Home building consumers throughout Melbourne are being warned that builders could use Stage 4 COVID restrictions to push through shoddy work as private building inspectors are denied access to sites.

Under current Stage 4 restrictions, building work can continue throughout metropolitan Melbourne under restricted conditions which involve limits on the number of people on site.

This is creating problems in that private building inspectors who are engaged by consumers to conduct inspections during stages which are additional to mandatory stage inspections are being told they are not able to attend sites.

As a result, inspections of additional (non-mandatory) stages such as waterproofing, pre-painting or pre-plastering are not able to occur notwithstanding that building work is able to continue.

In one letter seen by Sourceable, a major building company told clients that private inspectors would only be allowed on sites for practical completion inspections whilst current restrictions are in place.

“Under current Stage 4 Restrictions, a private building consultant may only attend site for the purpose of your Practical Completion inspection,” the letter said.

“In order to ensure the health and safety of our team and to comply with the current directions that limit the number of people who can be onsite, we confirm that consultants are only permitted to attend ahead of your practical completion inspection. We expect that consultants who attend site at other times may be fined up to $100,000.”

According to Robert Quick, President of the Australian Society of Building Consultants Victoria, many private building consultants are finding it difficult to get on site.

In many cases, Quick said builders have been citing worker number restrictions as reasons to deny site access.

He says the government has failed to understand how restrictions would impact building inspections and building quality.

Private building inspectors are sounding alarm.

Darren Love, director of Queensland and Victoria based home inspection firm Darbecca, has advised his clients in metropolitan Melbourne to request to have their project put into quarantine during Stage 4 restrictions and to check the requirements of their loan agreements regarding stage inspections.

He says Darbecca has been advised by both its own lawyers and major industry associations that it cannot attend sites under current restrictions and risks fines of up to $100,000 if it does so.

He warns that builders could use restrictions to cover up defects.

“What will occur for the next 6 weeks is the owner will have no way of knowing what defects have been repaired, covered over with plaster or to what level of finish until after they have paid and moved into the house … ,” Love wrote in a letter to clients.

“… Our advice to you all is to ask your builder to place the home in quarantine until such time as your rights can be respected. Profit before accountability is never a good policy. You all need to stand firm and demand that your rights to have the home built with scrutiny is respected.

“Darbecca would also suggest that you look very closely at your bank loan agreement. It clearly mandates that you must check each stage before you can authorise the payment for that stage. Impossible under the current system. If you cannot comply with your loan agreement and your rights to have the home inspected by a third party are being negated, then you must consider your position and ask that the builder place the home into quarantine.”

Love is encouraging clients to contact Premier Daniel Andrews, Planning Minister Richard Wynn, Opposition leader Michael O’Brien and Shadow Planning Minister Tim Smith about the situation.

Quick, meanwhile, says the current situation underscores the need for consumers to ensure that requirements for all inspections including those to be conducted at additional (non-mandatory) stages are included in the contract with the builder.

Once the contract is signed and the site handed over, Quick says consumers lose their ability to insist upon additional stage inspections.

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