as one of the children's bedroom doors. Check that your exhaust fans work, windows open and close properly and if locks are fitted, that they work correctly (locking open and locking closed), check underneath the counters to ensure cupboards are correct, we did this and found a large crack, which otherwise wouldn't have been found (in the shell of the cupboard). Check you guttering for any dents, uneveness, also ensure all paintwork outside is done, again, we found that behind a downpipe we were missing some paint. Check the soap holders. One of ours has a chip in it and the other is the wrong colour entirely! Open your oven and check for any scratches... Check that your power points are evenly placed and that any conduits that you have specified are at the right place, we have conduits for our theatre and the two on opposite walls are supposed to be in line with each other, but they're not, so they have to redo it. Check that your toilet roll holders and towel rails are securely affixed to the walls. Check the silicone around the mirrors in the bathrooms. EDITED TO ADD : I also got the keys off the Site supervisor to make sure that they actually worked, nothing like getting handover and finding the keys either don't work or the door doesn't lock properly!!! LOL Hope that helps. House has been complete since Feb 2010 Moved in April 2010 Outside completed August 2010 Currently working on the inside, painting, blinds, furniture http://ourhouseinperth.blogspot.com/ Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 3Feb 02, 2010 10:25 am Thanks for the list. I am going to save this post for when it comes to my own inspection. When you are so excited about getting your keys, I suppose you can forget all those little things. Cracks inside the cupboards... I probably would have missed that one. Let us know how you go. Building with Commodore Homes Revolution in Hocking Pre-start 17th December Slab down 5th March 2010 Bricks done 10th April Walls plastered 20th May 2010 Lock up 3rd June 2010 My building thread https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=30812 Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 5Feb 02, 2010 1:34 pm Oohhh excellent Blue!!! I'm going to make a copy of that list for when i have my PCI! viewtopic.php?f=31&t=22766 - my build thread! Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Chuck Norris. Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 6Feb 02, 2010 2:11 pm Hey, no worries Hope it helps out. I am sure it should be pretty much the same for any PCI... Oh and we were told to go and look around the house FIRST then start the actual inspection, which I think is good, as we were so excited (was our first visit to the house). House has been complete since Feb 2010 Moved in April 2010 Outside completed August 2010 Currently working on the inside, painting, blinds, furniture http://ourhouseinperth.blogspot.com/ Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 7Feb 03, 2010 9:41 am Just bumping this thread to see if anyone else has ideas of what else to look for Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 8Feb 03, 2010 10:46 am Thanks for the list...great timing! Im going with a friend to their PCI today so this will be helpful Good luck with the PCI mr and mrs Smith. Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 10Feb 16, 2010 6:52 pm Blue I also got the keys off the Site supervisor to make sure that they actually worked, nothing like getting handover and finding the keys either don't work or the door doesn't lock properly!!! LOL Good in theory, but if you've built with a volume builder the Tradies will most likely have used builders keys, which are shorter than the key you will get given at handover. Once you have your keys make sure you turn them in EVERY lock so that the builders keys cannot be used any more. You won't be able to 'try' your keys at PCI if this is the case. I also made sure I took off my shoes and walked around all the bathroom floors and especially the tiled shower bases to check for sharp edges. You won't be wearing shoes in there so good idea to check with bare feet! I took along a step ladder and globes to check ALL light fittings and that they were wired correctly. We took along an electric shaver to test EVERY powerpoint. Check privacy locks (if you have any) 3 out of 5 of ours didn't work. Check smoke detectors Take a torch and check that the insulation in the ceilings is neat and correctly fitted Flush toilets several times and turn on every tap to check for plumbing leaks. If your hot water has not been installed but will be done after handover, make sure you check all taps and wastes with the hot water after it's installed, as the hot water can 'bring out' leaks in the seals of the plumbing (so I was told!) as the joins expand with the hot water. Check the tile grout that it is all even and there are no foreign things in it (we had a few dirty marks grouted in, which we picked up on and they were replaced) Check for mortar 'blowouts' in between bricks. we had a few patched up, and a section refilled next to a window (obvious gap and water would have penetrated) There is so much to look at and take in, and do not feel pressured to hurry! This is your chance to look at everything and get any detail fixed that you are not happy with (within reason). It's your house, and you have to be happy with it! Henley - Wilshire Mk 3 ... I love my house!! Site start: 4th Feb 09 Handover: 10th Sep 09 Blog: http://stormygirlscastle.blogspot.com/ Build Thread: viewtopic.php?t=7166 Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 11Feb 16, 2010 7:25 pm Please Please Please make sure you check the fall goes towards the drains in ALL of your wet areas (not just in your shower recesses!!!). Tip a bucket (in my case it took 5) of water on your bathroom and laundry floor to make sure the water falls towards and down your drains. Also check the floor tiles behind the toilets, too. I had a cracked floor tile right at the back of mine. Lucky for me they ended up replacing each and every tile that was laid in my house, hey! Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 12Mar 01, 2010 12:35 pm Just more feedback: Here's a couple of things we missed, even with all the extra eyes! I guess as we've been painting, you really look up close. We had one handtowel holder on the underside that had rust spots on it and had been dropped - but because we didn't have light bulbs, we couldn't see it as it was a bit dark in that room! So take a torch! Also, one of the plastic bits was loose on the toilet - once again couldn't see because of the poor light. Also, a laundry tile has a surface crack, and as it's white you can only see if from one angle. So that's why we missed it. Maybe run your hand over every tile (I don't know a non-gross way of doing the floor though lol) because you can feel cracks but not always see them! And the one of the hobs on the stove is wonky. Now everyone looked, even mucked around and put the gas on/etc. But no one picked it up until we tried to put something on it. So rock the hobs! Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 13Mar 01, 2010 1:20 pm hi all, i wrote a list around mid december last year when my PCI took place. im sure its still on site site somewhere. it was in a similar topic about settlement/PCI. its pretty lengthy. basically i took it to my PCI and tick off as i went. everyone who read it found it helpful so im sure it will be helpful for you too. i also provided access to a document for acceptable standards and tolerances so if something doesnt look right, you know what is considered acceptable or not. in the end i also had an independant inspector go through the house. he picked up on a few things i wouldnt have a clue about and wouldnt have noticed myself. it was worth the extra money to hire him. when you think about it, its only a small amount of the entire build so it was well worth it. mel Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 14Mar 01, 2010 2:04 pm Mel_24_ hi all, i wrote a list around mid december last year when my PCI took place. im sure its still on site site somewhere. it was in a similar topic about settlement/PCI. its pretty lengthy. mel Mel's list is here http://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=26359 Building the Caprice33 by Provincial Homes. Now it's time for the landscaping http://jacksonsbuild.blogspot.com Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 15Mar 01, 2010 5:04 pm mrs_smith AND THEN just to top it off we're told our builder can't wait until I'm back in Perth for it as it's not within 5 days so I'll have to get mr smith to do it on my behalf That is absolute bullcrap on the builders behalf, you are paying them for a service and if your living/working up here they should be flexible to allow you to come down at a convenient time for you. For instance I told DAH when they require me for meetings they need to let me know a couple of weeks in advance for airfares and for the PCI etc they will work around me. I'd be so angry and complaining about it, wouldn't allow them to not let you complete your own inspection. Contact every person you can to complain, you've paid for the house and they work for you and should work around you.....not all of us can drop everything and go straight to Perth (would be lovely if we could but not usually possible!) Hopefully it works out for the best, but personally I would not accept what they've told you! Re: Can you pretty please help? PC inspection checklist 17Mar 02, 2010 9:44 am karratha mrs_smith AND THEN just to top it off we're told our builder can't wait until I'm back in Perth for it as it's not within 5 days so I'll have to get mr smith to do it on my behalf That is absolute bullcrap on the builders behalf, you are paying them for a service and if your living/working up here they should be flexible to allow you to come down at a convenient time for you. For instance I told DAH when they require me for meetings they need to let me know a couple of weeks in advance for airfares and for the PCI etc they will work around me. I'd be so angry and complaining about it, wouldn't allow them to not let you complete your own inspection. Contact every person you can to complain, you've paid for the house and they work for you and should work around you.....not all of us can drop everything and go straight to Perth (would be lovely if we could but not usually possible!) Hopefully it works out for the best, but personally I would not accept what they've told you! Thanks, I ended up taking leave and my boss put down "Family Emergency" on the forms so I'd get the flights. I was going to kick up a stink but I read the HIA contract and it said that the PCI must be completed within 5 days when the builder considers the house to be practically complete, and that either our representatives or ourselves can complete it. And my roster would have been another 5 days on top of that so they can do that, as disappointing as it was. But we do have the 4 month maintenance period anyhow and are still spotting little things every now and then. 2 10987 Hey everyone Not for me or anyone I know, just generally interested. For a single allotment house, are you allowed to take the fence on both sides of your house and… 0 20891 I've just had a look at the website. The company are just building broker's. There are plenty of similar companies that basically draw your plans (they own them so you… 8 10940 |