New and recent homes
Building defect reports in Canberra
Structural defects in a new or recent home, found, documented and explained. For residential building work of $12,000 or more, ACT law gives structural elements a 6-year statutory warranty, and a defect report is how you show your builder exactly what's wrong.
- From $1,290 + GST ($1,419 inc GST), fixed before we start
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- 6 years structural warranty from completion, on work of $12,000 or more
Prefer to talk? Call 02 6189 9876
Or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
- Engineering onlyWe never sell the repair or the build.
- From $1,290 + GST($1,419 inc GST), confirmed before we start.
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on averageDuring business hours, Monday to Friday.
- Canberra and the Queanbeyan sideEvery district, plus Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong.
In short
A building defect report in Canberra starts from $1,290 + GST ($1,419 inc GST). An engineer inspects the home and writes up the structural defects, their likely cause and what to do next. In the ACT, structural elements carry a 6-year statutory warranty from completion, including weatherproofing of external walls and roof, for residential work of $12,000 or more. Same price across Canberra and Queanbeyan.
- Fee
- From $1,290 + GST ($1,419 inc GST)
- Quote
- Fixed, in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- You receive
- A written report: findings, likely cause and what to do next
- Warranty
- 6 years structural, 2 years other work, from completion (work of $12,000 or more)
- Time limit
- Building actions: no more than 10 years after completion
- Area
- Canberra, Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong, same price
What does a building defect report cover?
Structural defects: the parts of the house that hold it up and keep the weather out of the structure. We find them, explain the likely cause and say what to do next.
A building defect report in Canberra usually starts with something you can see: a cracked slab or wall, a floor that slopes, a door that has started to bind, or water where it shouldn't be. We inspect the home and trace those signs back to the building work.
- Cracks in slabs, brickwork and render, and whether they point to movement.
- Floors and frames that sag, slope or bounce, and walls out of plumb.
- Roof and wall framing, bracing and tie-downs.
- Water getting in through external walls or the roof, where it affects the structure.
- Retaining walls, decks and balconies built with the house.
If you're not sure whether a crack is a defect or seasonal ground movement, start with a cracks and footing movement report. For a whole-house check, see structural inspection and report, and our guide to cracks in walls in Canberra helps you decide what to photograph.
How long is a builder responsible for defects in the ACT?
Six years for structural elements and two years for everything else, counted from completion. The warranty passes to later owners.
| Protection | What it covers | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory warranty, structural | Load-bearing parts essential to the stability of the building, including weatherproofing of external walls and roof | 6 years from completion |
| Statutory warranty, non-structural | Other building work | 2 years from completion |
| Residential building insurance | At least $200,000 of cover. Policies may limit claims to the builder's insolvency, death or disappearance | Insured for 5 years after the certificate of occupancy and use (COU); claim no later than 180 days after you become aware of the grounds |
| Building actions | Legal action over the building work | No more than 10 years after the certificate of completion, last inspection or first occupation |
| Developer rectification orders | The Registrar can order serious defects fixed on projects of 3 or more dwellings | Up to 10 years after completion |
Building Act 2004 (ss 84, 87, 88, 90 and 142) and Building (General) Regulation 2008 (ss 37 to 41). Warranties and insurance don't apply to residential work costing less than $12,000, or to owner-builder work. Insurance applies to class 1 and class 2 buildings of no more than 3 storeys.
Watch the 180 days
An insurance claim has to be made no later than 180 days after you become aware of the grounds for it. If you've found a defect and your builder has stopped answering or gone out of business, get it documented early.
Can a defect report help in a dispute with my builder?
Yes. It gives you an independent, written account of what's wrong, which you can put to your builder and include with a complaint.
A report turns a general complaint into specific findings, with photos and locations, that your builder can respond to point by point. Building complaints in the ACT go to Access Canberra and the Construction Occupations Registrar.
We report; we don't fix. We don't carry out repairs and we don't recommend who should, so nothing in the report is shaped by a repair job.
The warranty periods matter most for recent builds, such as homes in the newer suburbs of Gungahlin and the Molonglo Valley, where a house finished in the last 6 years can still be inside the structural warranty. Published site reports for some new-estate blocks show controlled fill and highly reactive clay; our guide to building on a new estate block in Canberra explains what that means for slabs and footings.
For apartments, townhouse complexes and other commercial buildings, see commercial inspections and defect reports.
What's included, and what do you need from me?
An engineer visits, inspects and gives you a written report with findings, the likely cause and what to do next, from $1,290 + GST ($1,419 inc GST).
| What you get | What we need from you |
|---|---|
| An engineer's inspection of the defects | Photos of the defects, close up and from further back |
| Findings, with photos and where each defect is | When the home was finished, or the date on the certificate of occupancy and use |
| The likely cause of each defect | Your plans and building contract, if you have them |
| What to do next, written so you can hand it to your builder | Any letters or replies from your builder, and any earlier reports |
The starting price covers a typical house. A larger home or many separate defects can add to it, and your fixed quote says so before we start. See all our prices.
If the concern is one crack or one wall, a site visit with a letter of advice may be enough, from $650 + GST ($715 inc GST). We'll tell you which fits when we quote.
What happens next?
You see the price before anything is booked.
Send photos
Use the form at the top of this page or our quote page, or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au. Add up to 5 photos or plans.
Get a fixed quote
We reply with a fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours.
Inspection and report
We inspect the home and send a written report you can put to your builder.
Often needed alongside a defect report
Every service is quoted at a fixed price before we start. Send photos or plans and we reply in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours.
Cracks & footing movement
Stepped cracks, sticking doors, gaps at the cornice. An engineer finds the cause and tells you whether it matters.
$1,090 + GST($1,199 inc GST) See the service
Structural inspection & report
An engineer inspects the house and gives you a written report: what was found, the likely cause and what to do next.
$1,090 + GST($1,199 inc GST) See the service
Building on a new estate block in Canberra
What published site reports reveal about fill, reactive clay and shallow rock on new blocks, how slopes and boundary limits shape the design, and the protections that come with a new home.
Read the guideBuilding defect questions
Something else on your mind? Call 02 6189 9876, email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au or send photos for a fixed quote.
What is the statutory warranty on a new house in the ACT?
6 years for structural elements and 2 years for non-structural work, from completion, for residential work of $12,000 or more. Structural includes weatherproofing of external walls and roof, and the warranty passes to later owners.
Does the warranty cover small jobs?
Not under $12,000. The warranty and insurance part of the Building Act doesn't apply to residential work costing less than $12,000, or to owner-builder work.
What if my builder has gone out of business?
Residential building insurance may help. Policies can limit claims to the builder's insolvency, death or disappearance, and a claim must be made no later than 180 days after you become aware of the grounds for it.
Do you fix defects or recommend a builder to fix them?
No. We find, document and explain the defects. You choose who fixes them.
Where do I complain about a builder in the ACT?
Building complaints go to Access Canberra and the Construction Occupations Registrar. A defect report sets out specific findings you can include with a complaint.
Is a defect report the same as a building inspection?
No. A defect report looks at what has gone wrong in building work and why. For a general check of a home's structure, a structural inspection and report fits better.