Both scopes in one visit — building to AS 4349.1, timber pest to AS 4349.3. The fuller check, by a registered building contractor. Report within 24 hours.
Churchlands sits on the rise between Herdsman Lake and Bold Park, and it is two suburbs in one: established mid-century homes on the older streets, and a large layer of recent infill built on former institutional land as the suburb redeveloped. A building and timber pest inspection here reads whichever of those it meets, and it pays close attention to the ground, because Churchlands spans a genuine transition from wetland in the east to limestone in the west.
The new-build side is a defining part of modern Churchlands. Much of the recent housing sits on land that was once school and institutional grounds, subdivided and rebuilt, and an inspection of a near-new home on that kind of site is about two things: build quality, and the ground it was founded on. The inspection reads the wet-area waterproofing to AS 3740, the roof-space workmanship and the finishing a fast build rushes, and it reads floor levels and early crack patterns for the differential settlement that made or reworked ground can produce if the fill was not properly engineered. New does not mean nothing to find.
The older mid-century homes are read for their era: 1960s and 70s brick on shallow footings, tiled roofs now brittle with perished sarking, delignification in the hardwood framing, and asbestos in the eaves and sheeting of the period, identified and flagged without being disturbed. These homes are increasingly knock-down candidates, so where one is bought to replace, the inspection focuses on what matters to that plan.
The ground transition is the through-line. Toward Herdsman Lake the eastern blocks can carry a higher water table and damper ground, which pushes moisture into subfloors and makes drainage matter more, while toward Bold Park the ground firms up to limestone. The inspection reads the subfloor and the site drainage with the particular block in mind, because the same house behaves differently at the two ends of the suburb.
Renovation and additions run through the older streets, and each is read for structure, for the waterproofing of any retrofitted wet area, and for whether it was approved, because unapproved work passes to the buyer at settlement.
On the timber pest side, the lake edge and the mature, watered gardens of the established streets give subterranean termites the moisture they want, while the newer estate homes are read for the slab-edge exposure and garden beds that can invite them. The subfloor is read for damp and ventilation, the perimeter for soil-to-timber contact and conducive conditions, and suspect timber by sounding, with movement detection where a gallery is suspected behind a wall. Termite management follows AS 3660.
Churchlands is a suburb of two halves on transitional ground, and the report earns its value by reading which half, and which ground, it is dealing with, and telling the significant issue from the cosmetic.
We run the same two-scope visit across the area, including nearby Woodlands and Floreat.
MISSING: phone number · Book online → · Flat $616 inc GST for both scopes, report within 24 hours.
Because it is. There are established mid-century homes on the older streets and a large layer of recent infill on former institutional land. A mid-century home is about asbestos, an ageing roof and damp; a new build is about workmanship and the ground it sits on. We read whichever is in front of us.
Build quality and the ground. We read the wet-area waterproofing to AS 3740, the roof-space workmanship and the finishing, and we read floor levels and early cracking for the differential settlement that made or reworked ground can produce if the fill was not properly engineered.
It does. Toward Herdsman Lake the eastern blocks can carry a higher water table and damper ground, while toward Bold Park the ground firms to limestone. We read the subfloor and drainage with the specific block in mind, because the same house behaves differently at the two ends.
In the 1960s and 70s stock, yes, in eaves and sheeting. We identify and flag suspect materials without disturbing them, which matters most if you plan to renovate or replace.
Yes, but the focus changes. Where a home is bought to replace, we concentrate on what matters to that plan, the site, the ground and any structures being retained, rather than cosmetic wear that is about to be demolished.
Often. Mid-century tiles are brittle with perished sarking, and the hardwood framing can show chemical delignification, which reduces what it can carry. We read the roof closely and probe for it.
Yes. The lake edge and the mature, watered gardens of the older streets give subterranean termites moisture, and the newer homes are read for slab-edge exposure and garden beds that invite them. We read the subfloor and perimeter and sound suspect timber, with movement detection where needed. Termite management follows AS 3660.
A flat $616 including GST for both scopes together, the same in every suburb. A large new build or an established home both take time to read properly, and you have the written report, with photos, within 24 hours.
Yes. On a near-new Churchlands home a pre-handover look while the builder is still liable catches the workmanship and waterproofing issues that are far harder to resolve once you have settled.
Yes. Whether it is a mid-century home or a new build, a clear report separates the significant issue from the cosmetic, and gives you a concrete basis to renegotiate.
Buying in Churchlands? A pre-purchase building inspection — building scope only, report within 24 hours — gives you the documented record before exchange.
Pre-purchase inspection →Our office is at Suite 55, 15 Labouchere Road, South Perth WA 6151 — on the Swan River foreshore near the Perth Zoo.
Tell us about the property and what you need. We'll come back to you with a firm quote and a time.
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