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What a building and pest report covers

A plain-English guide to the sections of a pre-purchase report, the limits of a visual inspection, and how to turn the findings into decisions before you buy in Ballarat.

The two standards behind the report

A combined pre-purchase report draws on two Australian Standards. AS 4349.1 covers the visual inspection of residential buildings and how the findings are reported (ABLIS: AS 4349.1-2007). AS 4349.3 sets the minimum requirements for inspecting and reporting on timber pests (ABLIS: AS 4349.3-2010). If a report does not say which standards it follows, ask why.

How a report is laid out

Layouts differ between inspectors, but most combined reports are organised along these lines:

  1. Summary of the most significant findings.
  2. Property and inspection details: the address, date, weather, who attended and the type of inspection.
  3. Areas inspected and areas not inspected, with the reason access was limited.
  4. Major defects, with photos and locations.
  5. Minor defects and general maintenance items.
  6. Safety hazards.
  7. Timber pest findings: live activity, damage, and any evidence of past treatment.
  8. Conducive conditions that make a timber pest attack more likely.
  9. Recommendations for further inspection by a specialist such as a structural engineer, plumber, electrician or roof plumber.
  10. Limitations of a visual, non-invasive inspection.

How to read it in 15 minutes

  1. Read the summary to get the headline findings.
  2. Read the limitations and the areas not accessed. An inaccessible subfloor or roof space is a risk, not a clean result. In older Ballarat homes, a blocked subfloor hatch can hide the very problems you most need to know about.
  3. Read the major defects and safety hazards in full, with the photos.
  4. Read every "further investigation" item. These are the places the inspector saw enough to be concerned but could not reach a conclusion.
  5. Get quotes for anything structural, roof, damp or termite related before you negotiate or sign.

Then ring the inspector. A ten-minute conversation about what they would fix first is often worth more than another read of the report.

Defects that change the deal vs normal wear

Not every defect is a reason to walk away. The Real Estate Institute of Queensland's guidance on building and pest conditions draws a useful line: a major termite infestation, latent structural damage or extensive water damage is serious, while general wear and weathering is cosmetic (REIQ, 14/10/2025). The contract rules are different in Victoria, but the distinction is a sensible way to sort your findings.

What a visual inspection cannot see

The inspector does not lift floor coverings, open walls, move furniture or test services. Electrical wiring, plumbing pressure, gas, drainage, pools and asbestos all need separate specialists. Problems hidden behind fresh paint, stored goods or a recently tiled bathroom may not be visible on the day. Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests an asbestos assessment for homes built before 1990 (CAV).

Using the report to negotiate

Talk to your conveyancer before you use the report to renegotiate, ask for repairs, or end a contract. Your options depend on whether the contract has a building and pest condition and what deadline it sets. Quotes from licensed trades carry far more weight with a vendor than a list of defects on its own.

Ballarat notes

See the pre-purchase building and pest inspection, the timber pest inspection, or the buyer checklist.

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