Donnybrook Building
Inspections

Defect Investigation Reports in Donnybrook

When something has failed and the builder will not accept responsibility, we investigate it, measure it and set out what the standard actually required.

  • Investigated back to the cause
  • Measured, not estimated
  • Written for owner and builder
  • Names the clause and the shortfall
  • Turnaround inside 24 hours
  • Covers structures and fixings
  • Upgradeable for tribunal use
  • Inspector available to explain
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What is included

What is included in a Donnybrook defect investigation report

A defect investigation is assessed against the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2015, the National Construction Code and ABCB Housing Provisions, AS 3700 for masonry, AS 3740 for wet areas, and the drawings and specification in your contract.

Crack assessment

  • Each crack measured
  • Render or structural cracking
  • Classed by damage category
  • Photos with a scale

Movement in the slab

  • Floor levels across rooms
  • Doors sticking upstairs
  • Tiles cracking in lines
  • Stair and landing gaps

Lightweight wall faults

  • AAC panel joints
  • Render delamination
  • Control joints missing
  • Head and sill flashings

Tracing water entry

  • Meter readings mapped
  • Window leak tracking
  • Damp at slab level
  • Staining after rain

Wet area leaks

  • Shower and bath leaks
  • Floor waste grade
  • Failed sealant joints
  • Damp in nearby rooms

Roof and box gutters

  • Box gutter overflow paths
  • Sheet laps and screws
  • Rainwater heads
  • Parapet cappings

Basalt clay drainage

  • Water sitting on the lot
  • Retaining wall drainage
  • Unconnected downpipes
  • Paths draining to walls

Records we read

  • Contract and working drawings
  • Soil test and slab design
  • Warranty time limits
  • Builder emails

After the report

  • Formal notice to the builder
  • Rectification list
  • BPC dispute resolution
  • Expert witness report for VCAT

36 checkpoints across 9 areas on a standard Donnybrook defect investigation report. Where something is locked, sealed or buried under stored material on the day, it goes in the report as not inspected. We never mark unreachable work as satisfactory.

Sample findings

Sample findings from our defect investigations in Donnybrook

From Donnybrook investigation reports into a boundary fence and an entry door.

Rear boundary fence found in a semi collapsed state, recorded during a defect investigation in Donnybrook
Rear boundary fence found in a semi collapsed state
Fence post embedment depth inadequate for the fence it carries, recorded during a defect investigation in Donnybrook
Fence post embedment depth inadequate for the fence it carries
Fence top capping not adequately fixed, recorded during a defect investigation in Donnybrook
Fence top capping not adequately fixed
Front entry door investigated after the owner reported draughts, recorded during a defect investigation in Donnybrook
Front entry door investigated after the owner reported draughts
Door not providing an adequate seal against weather, recorded during a defect investigation in Donnybrook
Door not providing an adequate seal against weather
Our inspectors going through a report
Why Donnybrook owners choose us

Independent. Licensed. Insured.

  • Your Donnybrook report is written and signed by whoever stood on the site.
  • Findings are cited to AS 2870, AS 1684, AS 3740 or the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2015.
  • We work to the engineering issued for your lot, not to a generic checklist.
  • The inspector's mobile stays on the report for as long as your build runs.
Guides

Defect Investigation Reports guides for Donnybrook

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FAQ

Defect Investigation Reports in Donnybrook: common questions

Is this report enough for VCAT?

No. The investigation report is produced so the owner and the builder have a common set of facts. The Building and Plumbing Commission dispute service and VCAT both require an expert witness report drawn to the VCAT practice note, which we can prepare separately.

What will you not do during an investigation?

No destructive opening up, no engineering certification, no geotechnical sampling and no rectification work. Where an engineer is needed, the report says so plainly.

The builder says the fence is fine. Then what?

Post embedment depth is a measurement, not an opinion. Once it is measured against the requirement, the discussion changes shape entirely.

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