Nitpik — Handover / PCI
Handover inspection Melbourne.
Designer defect inspections, professionally picky.
Pre-handover and practical completion (PCI) inspections for new homes, townhouses, apartments and renovations across Melbourne. We look at the finish the way a designer does — then cite every defect to the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2026 so your builder can't wave it away.
When to book a pre-handover inspection
Book as soon as your builder gives you a practical completion date — before you sign the handover documents, pay the final instalment or take the keys.
That's when fixing defects is clearly the builder's job. Once you've accepted the home, it gets much harder to prove a chip or scratch was already there.
New home inspection, the forensic way
We inspect paintwork, plaster and cornices, tiling and grout, stone, joinery, doors, hardware and glass. Every mark is checked from the Guide's normal viewing position before it goes into the report.
This is high-end finish quality work, not volume real-estate packaging — the report you hand your builder reads like a design review, with photos, room locations and clause numbers.
What's in your handover report
- Every defect photographed and located by room
- The clause and tolerance from the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2026
- A same-day PDF you can send straight to your builder
- Re-check visits after rectification, quoted individually, marking each item Rectified or Outstanding
See how we cite clauses in our Guide 2026 explainer, or read the pre-handover checklist.
Pricing
$450 single-storey · $750 double-storey. Flat rates, booked and paid online.
Already moved in? See building defects and warranty inspections.
Areas we inspect
Handover and building defects inspections across metro Melbourne, led by the city's high-end finish suburbs — plus the northern growth corridor and the rest of Victoria.
- Toorak
- Brighton
- Brighton East
- Kew
- Camberwell
- Malvern
- Hawthorn
- South Yarra
- Armadale
- Canterbury
- Glen Iris
- Balwyn
- Ivanhoe
- Beaumaris
- Sandringham
- Albert Park
- Middle Park
Common questions
What's a PCI, practical completion or handover inspection?
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.
Do you inspect apartments, townhouses and off-the-plan homes?
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.
Do you do renovation handover inspections?
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.
What's the difference between a pre-handover and a warranty inspection?
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.
Do you do building and pest inspections?
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.
What's included in the defects report?
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 and quoted individually.
Book your handover inspection
$450 single-storey · $750 double-storey. Every defect photographed and cited to the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2026, with your PDF report the same day. Servicing Melbourne and Victoria.
Nitpik inspects cosmetic finish only. We are not structural engineers, building surveyors (RBS), or pest and termite inspectors, and we don't do pre-purchase building and pest reports on existing homes. This page is general information, not legal advice. Your contract and the law take precedence over the Guide.