Building Inspection Checklist
Use this checklist to assess the condition of your residential, commercial or public buildings. Inspect the foundations, interior, exterior, plumbing and electrical system on your mobile device while complying with safety standards and building codes.
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How to Use This Checklist
- **Record the inspection details first.** Note the date the inspection was conducted, who prepared it, and the location of the building. These details anchor the record and make it traceable.
- **Work through the building in a fixed order.** Start with the site and building exterior, move through the interior, then the electrical systems, the plumbing and mechanical systems, and finish with the fire and safety equipment.
- **Assess every item against its stated condition.** For each point, ask whether the element is sound, secure, free of damage, and compliant with the applicable safety and building code requirements.
- **Record a rating for each item.** Use Good, Fair, Poor or Not applicable so that the completed inspection gives a consistent picture of the building's condition.
- **Note where something does not apply.** Some items, such as a parking area, solar panels or a composting unit, will only be relevant to certain buildings; marking these Not applicable keeps the record accurate.
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What this inspection covers
A building inspection is a systematic assessment of the condition of a residential, commercial or public building and its immediate surroundings. It looks at whether the structure and its systems are sound, safe and fit for continued use, and it is carried out against the applicable safety and building code requirements. This checklist is organised into six areas that reflect how a building is normally walked and assessed: 1. Building Inspection — the overall inspection, including the date it was conducted, who prepared it and the location. 2. Building Exterior — the grounds, structure and envelope. 3. Building Interior — the internal fabric, finishes and access points. 4. Electrical Systems — supply, fittings, panels, earthing and renewable components. 5. Plumbing and Mechanical Systems — water supply, fixtures and associated mechanical elements. 6. Fire and Safety Equipment — the provisions that support safe use and escape.
Building inspection
Every inspection begins with the details that identify it. You record the date the inspection was conducted, who prepared it and the location. These entries make the completed record specific to one building at one point in time, which is what allows condition to be tracked and compared.
Building exterior
The exterior assessment starts with the approach to the building and then moves around its fabric. The site and access routes are checked first: the parking area, if one applies, should be in acceptable condition; fences should be secure, intact and free of damage; posts should be structurally sound and upright; and handrails should be present, firm and compliant with safety requirements. The accessible route from the parking area to the building should be unobstructed and usable, walkways and sidewalks should be level, clean and free of trip hazards, edgings and curbs should be intact and correctly aligned, and signage should be legible, correctly positioned and undamaged. Stairs and steps should be stable, even and fitted with required safety features. You then examine the building itself: - The exterior slab should be sound and free of cracking or settlement. - Exterior wall finishes should be intact, well bonded and free of defects. - The roof covering should be watertight and free of damage, and roof drainage should discharge freely and without blockage. - The foundation should be structurally sound and free of cracks or movement. - Exterior cladding should be intact and properly fixed, and columns and supports should be structurally sound and correctly loaded. - Window frames should be well fitted, sealed and free of rot or corrosion. - Porches and covered walkways should be structurally sound and weathertight. - The facade should be sound and free of cracking, spalling or staining. - Damp-proofing and sealing membranes should be intact and effective. - Masonry should be sound, well pointed and free of damage. - Insulation should be present, continuous and effective.
Building interior
Inside the building, the same principle applies: each element is checked for soundness, correct installation and freedom from defects. Corridors and passageways should be clear, safe and well maintained. The interior slab should be level and free of defects, walls should be plumb, sound and free of cracking or deterioration, and interior wall finishes should be even, clean and free of defects. Partitions and interior doors should be correctly installed and undamaged, and tile and floor finishes should be level, complete and free of defects. The ceiling should be level, secure and free of staining or cracking. Access and ventilation are covered too: - Crawl spaces should be dry, ventilated and free of debris. - Basements, where they serve a composting unit, should be dry, accessible and in good condition. - Attic access should be safe, unobstructed and properly closed. - Ventilation openings and systems should be clear, adequate and operating. - Panels, boards and access covers should be secure and undamaged. Doors, windows and their fittings are part of this section rather than the exterior, since their operation is examined from inside the building: windows, including glazing and insect screens, should be intact and operable; door hardware should be complete, secure and functioning correctly; door stops and closers should be fitted and operating correctly; doors should be undamaged, properly hung and freely operable; and side lights and glazed panels should be intact and safely fitted. Stairs, ladders and ramps should be secure, compliant and free of hazards.
