What Is A 137B Report? A Beginner’s Guide

A 137B Report earns its name from The Building Act 1993 Section 137B, which concerns any construction work that has been carried out by an Owner Builder who now wants to sell the property within 6.6 years of the work being completed.

Under this Act, an owner builder who is looking to sell their home within 6 years and 6 months of completing any building works on the property must acquire a 137B Defects Inspection Report (also commonly referred to as the Section 137B Report). This report must be prepared by a registered building inspector and must list defects and incomplete works noted.

What should be included in a 137B Owner Builder Defects Report?

Reports listing defects in the building/s to include, but are not restricted to, conditions of the following building elements:

  • Site drainage
  • Footings 
  • Subfloor
  • Frame 
  • External walls 
  • Internal walls and ceilings
  • Floor and wall tiling 
  • External roof 
  • Internal roof conditions
  • Built-in fittings/joinery 
  • Doors/windows 
  • Fireplaces/solid fuel heaters
  • Plumbing and drainage 
  • Fixed appliances 
  • Flyscreens
  • Driveways, paving, retaining walls, fencing, garages, carports, workshops, swimming pools or spas where constructed as part of the major domestic building contract.

Arrange your 137B Owner Builder Defects Report with Solid Start Property Inspections

At Solid Start Property Inspections, we specialise in everything from 137B Owner Builder Defects Reports, Pre Purchase inspections, to Apartment Handover InspectionsConstruction Stage InspectionsDilapidated Inspection ReportsPool Barrier Inspections and more.

Speak with a professional member of our team to receive a free, no-obligation quote for our 137B inspection services today.

How Much Does A 137b Inspection Cost?

If you’re asking this question, then you’re no doubt in the process of arranging a 137B Owner Builder Defects Report in preparation to sell your home. The Building Act 1993 Section 137B stipulates that if an owner builder is selling a property where construction works took place within the last six years and six months, they must first obtain a 137B Owner Builder Defects Report.

These inspections (and the accompanying report) can only be carried out by registered building inspectors or surveyors, builders, architects, structural engineers and drafts persons engaged in the building industry.

Whether your entire home is less than 6.5 years old or you’ve simply built a carport, decking area, garage or some form of home extension in that time, the 137B inspection and report is a legal requirement before sale. Property owners tend to ask how much it costs, followed by how long it takes.

What’s the cost of a 137B Owner Builders Defects Inspection & Report?

We’ll cut to the chase – at Solid Start Property Inspections, our 137B inspections start at $390. However, the total cost ultimately depends on the amount of owner builder works that have been completed. 

Rest assured, we’ll provide you with an upfront quote for free, without commitment – this ensures you know exactly where you stand before we proceed with the inspection and report.

Solid Start Property Inspections is able to provide 137B Owner Builder Defects reports anywhere in Melbourne with a 24-hour turnaround – this is remarkably fast in comparison to other property inspection services. The other advantage of choosing us for your inspection is that our reports comply with your insurance and conveyancing requirements, and you’ll be able to obtain owner builder warranty insurance.

Ready for your free, no-obligation quote?

To arrange a no-fuss 137B inspection from an experienced professional, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

How Long Does A 137b Inspection Take?

This is one of two questions that property owners tend to ask themselves as soon as the topic of 137B building inspections comes up (the other being, how much does it cost?).

For those who are learning about 137B Owner Builder Defects Reports for the first time, the Building Act 1993 Section 137B refers to construction works that have been carried out by an owner builder, who now wants to sell the property within 6.5 years of the works being completed.

The Act stipulates that owner builders who decide to sell their property within six years and six months of completing construction works must obtain a 137B Defects Inspection Report. This report describes the building works, whether it’s an entire home or just a carport, deck, garage, home extension or similar works.

How long do these inspections take?

The average 137B building inspection takes between 15 minutes and one hour, however, there are a number of factors that can affect the length of time an inspection takes. These factors include:

  • The amount of the owner builder works that have been completed.

Please note that 137B inspections can only be carried out by registered building inspectors or surveyors, builders, architects, structural engineers and drafts persons engaged in the building industry.

How long does it take to receive the report post-inspection?

Aside from the actual inspection itself, you also need to allow time for the inspector to compile a report. At Solid Start Property Inspections, we provide 137B Owner Builder Defects reports anywhere in Melbourne with a 24-hour turnaround – this is remarkably fast in comparison to other property inspection services.

Not only do our reports comply with your conveyancing requirements, but (if required) they’ll enable you to obtain owner builder warranty insurance.

Get a quote from Solid Start Property Inspections today

Speak with a professional member of our team to receive a free, no-obligation quote for our 137B inspection services today.

Tips to Help you Sell Your Home

When selling your home It is important to present it as best you can, things like first appearance or the street view are very important but you don’t always have to spend a lot of money to make a big difference.

If you are on a budget there are plenty of little things you can do to make a big difference.

Here are a few suggestions of some things you can do,

As I said street appeal, clean the house sounds silly but a fresh clean home looks good!

It looks like the family that lives there is proud of the home so the prospective buyers will look at it more positively. Clean the gutters inside and out, simple, clean gutters look good. Clean the windows, looks good and you’ll be amazed how much more light comes in. Make sure the entry/ front door look good. Again clean the area or if you’re touching up paint, perhaps paint the front door. Make sure the garden is well kept and tidy. If there is any rubbish, mess around outside, tidy it up get rid of it. Prune back overgrown trees and shrubs, again just looks tidy, loved. Feed the garden beds if needed a month before the sale, The plants will lift in a couple of weeks, A month before you intend to put your home on the market gives the lawn a weed and feed. 2 weeks later the grass will bounce back and look great! If needed throw some new tanbark in the garden beds. If you have paved areas and they are dirty or have mould etc clean the paved areas. A few nice looking well-placed pot plants and ornaments look good too. I hope these few tips help, I’ll  put up a few ideas for inside your home soon,

Good luck selling

Ian

Why choose SSPI?

