Home buyers · Before you commit
Buying a house with cracks or movement? Get an engineer's inspection first
If the house you want has cracks, sloping floors, sticking doors, or a restumping or underpinning quote attached, have a structural engineer inspect it before you commit. We find what's moving, why, how serious it is and what a fix could involve, so you can decide with evidence. We never sell or carry out repairs.
- For home buyers
- Tell us your deadline
- From $450 + GST
Overview
What is a pre-purchase structural inspection?
The short answer
A pre-purchase structural inspection is an on-site inspection by a structural engineer of a house you're thinking of buying, focused on its structure: cracks, footings, floors, walls and roof framing. It goes further than noting defects. A structural engineer pre-purchase inspection explains what's causing any cracking or movement, how serious it is and what a fix could involve, in a signed report.
It suits houses that show signs of movement, older homes, raised timber houses that may need restumping, and any listing where underpinning has been mentioned. It works alongside a general building inspection rather than replacing it.
- Best for
- Houses with cracks, movement or a repair history
- Time on site
- One to three hours for a typical house
- You receive
- A signed report: cause, severity and likely fix
- Fee
- From $450 + GST, fixed before we start
- Your deadline
- Tell us when you request a quote; we'll confirm if we can meet it
- Independence
- We never sell or carry out repairs
Key takeaways
- Book the engineer before you're committed, not after.
- Tell us your cooling-off or contract deadline when you request a quote.
- The cause decides whether a crack needs patching or a structural repair.
- We don't sell restumping or underpinning, so the advice is independent.
Engineer vs building inspector
Building inspector or structural engineer: who should inspect before you buy?
Often both. A building inspector checks the general condition of the property. A structural engineer is the specialist to add when there are cracks, movement or a repair quote, because they can find the cause and judge how serious it is.
| Compare | Building inspector | Structural engineer |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | The general condition of the whole property | The structure: footings, walls, floors and roof framing |
| Cracks | Usually noted and described | Measured, rated against AS 2870 and explained |
| Why it's moving | Not usually investigated in depth | The focus of the inspection |
| Repair advice | May recommend a structural engineer | What a fix could involve, and we can design and certify it |
| Underpinning quotes | Outside the usual scope | Reviewed independently, from $390 + GST |
| Best when | Every purchase, for general condition | Cracks, movement, sloping floors or a repair quote |
Use both, in the right order
Book the building inspection for general condition, and add a structural engineer as soon as you or the inspector spot cracks or movement. Our guide to buying a house with foundation problems explains what to check and when.
What we check
What does the engineer check before you buy?
The structure inside and out and the site around it, with a focus on whatever prompted the inspection.
Cracks inside and out
Each significant crack measured and rated against AS 2870, including any that have been patched.
Floors and levels
Sloping floors, cracked tiles and gaps under skirting boards.
Doors and windows
Frames out of square, doors that bind and windows that stick.
Stumps and subfloor
For raised timber floors, the stumps and subfloor where they can be safely accessed.
Footings and slab
Visible footings, slab edges and slab cracks, checked for signs of settlement or heave.
Drainage, trees and site
Downpipes, stormwater, plumbing leak signs and trees close to the house.
Seen cracks at the open home? Our guide to cracks in walls and when to worry shows which patterns usually matter, so you know what to point out when you request a quote.
Deadlines
Can you get a structural inspection done in the cooling-off period?
Sometimes, but cooling-off periods are short, so start early. Tell us your deadline when you request a quote and we'll confirm whether we can inspect and report before it.
| State or territory | Cooling-off |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 5 business days |
| Victoria | 3 business days |
| Queensland | 5 business days |
| South Australia | 2 clear business days |
| Australian Capital Territory | 5 business days |
| Northern Territory | 4 business days |
| Western Australia and Tasmania | No general statutory cooling-off. Buyers rely on contract conditions, such as a building inspection clause |
General rules for residential sales. Exceptions apply, such as auctions, so check your contract.
Check your contract
These are general rules only. Exceptions apply, such as sales at auction, and your contract may set its own conditions, such as a building inspection clause. Ask your conveyancer or solicitor how the rules apply to your purchase. This is general information, not legal advice.
