Inspections are required at certain times during the construction of your building or renovation project. These may include inspections from a building certifier or a building inspector appointed by the Construction Occupations Registrar, a role that resides in Access Canberra. There may also be inspections needed for electrical, plumbing or gasfitting work.
There may be other approvals you need to source at different stages of your project, including for driveways or tree removal.
Owner–builders
Owner–builders have responsibilities for construction and overseeing building work. Find out more about owner–builder responsibilities.
A safe construction site
People in control of a building site are responsible for the health and safety of any person affected by the building work. They're also responsible for any site visitors. If you want to see the progress of building work, you must make reasonable arrangements for a time to attend. You must follow all safety instructions when you are on site.
Specific requirements exist under work health and safety laws for working on-site , including for:
- signage
- fencing
- amenities, and
- supervision of staff.
Find out about construction site management.
The building certification process
Unless building work is exempt from requiring a building approval, a building certifier must be appointed for the building work.
A building certifier must hold the relevant class of building surveyor licence for the building approval and building work that they are appointed to certifier. They must not have a legal, financial or personal interest in the land or the completion of the building work.
What does a building certifier do
A building certifier’s functions include:
- deciding applications for building approval
- deciding applications for commencement notices
- conducting inspections at specified stages of building work, including:
- requesting and verifying tests for the building work
- giving directions to builders in relation to non-compliant work
- notifying the Construction Occupations Registrar about suspected contraventions of building law
- issuing stop notices if appropriate
When you build or renovate as a land owner it is your responsibility to appoint the building certifier – not the builder’s. While you can authorise someone else to appoint the certifier, you are within your legal right to choose and appoint your own building certifier. The fees for your building certifier are generally covered in your contract, however you should discuss this with your builder.
There are also government regulatory fees as part of the building approval process.
Inspections
During construction, your building certifier must undertake inspections of building work at the completion of each of the following stages:
- completion of excavation, placement of formwork and placement of steel reinforcing before any concrete for the footings is poured
- for a house and/or non-habitable building (class 1 or class 10 building), completion of the structural framework and, before the placement of any internal lining
- for a house and/or non-habitable building, completion of placement of formwork, and placement of steel reinforcing, for any reinforced concrete member before any concrete for the member is poured
- for other building classes, completion of any reinforced concrete member before any concrete for the member is poured, as stated by the building certifier in the relevant building approval
- for all classes, completion of the building work approved in the relevant building approval
Extra inspection may be suggested by your building certifier depending on the project. You may also request for further inspections to be made during construction. Discuss this with your certifier.
Your builder must inform your certifier when the work requires inspection at each relevant stage.
There are also mandatory ACT Government inspections for electrical, plumbing, drainage and gasfitting work. The relevant construction professionals will organise this.
Complaints and disputes
If there is a dispute between you and your builder or other professional, there are options for you to resolve your dispute or make a complaint.
