The frame is the one part of your home you will never see again once the plaster is on. A frame stage inspection checks the wall and roof framing, bracing, tie-downs and openings against the plans, so defects are fixed while the frame is still open.
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- Led by Patrick Dunne, a registered builder with an Advanced Diploma in Building and Surveying.
- Around 12,000 inspections completed, including about 1,100 in the last 12 months.
Building a new home? Book a stage inspection online or call (03) 8797 2639.
When should I book a frame inspection?
After the frame is complete and before external cladding, insulation and plaster.
What we check at frame stage
- Wall frames plumb, straight and correctly fixed to the slab
- Roof trusses or rafters installed and braced to the design
- Bracing panels, straps and tie-downs in the locations the plans show
- Lintels and studs around window and door openings
- Ceiling heights and wall set-out against the plans
- Frame damage, cuts and notches that affect strength
Under Victoria’s Building Regulations 2018, your builder must notify the building surveyor at four mandatory stages: before a footing is placed, before nominated reinforced concrete is poured, at completion of the frame, and at completion of the building work. An independent inspection is carried out for you, the owner, and records defects and incomplete work in a report you can give your builder.
Why is the frame stage so important?
Missing bracing, incorrect tie-downs or damaged framing members can affect how the house handles wind loads and how walls, doors and windows sit over time. They are also among the hardest defects to fix once plasterboard and cladding are on. In the building regulator’s own proactive inspections, timber framing has been among the top non-compliant items in domestic building work (Victorian Building Authority, 2022).
What happens after the frame report?
The report lists each item with a photograph and its location, so your builder can correct it while the frame is still open. If you book the next stage with us, we check that earlier items were fixed.
Before and after this stage
Before the frame: the pre-slab inspection. Next: the lock-up and pre-plaster inspection. See every stage on our new home stage inspections page.
