Your Pre-Handover Inspection Checklist for a New Home in Queensland

What to Bring

The inspection is not a formality, and a little preparation makes it far more useful:

• A torch. Paint finish, plaster flatness and grout lines show under light held at a low angle across the surface, and disappear under ceiling downlights. Turn the room lights off first and use daylight and the torch.
• A small spirit level, for benchtops, thresholds and anything that should be plumb or level.
• Your selections schedule and plans, so you can confirm every item is what you chose.
• Your phone, to photograph anything you note.

Allow more time than you think you need. A thorough walk through a family home takes a couple of hours, not twenty minutes.

The Checklist

Work through the house in one direction so nothing is skipped. This list covers the items that come up most often.

• Doors and windows: every door and window opens, closes, locks and latches. Reveals are even, nothing binds or rubs, keys work in every lock, flyscreens are fitted.
• Walls and ceilings: paint coverage under raking light, plaster joints flat, no cracking at cornices or corners, consistent shadow lines where they were specified.
• Floors: tiles level with consistent grout, no hollow-sounding tiles, timber boards tight and unmarked, carpet seams invisible and edges tucked.
• Kitchen: drawers and doors aligned and soft-closing, benchtop joins tight, sink draining, and every appliance run: oven, cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher. Tapware matches the selection.
• Bathrooms and laundry: taps run hot and cold on the correct sides, toilets flush and refill, shower screens sealed and doors swing clear, floor wastes drain with the floor graded toward them, silicone neat and complete, exhaust fans running.
• Electrical: every switch, power point, light and fan, plus data and TV points. Smoke alarms tested. Switchboard labelled. External lights and the garage door opener.
• Plumbing: hot water system running, external taps working, water meter and isolation valve accessible, no drips under sinks or at the meter.
• Exterior: cladding and render complete and unmarked, gutters and downpipes connected, weep holes clear, paths and driveway finished, fencing and gates as specified, site cleaned and rubbish removed.
• Outdoor living and pool: decking or paving level, balustrades fixed, and if a pool is part of the contract, the pool fencing compliant and certified.
• Selections: walk the home with the selections schedule and confirm each item. A wrong colour, a wrong model or a missing item is a defect, not a difference of opinion.
• Documents and keys: all keys and remotes, manuals and warranty cards, the certifier's final inspection certificate, the certificate of practical completion, the defects document, and any as-built drawings or service plans the contract includes.

Understanding Defects and Tolerances

Not every mark is a defect. Timber moves, paint has a texture, tiles are made to a manufacturing tolerance and a slab is never perfectly flat. Queensland deals with this by publishing a reference: the QBCC's standards and tolerances guide sets out what is acceptable in a completed home, and both you and your builder can use it to settle a disagreement on the day.

The distinction is practical. A door that rubs, a tap that drips, a scratch through a benchtop finish or a missing item from the selections is a defect and belongs on the defects document. A hairline shrinkage crack at a cornice in the first months after handover is usually a maintenance item, picked up at the end of the defects period rather than on the day.

The defects period itself is set by your contract. During it, defects covered by the contract are repaired by the builder, and the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme sits behind that as statutory protection. Our guide to QBCC home warranty insurance explains what the scheme covers and for how long, and the QBCC's consumer building guide sets out the rules for practical completion and the documents that go with it.

Independent Inspections

Some owners bring an independent building inspector to the pre-handover walk, and it is a reasonable thing to do. A good inspector works from the same tolerances guide, writes a list the builder can act on, and takes the pressure off you to spot everything yourself. If you use one, book them for the inspection itself and pass the report to your builder promptly so the items can be scheduled with the rest of the handover work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the builder give me at practical completion in Queensland? A certificate of practical completion, a defects document listing the agreed items and when they will be fixed, the certifier's final inspection certificate, and the keys. In the QBCC contract pack the first two are Form 7 and Form 6. Manuals, warranty cards and any as-built plans the contract includes are handed over at the same time.

Do I have to accept the home if there are defects? Practical completion means the home is finished apart from minor defects that do not prevent you living in it. Minor items go on the defects document and are fixed within the agreed time. If something significant is incomplete, raise it before you sign the certificate of practical completion and discuss it with your builder.

Should I get an independent inspection before handover? It is optional. An independent inspector can pick up items you would not notice and gives the builder a list to work from. If you use one, have them attend the pre-handover walk and share the report straight away.

What is the difference between a defect and a building tolerance? A defect is work that does not meet the contract, the National Construction Code or the accepted standard of workmanship. A tolerance is the small variation allowed in a finished building, such as slight movement in timber or minor variation in a rendered surface. The QBCC's standards and tolerances guide is the reference for where the line sits.

Handover is the moment a building project becomes a home, and a careful inspection is how you make sure it starts well. With over 30 years of combined experience bringing custom homes to life across Brisbane, the team at Flascon Construction Group, custom home builders in Brisbane, is here to guide you. Contact us today.