Building Inspection – Maintaining the Standard In Auckland | Better HouseKeeper

Hire a building inspector to meet the standards of safe, reliable buildings, here’s how!

The world today is a very competitive place. Almost everyone you see is involved in one thing or the other. Many engage in these daily activities so as to have a source of income thus; they work the daily routines that their jobs require of them. Others have various other ambitions that they want to achieve and so, they set about achieving it with all that they can muster.

However, there is a need to ensure that there is a standard for every activity that people engage in. A standard that no one should fall short of. And which if fallen short of, can be repudiated to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to tow that line. An aspect of the society where it is crucial that standards be maintained is the construction industry; especially the construction of buildings. Without standards that ensure quality work, some people could do substandard works and sell to unsuspecting individuals or even to the government.

For this reason, there had to be a way to ensure adherence to standards. And this could only be done through building inspections.

What Is Building Inspection All About?

This is an investigation done by a building inspector who has the necessary qualifications to function as such. This is done to ensure that a building is up to the necessary safety standard set by the codes that regulate construction activities. It generally involves an inspector engaged by the city or by an individual, coming down to the site of the construction and checking its compliance with approved structural regulations. The building cannot be sold, inhabited or be used in any capacity until it is approved. You can read more here.

What Are The Duties Of The Inspector?

1. Review The Building Plans: There is always a plan before any structure is setup. It is their duty to always look at the design and layout of the structure that is to be erected. This is so as to ensure that it is in line with the relevant laws and guidelines that govern such activities. They also ensure that the contractual specifications are being followed.
2. Approve The Plans: After examining the plans and ensuring that they are satisfactory, then they can approve them. It is only after these plans having been approved that the builders can get on with the job of building the structure.
3. Make Periodic Checks: Another of their duties is to make periodic checks on the site of the construction to ensure that there is full compliance with the approved plan. This is important because, plans can go awry and sometimes builders can go off rail. Therefore, they need to be checked on to ensure continued compliance. Also, the tools and instruments with which they work also gets checked out to ensure that they are the recommended tools.
4. Issuance Of Violation Notices: Where there is a violation as it concerns compliance with the laid down guidelines or with their tools of work, the inspector will issue violation notices to them. This is for them to make the necessary amendments. However, in some certain situations where the violations are just too much, stop work orders can be passed until the necessary corrections are made.
5. Documenting The Process: Again, the inspector should be able to document findings made as the construction is ongoing. This documentation should include, their daily logs, and the photographs that were taken during the inspection tours.
6. Written Report: Finally, they should be able to file a written report of all the findings and observations made during the inspection. The professional opinion of the inspector also helps a lot.

Why Is Building Inspection Important?

To Identify Structural Issues in A Building

In certain situations, it has been discovered that some houses and other such structures have one structural defect or the other. Some are even uninhabitable. A thorough check and follow up of a structure for defects during and after its construction helps to eradicate the possibility of having a defective structure.

To Be Able To Ascertain The Cost Of Repairs

A house might not be defective; it might just be in need of repairs due to the damage it has incurred through use or ill-suitability of some of the fixtures in it. Thus, a thorough appraisal of what it would take to make the necessary repairs will be needed. Who would do this best if not a building inspector?

To Ascertain The True Value Of A Building

A house might not be worth what it is valued at because of the various repairs that has to be carried out on it. Information on these factors would of course make the buyer to revalue the house. However, a buyer might not be able to know of these things if an inspector is not engaged to look into the property.

To Know The Best Maintenance Practices

Another benefit of having a building inspected is that you get to know the best maintenance practices. This is because the inspector will direct you on the best practices to adopt both to prevent and to repair damages that may occur on your project. Also, the rules guiding the type of project that you are undertaking might have changed so this becomes an opportunity to know the new rules.

Getting A Building Inspector In Auckland

The basic things you need to know before engaging an inspector in Auckland include:

• If it is an individual, the person has to be a surveyor with some years’ work experience.
• Has to be very conversant with the Building Act of 2004 regulations, the Building Code and other relevant laws.

However, it is usually more reliable to engage a surveyor firm (with employees who are inspectors) to do this for you. Especially if the project that you are embarking on is a big one. They are usually keen on protecting their reputation and can offer other related services that a single individual cannot.

You can also get information about their services from sites to understand the various services that they offer. You can always visit sites like http://www.castlebridgesurveys.co.nz when making your own inquiries.

Conclusion

Without standards, quality cannot be appreciated and defective works spotted. For this reason, measures are put in place to ensure that good quality work is the watchword for those in the construction industry.

However, if there is no way to ensure compliance, people can still get away with poor work. This therefore makes it imperative that building inspections be done to ensure compliance.