"How often should I get a building inspection?" is one of the more common questions we get asked, and the honest answer is: it depends entirely on why you need one. A building inspection isn't a routine service like a car service with a fixed interval — it's tied to specific moments where you need clarity on a property's condition. Here's how we'd break it down.
Buying a property: before you commit
If you're purchasing, the timing is straightforward — get your inspection done as early as possible in the process, ideally before any finance or inspection condition period in your contract expires. This gives you the findings in hand while you can still negotiate, ask for repairs, or walk away if something serious turns up.
Building a new home: at handover
If you're having a home built, the key moment is practical completion — the point where the builder says the home is finished and ready for handover. A practical completion inspection before you sign off gives you leverage to have defects fixed while the builder is still contractually obligated to, rather than discovering issues after you've already accepted the keys.
Owning a home long-term: whenever something changes
There's no fixed rule for how often an established home needs checking. Many owners find it worthwhile every so often, or whenever they notice something new — a crack that's grown, a stain that's appeared, a door that's started sticking. If in doubt, a specific item inspection lets you get a professional opinion on just the one thing that's caught your attention, without the cost of a full inspection.
Construction happening nearby: before it starts
If a neighbour is about to start excavation, piling, or demolition work near your property, the right time for an inspection is before that work begins — not after. A dilapidation report creates a dated record of your property's existing condition, so if any damage does show up once the work starts, there's no ambiguity about whether it was already there.
Selling a property: worth considering too
It's not just buyers who benefit. Getting your own inspection before you list can flag anything a buyer's inspector is likely to raise, giving you the chance to address it — or simply be upfront about it — rather than being caught off guard mid-negotiation.
The short version
Think of an inspection as tied to a moment, not a calendar. Buying, building, selling, nearby construction, or a specific worry that's crossed your mind — any of those is a good reason to get one. If you're not sure whether your situation calls for it, it costs nothing to ask.