The Australian Standard 4349.1 – 2007 The Inspection of Buildings states that an inspection is to be a "Close and careful scrutiny of a building carried out without dismantling, in order to arrive at a reliable conclusion as to the condition of the building."
The purpose of the inspection is to provide advice to a prospective purchaser of the property as to the condition of the property at the time of the inspection. The report will detail major and minor defects as well as any safety hazards. When assessing the house the inspector will compare the building with other similarly aged homes that have been maintained to an acceptable standard.
The building inspector will inspect all accessible parts of the building and any outbuildings within 30m of the building and within the boundaries of the property in accordance with the standard. The building inspector will inspect:
- The interior of the building
- The roof space
- The exterior of the building
- The sub-floor space
- The roof exterior
- The property within 30m of the building subject to inspection
