Questions

They're the same thing: an independent inspection when your builder says the home has reached practical completion, before you sign off, pay the final instalment and take the keys. Nitpik lists every cosmetic finish defect, photographed and cited to the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2026.

Once the builder tells you the home has reached practical completion, and before you sign off or pay the final instalment. That's when you have the most leverage to get defects fixed.

Yes, mostly. People call it both. It's the final walkthrough before you accept the keys, where you list everything the builder still needs to fix.

Yes. We do apartment and townhouse handover inspections in Melbourne, including off-the-plan settlement inspections, where the finish is checked inside the lot before you settle.

Yes. For a renovation we inspect the new finishes — paint, plaster, tiling, joinery, stone, doors and glass — against the same 2026 Guide tolerances before you make the final payment.

A pre-handover inspection happens before you accept the home, when you have the most leverage. A warranty inspection happens after you've moved in — usually near the end of the builder's defects liability or maintenance period — to document defects that have appeared or were never fixed.

Yes, but it's harder. Once you've accepted the home, it can be difficult to show a scratch or chip was already there. It's far easier to get defects fixed if they're documented before you sign off.

No. Nitpik inspects cosmetic finish only. We're not structural engineers, building surveyors or pest and termite inspectors, and we don't do pre-purchase building and pest reports on existing homes.

Visual cosmetic defects on finished surfaces — paint, plaster, tiling, caulking, cabinetry, doors, windows, trims and other visible finishes — assessed against the Building and Plumbing Commission Victoria Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2026 and current Australian Standards.

Nitpik does not perform structural, building code, compliance, waterproofing, electrical, plumbing, gas, HVAC, energy, hazardous materials, pest or dilapidation inspections. We do not certify workmanship, sign off on rectifications on the builder's behalf, or provide legal, engineering or regulatory advice. Concealed elements, roof cavities, sub-floors and anything requiring destructive testing are excluded.

Reports are prepared for the named client only, based on what was reasonably visible on the day of inspection under available lighting and access. To the extent permitted by law, liability is limited to the fee paid for the inspection. Reliance by any third party is at their own risk.

Every defect is photographed, located by room, described in plain English and cited to the relevant clause and tolerance in the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2026. You get the PDF the same day. Re-check visits after rectification are available on request, quoted individually.

Re-check visits after rectification are available on request, quoted individually. On a re-check, each original item is marked Rectified or Outstanding.

Most finish defects are judged from the Guide's normal viewing position: 1.5 m or greater for walls, ceilings and floors; 600 mm for appliances and fixtures; 3 m for glass — with the surface lit by non-critical (diffuse, non-glancing) light.

The Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2026, published by the Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria). Your contract and the law take precedence; the Guide sets out the tolerances builders and inspectors work to.

Flat rates: $450 for a single-storey home and $750 for a double-storey home, booked and paid online. Re-check visits after rectification are available on request, quoted individually.

Monday to Saturday, 8am–11am or 1pm–4pm, when the light is best for catching paint and finish defects. Your report lands the same day.

Yes. Rescheduling is free up to 48 hours before the booked time.

Power and lights on, and the builder's clean done. Allow two to three hours on site.

It depends on your contract. Many contracts set a defects liability or maintenance period, often several months after handover, and the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 gives statutory warranties that can be enforced for longer — up to 10 years for some building work. Document defects early, ideally before handover, and get legal advice if the builder won't respond.

Put the defects to the builder in writing with clear evidence — photos, locations and the Guide clause for each item. An independent defects report makes that evidence hard to dispute. If the builder still won't act, Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV) and legal advice are the usual next steps.

Yes — see the Developer Project Package and Builder QA Retainer on our builders and developers page. See the programmes →

The builder or developer who engaged us.

Nitpik does not inspect the same home for the buyer or owner while engaged on it by the builder or developer, unless both parties are told in writing.

A reference number for a home that has cleared every item in its Nitpik inspection after rectification. Buyers can check it on our verify page. About the mark · Verify a mark