Electrical systems
The electrical assessment covers the supply and everything connected to it. Each item is checked for safe installation, correct protection and continued function. - The electrical service supply should be safe, protected and correctly rated. - Electrical fittings and fixtures should be correctly installed and undamaged. - Switches should be secure, functional and free of damage. - Sensors should be correctly positioned, calibrated and operational. - Circuit breaker panels, fuse boxes and disconnects should be safe, labelled and accessible. - Earthing and bonding should be intact and correctly installed. Where renewable and storage components are present, they are assessed as part of the same system: solar panels should be secure, undamaged and correctly connected, and batteries should be safely housed, vented and free of damage or leakage.
Plumbing and mechanical systems
The plumbing check follows the water from supply to fixture, and also covers the mechanical components associated with the building. - The water supply should be reliable, correctly pressurised and free of leaks. - Taps and faucets should operate correctly and not leak. - Sinks should be securely fitted, draining freely and free of leaks. - Plumbing fittings should be secure, correct and free of leaks. - The toilet bowl and pan should be secure, intact and correctly connected. - Suspension hooks and supports should be secure and correctly loaded. The checklist also covers two elements that are specific to certain buildings: a composting unit should be operational and in good condition, and its vault should be free of cracks and leaks, with adequate capacity and in a suitable material. Where these do not apply, they can be recorded as Not applicable.
Fire and safety equipment
The final area brings together the provisions that keep the building safe to occupy and to evacuate. Rather than a separate sweep, it confirms that the elements assessed earlier meet their safety purpose: corridors and passageways must remain clear, safe and well maintained; stairs, ladders and ramps must be secure and free of hazards; and handrails must be present, firm and compliant with safety requirements. Signage must be legible and correctly positioned, and electrical installations such as panels, boards and access covers must be secure and undamaged. Treat any item recorded as Poor in this section as requiring attention before the building is considered safe for continued use.
Why this matters
A building that is inspected on a consistent basis is easier to maintain and safer to occupy. Checking the structure, the envelope, the interior, the electrical and plumbing systems and the safety provisions together means that deterioration or damage is identified while it is still straightforward to address, and that the building continues to meet the safety and building code requirements that apply to it. Using the same checklist each time gives you a comparable record. Over successive inspections, that record shows whether condition is holding steady, improving or declining — and which parts of the building need attention first.
How to carry out the inspection
1. Record the inspection details: the date it was conducted, who prepared it and the location. 2. Begin outdoors with the site — parking, fences, posts, handrails, accessible routes, walkways and stairs — before moving to the building fabric. 3. Assess the exterior from the slab and foundation upward, checking wall finishes, roof and drainage, cladding, columns and supports, windows, porches, facade, damp-proofing, masonry and insulation. 4. Move inside and work through corridors, slab, walls, partitions, finishes, ceiling, crawl space, basement, attic access, ventilation and access covers, along with doors, windows and stairs. 5. Check the electrical systems, from the service supply through fittings, switches, sensors, panels and earthing to any solar panels and batteries. 6. Check the plumbing and mechanical systems, following the water supply through to taps, sinks, fittings and the toilet, and assessing suspension hooks and supports and any composting unit or vault. 7. Review the fire and safety provisions, confirming that escape routes and stairs are clear and that handrails, signage and electrical installations meet their safety requirements. 8. Rate each item as Good, Fair, Poor or Not applicable, and use the completed checklist to decide what needs action and what to re-check at the next inspection.
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