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Advanced Building Inspections | Coffs Coast

Beyond the traditional building inspection.

If you're after something more than a visual check, come to Joe Builds. We bring two decades of building experience and the technology to test the house, so you know what you're buying.

This is a detailed inspection for homes worth looking after, and for buyers and owners who want the full picture. We go above and beyond on every one. And when work is done, we come back and verify it with a second set of readings.

Pick your inclusionsStart with a builder's inspection, then add the testing you want. Fixed price before you book.
Call 0485 835 959 Send us the address

Licensed builder · NSW Builders Licence 332487C · Houses only · Coffs Coast

Joe Heafey, licensed builder, Joe Builds Coffs Harbour
Under-floor space of a Coffs Coast home showing timber bearers, joists and block piers

The Australian Standard

The Standard is the minimum. We start there.

Pre-purchase building inspections in Australia have a Standard, AS 4349.1. It sets the minimum an inspection and report must cover.

As with our building work, we never work to the minimum. Homes deserve more attention than that, and we have the experience and the tools to give it.

One builder, start to finish

Inspect. Test. Fix. Test again.

Above and beyond the standard inspection. Pick the testing you want, and we verify the work afterwards.

01

Pre-Purchase Building Inspection

Pick your testing

For buyers who want more than a visual check. We inspect the whole house, run the testing you choose, and tell you what matters before you sign.

02

Structural Timber Inspection

Pick your testing

For owners. Bouncy floor, sagging deck or an older timber home? We inspect the floorboards and the timbers holding the house up, with the testing you choose.

03

Repairs, then verified

✓ Re-test included

If something needs attention, we can quote it. After the work we measure the same spots again and verify the result.

See it on a real subfloor

Pick your inclusions

Start with a builder's inspection. Then add the testing you want, one test or all of them.

Every inspection includes

  • Visual check by a licensed builder IncludedThe whole house, inside and out, roof space and under the floor.
  • Written report with photos IncludedWhat needs attention now, what to budget for, and what is normal wear.
  • A call with Joe IncludedTalk it through with the builder who was there.

Add the testing you want

  • Moisture readings: walls, wet areas and ceilings AddReadings in the walls around every wet area, and across the ceilings.
  • Moisture readings: floor and roof timbers AddReadings on the bearers, joists and roof framing.
  • Floorboards: moisture readings AddReadings across the floor, room by room.
  • Floorboards: hardness test AddA hardness test on the boards, recorded with the readings.
  • Thermal imaging AddA thermal scan of the walls and ceilings, to show what the eye can't.
  • Hands-on timber test AddA hands-on test for soft or damaged timber.
  • Under-floor air: carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity AddThe conditions the timbers are living in, measured and recorded.
  • Re-test to verify the work AddAfter repairs, we measure the same spots again.

The complete test

Every test on the list, in one visit. For buyers and owners who want the most thorough test we offer for their house.

Ask for the complete test

We don't do pest inspections.

Testing the materials

Most inspections look. We test.

Floorboards, timbers and wall linings can look fine and still be holding moisture. A reading tells you what the house is doing where it counts.

Moisture meter and probe taking a reading on timber floorboards in a Coffs Coast home
A moisture reading on timber floorboards.
Moisture meter reading taken on a timber bearer under the floor of a Coffs Coast home
A moisture reading on a timber bearer under the floor.

A real subfloor · Mid North Coast

Measured. Fixed. Measured again.

The floorboards were deteriorating. Before replacing them, we measured underneath the house.

01

We measured

Under the floor, carbon dioxide read 2,802 ppm, against 506 ppm outside. Relative humidity was 73%. A timber reading was 29.6%.

02

The work was done

About 20 new ventilation openings went in around the subfloor, to get air moving under the house.

03

We measured again

Seven weeks later, carbon dioxide read 672 to 854 ppm and relative humidity 59%. A timber reading was 30%, still elevated, so it needs more time and another check.

Readings were taken on different days in different weather, so we report them as recorded. The air changed quickly. Timber takes longer. That is why we record the readings and come back.

What we cover

Every part of the house we can safely reach.

  • InsideEvery room. Walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows and wet areas.
  • Outside and the roofWalls, cladding, decks, stairs, roofing, gutters and flashings.
  • Roof spaceFraming, insulation and any sign of leaks.
  • Under the floorBearers, joists, piers, ground and ventilation.
  • The siteDrainage, retaining walls, fences, sheds and garages.

Sized to the house

Options for bigger homes.

Tell us the address and we'll give you a fixed price before you book.

  • Standard homeSingle storey, up to three bedrooms.
  • Large homeFour or five bedrooms, or two storeys.
  • Acreage and extra buildingsBig homes, granny flats, studios and large sheds, all in one visit.

Buying from out of town?

We'll be your eyes on the house.

If you can't walk through it yourself, we do it for you.

  • A clear written reportWhat needs attention now, what to budget for, and what is normal wear for a house that age.
  • The readings, with photosEvery reading we take, and where we took it.
  • A recorded walkthroughSee the house the way we saw it.
  • A call with JoeAsk anything. Get a straight answer.

How it works

Four steps. Fast, because you're on a deadline.

Tell us your deadline and we'll work to it.

  1. Send us the address and your deadlineCall 0485 835 959 or use the form.
  2. We agree a time with the selling agentYou get a fixed price for that house.
  3. Pay the invoicePayment locks in your booking.
  4. We inspect and testYour report and readings follow, then we talk it through.

Want to go further?

Experience Home State.

Home State gives you a digital copy of your property, and its measured current state.

The testing is the same kind. With a Joe Builds inspection, you get the report. With Home State, your readings live in your own property record, with your own login.

Learn more about Home State assessments

On a deadline?

Call us today.

Tell us the address and when you need the report. We'll come back with a fixed price and a time.

0485 835 959admin@joebuilds.com.au
Send us the address

We report on what can be seen, reached and tested safely on the day. Houses only.