Why choose me and SSPI to do your 137B owner builders defect report or your  pre purchase inspection and report.?

I started life as a carpenter, did my apprenticeship the worked for years as a carpenter so I know how and why a home is put together the way it is.

Then I progressed onto becoming a builder and acquired the knowledge over time how to from the foundations up build a house correctly that would stand the test of time.

Then I re-studied and re-trained a few years ago and now…

I am one of those qualified Building Inspectors registered with the VBA and after doing approx 2500 mandatory inspections I have the experience it takes to not only inspect a property and recognize minor and possibly major defects, but be able to diagnose where and why they have occurred.

Also, only a Building Inspector registered with the VBA is legally allowed to do the 137B owner builder defects reports.

So again guys I say,

It is  important when ordering a building inspection you really need to use a fully qualified, well trained and experienced inspector.

The cost of an inspection from an experienced and qualified inspector and a let’s say a “less qualified” consultant will be basically the same.

So I suggest that you do a little homework when you’re looking for a building inspector check their qualifications, experience and are they fully insured?

And if that building inspector happens to be me you’d like to hire great !

But if not I help the information I have provided helps you find yourself one of the good experienced building inspectors out there.

Good Luck with your buying or selling ????

Is your inspector qualified?

Hi again,

In this article I’m going to discuss the difference between fully qualified, well trained and experienced inspectors, part time sub-contractors carrying out inspections and also “Franchisees”.

A lot of people don’t realize this but only a building inspector fully accredited and Licensed with the VBA (Victorian Building Authority) are legally allowed to call themselves a “building Inspector”.

These are the ones you should engage to do your 137B owner builders report or pre purchase inspection and report.

Make sure you choose an actual ‘Building Inspector’.

Watch out for some “building inspection” companies using the term “building consultant“ and or inspections are carried out by “registered builders”.

Some of these registered builders I’m sure have been in the industry for years with tons of building experience under their belts’ and are well qualified to inspect homes.

Others however may have the VBA qualification DB-L which stands for “Domestic Builder, Limited”.  This qualification means they are limited in the type of building they can carry out, such as kitchen renovations, decks, carports and pergolas.  So with this limited qualification they may not have had the relevant training to assess the structural integrity of a whole dwelling.

Then you get another level all together,

As the private building inspection industry is not regulated anyone can call themselves a “building consultant”.

Yea really!,

You can literally leave your chosen field as say a baker one day and start a business as a consultant doing building inspections.

SO their reports are considered their “Opinion” and that “Opinion” is based on what qualification?

A little example for you,

When I was working as a building Inspector doing mandatory inspections of which I’ve done approx 2500 (the inspections that have to be done when a new home is being built) for a national building surveying company I was doing a 2 storey frame inspection in Cranbourne and the owners had their own private inspector there also doing a frame inspection.

On the day my computer was playing up and I couldn’t load up the engineering plans to check the structural beams / lintels etc for their correct size and support so I asked the private inspector if I could have a look at his engineering plans for the home please?

He said “Oh we don’t get them.”

So what does he check at frame stage?

I was shocked.

The frame of a house is its skeleton, its structure, everything else is held up or supported by it!.

So the most important part of a frame inspection is to check the frame is constructed exactly as the checked, approved and stamped engineering plans and specifications say.

Once again guys,

It is very important when ordering a building inspection you really need to use a fully qualified, well trained and experienced inspector to do your 137 B owner builders report or pre purchase inspection and report.

The cost of an inspection from an experienced and qualified inspector and a let’s say a “less qualified” consultant  will be basically the same.

So I suggest do a little homework when you’re looking for a building inspector check their qualifications, experience and are they fully insured?

And if that building inspector happens to be me you’d like to hire great!

But if not please find yourself one of the good experienced ones out there.

Good Luck with your buying or selling ????

Inspections all over Melbourne

Hi again,

I travel all over Melbourne doing building inspections such as 137B owner builder reports, pre purchase reports or any other types of reports.  I have seen that the northern suburbs, southern suburbs, eastern and western suburbs of Melbourne all have very different soil types and differing terrain. Which can lead to different defects and possible future issues with your home.

In the south its nice and flat and basically a sandy soil which according to the engineers is about the best base you can get.

In the North, the soil is a black dirt, sometimes with a lot of “floaters” (loose rocks) under the ground which require a different type of foundation engineering, therefore we need to look for different issues than to say, the south.

The west is pretty flat and basically the same as the north but some areas have a lot more rock underground.

When doing building inspections in the East of Melbourne we are mainly looking at homes on a clay base, which can shrink and expand with the seasons as it absorbs moisture.  The eastern suburbs of Melbourne can also have a lot of hilly areas which can lead to subsidence or downhill movement of a house over time.

So for your peace of mind it is very important when ordering a building inspection you really need to use a fully qualified, well trained and experienced building inspector to carry out your inspection and provide you a report.

You will also find the cost of an inspection from an experienced and qualified inspector and a let’s say a “less qualified” consultant will be basically the same.

So I suggest that you do a little homework when you’re looking for a building inspector check their qualifications, experience and are they fully insured?

And if that building inspector happens to be me you’d like to hire, great !

But if not I hope the paragraph above will help you find yourself one of the good experienced ones out there.

Good Luck buying or selling ????