The 5 best building inspectors in Auckland (according to reviews)

A good Auckland pre-purchase building inspection should look out for all visible issues and defects in the property. This might include any signs of weathertightness problems, notes on areas that need fixing, any damp or mould, future or urgent maintenance requirements, structural problems and more. 

To get started your inspector will need to perform a thorough visual inspection, which should include:

• Inside the property  the floors, walls, ceilings, kitchen cabinetry, fixtures and fittings (most inspections do not test appliances). 

• The condition of the roof guttering, and chimneys. 

• Any visible signs that indicate the condition of plumbing or drainage systems.

• Any visible signs that indicate the condition of electrical systems. 

• exterior structures any sheds, garages, sleepouts.Fences, paths, paved areas, decks and the property grounds. 

• Underfloor spaces the foundations, timber framing, piles and ground moisture. 

• Ceiling space, insulation and timber framing. 

Some building inspections do not cover outbuildings like sheds and greenhouses. Most only include inspection of spaces that provide reasonable access and are in the inspector’s clear line of sight. If access openings into the roof or underfloor are small or difficult to access the inspector may not view these areas. 

Once your inspector is done they’ll prepare a detailed building report. Usually these are several pages long and include images, detailing the condition of the home in portions, from room to room. 

The cost of a pre-purchase property inspection in Auckland varies according to the size of the home, the type of inspection and your location but on average:

• Full pre-purchase property inspections with reports cost $400 to $700 (averaging around $600 for a 4 bedroom home and $500 to $550 for a 3 bedroom home). 

• More casual verbal home inspection reports can start at $300 to $400. 

If you have specific concerns about a property it’s important to mention these to your inspector when you contact them as they may charge extra for a report that investigates those issues. For example, First Choice House Inspections charges an extra $150 for inspections on monolithic cladding houses and $700 for reports on water ingress issues. 

Right Home is Auckland’s most reviewed building inspection company. They offer a 7 day service with quick turnarounds and only use NZIBS Registered Building Surveyors. Their services include a building report starting at $549, asbestos testing from $449 and weathertightness reporting from $799 and up. 

The Auckland Affordable team is led by William, a building inspector with 30+ years’ experience who spent time as a quantity surveyor. That means he’s able to provide rough estimates to fix issues along with your report. They offer apartment reports starting at $450, standard reports from $550 and standard plus reports for monolithic cladding and older properties, where more detailed inspection is required. 

Dane Robinson is the property inspector behind ‘The Property Inspectors’. He had a long career as a builder and site manager, working on large multi-unit properties, apartment buildings and standalone homes. He’s been inspecting homes since 2009 and has almost 100 perfect reviews on Google. His comprehensive reports cover non-invasive moisture testing, identification of weathertightness issues, foundation type and condition, building material condition and construction method/materials.

First Choice has a very good reputation for building inspections in Auckland. They’ve got a perfect review score on Google, plus their director boasts 25 years in construction and 15 years working on water ingress repairs for insurance companies. They offer over the phone run downs of their reports after delivery, plus advice on maintenance and repairs. Their reports start at $530 for 1-2 bedroom apartments and go up to $700 for six or more bedrooms (+$150 for monolithic cladding houses). Specialist maintenance reports and water ingress issue reports cost $700.