Profession

Building inspectors in Australia: pre-purchase rules

Only Queensland licenses pre-purchase building inspectors among the states we could read. What NSW, SA and others say, how to check, and what to ask.

Checked on against the sources at the bottom of the page.

In short

In Australia, whether a pre-purchase building inspector must be licensed depends on the state or territory. Among the pages we could read, only Queensland says so plainly: “Only a licensed residential building inspector can complete pre-purchase building inspections.” New South Wales advises using “a suitably qualified person”. South Australia said in late 2025 that there were “currently no requirements” for building inspectors to hold qualifications, and was consulting on a registration scheme. For the other states and territories we could not establish a rule.

What the inspector does

A pre-purchase inspector examines a property and reports on its condition before you commit. In Queensland the licensed work is the “Inspection of a completed building, including an inspection and preparation of a report” under the Australian Standard for pre-purchase residential property inspections (AS 4349.1 2007). The QBCC adds: “A pre-purchase building inspection is not a warranty against future defects.”

NSW says a standard inspection looks at accessible interior and exterior areas, the roof and under-floor spaces and site features such as fencing, steps and drainage, and that such inspections “generally don’t cover termites, concealed wiring, or plumbing”, so separate pest or electrical inspections may be needed. See building and pest inspections and the contract of sale.

The rule by state and territory

  • Queensland: the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) licenses the class “Completed residential building inspection”. Applicants must show technical qualifications, financial requirements, professional indemnity insurance and five years’ experience, either as a builder (low rise, medium rise or open licence) or as a “building surveyor, assistant building surveyor, or building surveyor technician”.
  • New South Wales: “Always use a suitably qualified person such as a licensed builder, a surveyor or an architect”, and confirm adequate professional indemnity insurance. The page ties licensing to building work over $5,000. It does not say that a pre-purchase inspector needs a licence, and we read no statute on this.
  • South Australia: Consumer and Business Services’ consultation page states “there are currently no requirements in SA for building inspectors to hold qualifications or demonstrate experience” and proposes “a new registration scheme for residential building inspectors in SA”. The consultation opened on 14 November 2025 and closed on 12 December 2025. We found no page showing the scheme became law, so we describe it as a proposal.
  • Victoria: Consumer Affairs Victoria lists “building inspector” among registered practitioner categories, registered by the Building and Plumbing Commission. We could not read what that category covers and do not claim it applies to pre-purchase reports.
  • Western Australia: the government page says “Registration is required for builders, painters, building surveyors and building engineers”. It does not mention pre-purchase inspectors.
  • Tasmania, ACT, Northern Territory: pages were blocked (HTTP 403) or did not answer. We state nothing.

How to check

  • Queensland: the QBCC licensee register, which the QBCC lists page tells you to search “to check the history of your builder”. The QBCC tells you: “Check your inspector has the correct licence before hiring them.” Look for the class “Completed residential building inspection”.
  • NSW: the page says you can check a licence with the Verify NSW licence check, for the licensed work it covers.
  • Elsewhere: ask for the inspector’s qualifications, insurance certificate and a sample report that follows AS 4349.1, and compare it with what the contract requires.

Terms of use of the registers

The QBCC pages we read show no terms of use for the register; the register page displayed a loading error when we fetched it, and its disclaimer link was not read. The Verify NSW pages we read show none either. Payotte copies no register and gives you the official address instead.

What it costs

We found no official scale of inspection fees on the pages we read, and we give no figure. Ask for a written quote that states the standard used, what is excluded (for example roof space or termites) and whether a pest inspection is separate. Buying costs that are set by law are in the duty guides.

Which professional to consult

A solicitor or licensed conveyancer reads the contract and any inspection condition (conveyancers). A valuer estimates value (property valuers). For termite checks, ask the state regulator which licence applies; we did not read those rules.

Questions to ask

  • Which licence or registration do you hold in this state, and what is its number?
  • Which standard does your report follow, and what is excluded?
  • What professional indemnity insurance do you hold?
  • Will the report cover the roof space, sub-floor and visible asbestos?
  • Do you have any relationship with the agent or the seller?

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an inspection before buying?

No page we read makes it compulsory. Whether to make the contract conditional on a report is a question for your solicitor or conveyancer.

Is a building inspector the same as a building surveyor or certifier?

Not necessarily. Victoria lists “building inspector” as a registered category, but we could not read whether it covers pre-purchase reports.

Does a clean report mean no defects?

No. The QBCC says it “is not a warranty against future defects”.

Is the South Australian registration scheme in force?

We found it only as a proposal from late 2025.

Can I copy the QBCC register?

Read its terms first. Payotte does not copy registers.

Sources