How to fit an inspection into a short deadline
- Request a quote early, as soon as you're serious about a house, and include your deadline.
- Arrange access with the agent, including the subfloor or roof space if you can.
- Send what you have: the listing, photos and any building inspection report.
- Ask the agent for earlier reports, repair quotes or certificates for past work.
- We'll confirm whether we can inspect and report before your deadline.
Buying at auction, where cooling-off generally doesn't apply, or in WA or Tasmania? Then the time to inspect is before you bid or sign, or within any building inspection condition in your contract.
Restumping and underpinning
Buying a house that needs restumping or underpinning?
It can still be a sound purchase, but find out why the house moved and what the repair really involves before you rely on anyone's quote. Restumping and underpinning are different jobs, for different houses.
If the house needs restumping
Restumping, also called reblocking, replaces the stumps of a raised, timber-floored house. Sloping floors and sticking doors in a raised house can point to the stumps, but leaks, poor drainage or the site can cause similar symptoms. The engineer checks which it is, so you know whether restumping is the fix or only part of it.
If the house needs underpinning
Underpinning strengthens or deepens the footings of a slab or strip-footing house, often a masonry one. Methods include mass concrete, concrete or bored piers, screw piles and resin injection. Each suits different soils and causes, and none suits every house, so the method should follow the diagnosis.
If you're buying a house that needs underpinning, ask the agent for any quote or report the vendor already has, and have the quote reviewed independently before you commit.
If you buy and a repair is needed, we can design and certify it, and any licensed contractor can build it. Underpinning is structural work that usually needs a building permit or approval with an engineer's design; your building surveyor or certifier can confirm what applies.
Compare the two in underpinning vs restumping, or see what underpinning costs.
Published cost ranges for restumping and underpinning a house
- Restumping, full house (LevelMaster)$10,000–$30,000+
- Restumping, house (hipages)$5,000–$20,000
- Underpinning, typical house (hipages)$10,000–$15,000
- Underpinning, common jobs (Remedial Building Help)$4,000–$15,000
How it works
How does a pre-purchase structural inspection work?
Built around your deadline, with the fee fixed before we start.
- As soon as you're serious
Send the address and your deadline
Include the listing, any photos or building inspection report, and the date you need the report by.
- Within 1–2 business hours
Fixed quote and deadline check
A fixed fee, and confirmation of whether we can inspect and report before your deadline.
- On site · one to three hours
Inspect the structure
Cracks measured, floors and doors checked, and the footings, subfloor, drainage and trees inspected where accessible.
- On the date in your quote
Read the signed report
The likely cause, how serious it is and what a fix could involve, in plain English.
- Your decision
Decide with evidence
Go ahead, ask the vendor questions or walk away. Your conveyancer or solicitor advises on the contract.
Pre-purchase structural inspection
An on-site inspection of a typical house and a signed engineer's report. The report date is confirmed in your quote, and we'll tell you up front whether we can meet your deadline.
- Cracks measured and rated against AS 2870
- The likely cause, severity and what a fix could involve
- Subfloor and roof space where accessible
- Independent: we don't sell restumping or underpinning
Do
- Book the engineer as soon as you're serious
- Ask for earlier reports and repair records
- Have any underpinning quote reviewed
Don't
- Take freshly patched cracks at face value
- Assume every crack means underpinning
- Leave it to the last day of cooling-off
Related services
Other reports we prepare
House structural inspections
A structural engineer inspects the whole house, finds what's moving and why, and reports what, if anything, needs doing.
Learn more Cracks · Subsidence · MovementFoundation & crack reports
Cracks measured and rated, the cause of the movement found, and your options set out before anyone quotes a repair.
Learn more Second opinion · HomeownersUnderpinning quote review
An independent engineer's second opinion on an underpinning quote: the cause, the method, the scope and what it leaves out.
Learn moreQuestions
Pre-purchase structural inspection FAQs
Still unsure? Call 07 2150 0579 and an engineer will talk it through.