If the new home you are building in Perth Western Australia is nearing completion, then pretty soon your builder will be notifying you that your new home is about to reach a very important milestone called Practical Completion or PC.
Practical completion (PC) is the stage of construction when the home is ready for its intended use, i.e., habitation. Practical Completion is also the trigger for other key contractual and statutory requirements.
There may still be a few minor items for the builder to attend to like finishing off the landscaping, commissioning the air conditioner and final clean, but the utilities (Electricity, Water, Sewer and Gas) will be connected, and all fixtures and fittings would have been tested and all operational.
Practical completion is your opportunity to have an independent Building Inspector assist you with your inspection. By using the services of a Building Inspector to assist you with your practical completion inspection, you will ensure quality standards are high at your new home by giving your builder a detailed report highlighting issues so they can systematically work through and repair them.
Handover – Keys / Payment
Once the practical completion report is complete and issued to the builder it will form part of an agreement linked to final payment and key handover.
Or in simple terms:
- Independent Building Inspector produces the Practical Completion report.
- Builder agrees to fix items on the Practical Completion report.
- The client agrees to make the final payment.
- Builder hands keys to the client.
Defects Liability Period
Once the final payment has been made and keys have been handed over, the Defects Liability Period starts. The Defect Liability Period obligates the builder to make good all faulty and defective workmanship that arises in this period. The statutory Defect Liability Period that covers most building contracts runs for 6 years from the date of Practical Completion.
Getting your builder back multiple times is painful for both you and your builder. An exhaustive Practical Completion report will help to minimise future issues occurring. For more information on the Defect Liability Period click here.
Home Indemnity Insurance
Most home building contracts are covered by a statutory requirement called Home Indemnity Insurance.
Home Indemnity Insurance will generally respond if the builder is unable or unwilling to make good faulty and defective workmanship that arises during the Defect Liability Period.
Build Better Webinar
If you would like more information about building a better house in this current building boom, click on the link below.
As you have read, the Practical Completion inspection is a very important milestone of building your home as it triggers many other contractual and statutory requirements. This is why it is important to have an advocate in your corner who is an expert in Practical Completion Inspections.
All inspectors at Home Integrity are WA Registered Builders, have built homes before and are experienced in Practical Completion Inspections.
Home Integrity inspectors will assess the standard of workmanship at your new home and report any deficiencies clearly to your builder in a language they understand to ensure rectification is completed the right way.
“An absolute must-have service while building! So happy with the inspection and inspector. Very professional and I would recommend it to any friend who is building.” Sheridan, Maddington
If you need a Practical Completion Inspection, we can take care of everything fast! Email us at [email protected], or call the team on 08 6184 5624.
