When is a defect actually a defect
Most building arguments are about permission, not about facts.
In short: A report that cites the tolerance turns an argument into a measurement.
Two questions, not one
What was built, and whether what was built sits inside an allowance. In practice it is only ever the second that gets argued.
Where the allowances come from
Your contract, the National Construction Code, the relevant Australian Standard and the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2017.
Why citation matters
An item described as poor workmanship invites debate. Cited against a tolerance it becomes a measurement.
The honest grey area
Some things sit inside tolerance and still look wrong. A report that says so is more useful than one listing everything an owner dislikes.
Structural versus cosmetic
Every report makes the split explicit, because it decides what is worth pressing.
Written by the Owner Inspections team from inspections carried out in Box Hill. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
