Building and pest inspection Maroochydore. I have done plenty of them, and Maroochydore is not one kind of property.
There are the canal homes through Maroochy Waters with water at the back fence. The older beachside places around Cotton Tree. Units and apartments through the CBD and the Sunshine Plaza end. Kuluin to the west, Alexandra Headland along the coast, Twin Waters across the river.
What ties most of it together is salt. Maroochydore sits on the coast and on the water, and salt air gets into everything it can reach. Roof fixings. Brackets. Structural steel. It works quietly and from the inside out, and it does not announce itself at an open home.
That is the thing about a good open home. You see fresh paint and a view of the water. You do not see the roof, the subfloor, or what the salt has been doing to the fixings holding it together.
I am Warren Smith. Most people call me Waza. I am QBCC licensed, I cover Maroochydore and the areas around it, and I do every inspection myself. No contractors. No juniors. When you book, you get me.
Why Maroochydore homes need a closer look
Salt air corrosion.
Salt does not care how new the house is. It gets at anything metal, and in a coastal suburb that means a long list. Roof sheeting and the screws holding it down. Brackets, straps and tie-downs in the roof space. Gutters, downpipes and flashings. Lintels over windows and doors. Balustrades on decks and balconies.
What catches people out is that corrosion starts where you cannot see it. A roof screw can look fine from the ground and be most of the way through under the washer. A lintel can be rusting behind render with nothing showing but a hairline crack. That is why I get into the roof space and onto the roof wherever it is safe, rather than assessing either from the ground.
Canal homes.
Canal homes cop it worst, and it comes down to exposure. A house on a canal sits in salt water and salt air with no break from it. Everything metal on that property is working harder than the same fitting a few streets inland.
On a canal property I pay particular attention to the fixings and fasteners in the roof and under any deck or balcony facing the water, moisture through the lower levels of the building, and ground levels and drainage around the slab or subfloor.
The rest of the inspection is the same as anywhere. It is the rate everything is ageing at that changes.
Low-lying ground and drainage.
Plenty of Maroochydore sits low and close to the water. Bradman Avenue along the river is the obvious example. That stretch has flooded, and in heavy rain drainage through the area is a real issue rather than a theoretical one.
On a low-lying block I look at where the water goes. Ground levels against the slab or subfloor, whether the fall runs away from the house or back toward it, where the stormwater discharges, and any sign water has been under or against the building before. Staining, silt lines, rot at the base of framing, damp that keeps returning to the same spot.
Flood history itself is a question for the council and your solicitor rather than me. What I can tell you is how the property is set up to handle water, and whether it has been handling it.
What's included in your Maroochydore inspection
A full inspection, not a walk through with a torch.
I inspect the whole property where conditions allow. Roof void, roof exterior, subfloor, every room, the exterior, site conditions, drainage, retaining walls and outbuildings. The pest inspection runs at the same time and covers termites, borers and the conditions that attract them. One visit, one inspector, one report.
- Roof void, accessed and inspected wherever it is safe to do so
- Roof exterior: sheeting or tiles, flashings, ridgelines and fixings
- Subfloor: stumps, bearers, joists, ventilation, moisture and pest activity
- All internal rooms: walls, ceilings, floors, windows and wet areas
- Exterior: cladding, eaves, fascias, gutters, decks, balconies and steps
- Site conditions: drainage, ground levels and garden bed clearances
- Termite and pest inspection: active, inactive and conducive conditions
On a Maroochydore property I spend longer on the roof and the fixings than I would further inland. That is where the salt does its work first, and it is the part of the house almost nobody looks at before they buy.
The tools I carry on every inspection
Four specialist tools come with me to every job.
FLIR Cx3 thermal camera. Picks up heat and moisture behind walls and ceilings without drilling a hole. Here it earns its keep on water ingress, because moisture tracking in from a failed flashing or a corroded fixing shows on thermal well before it shows on a ceiling.
Termatrac dual-mode radar. Reads termite movement through walls using microwave and moisture sensors. I can locate activity without touching the wall.
Tramex moisture meter. Puts a number on moisture in timber and building materials, so a reading is a reading rather than a guess. Confirms what the thermal camera picks up.
Bosch laser level. Measures floor levels and structural movement properly instead of by eye. A floor can look level and be out by 80mm, and you will not pick that walking through a room.
A torch and a good look around will only tell you so much. The gear is how I get the rest.
Your report, within 24 to 48 hours, and I walk you through it
Every inspection finishes the same way. I walk you through what I found, at the property, before I leave. Not a phone call the next day. Not a report that lands in your inbox with no explanation. You stand next to me and I show you.
Your written report follows within 24 to 48 hours. It uses a red and green system. Red flags what needs attention, green confirms what is sound. It is written to be read by anyone, so your solicitor, builder or conveyancer can use it without needing me to translate.
That report is also a negotiating position. I have had clients use what I found to negotiate tens of thousands off a purchase price.
Every inspection is carried out within a defined scope. What is covered, and what sits outside it, is set out on my scope and limitations page.
What does a building and pest inspection cost in Maroochydore?
Inspections start from $399. A standard four bedroom, two bathroom home runs $539 to $619. The price depends on the size and type of the property, and I will give you an exact figure when you call or book online.
That covers the building and the pest inspection together. One inspector, one visit, one report, and no second booking to coordinate.
Corrosion work is not cheap once it reaches anything structural, and neither is a roof replacement. The inspection is a small number against the one you are avoiding.
If you want the detail behind the pricing, it is on the building and pest inspection cost page.
About Waza, your Maroochydore building inspector
I have been in the building industry for 40 years. Carpenter first, then builder, then licensed inspector. Over 3,800 inspections completed across the Sunshine Coast and Gympie.
Forty years of building houses is why I know where to look in them. I know how a house goes together, so I know where it comes apart.
Every inspection is done by me personally. No contractors, no subcontracting, no junior on his first month. The person you speak to when you book is the person who turns up, and the person who walks you through the report at the end.
- QBCC Licence #1206986
- Pest Licence #PMT007766319
- 40 years in the building industry
- 3,800+ inspections completed
- Sole inspector, no contractors, no subcontracting
- Reports within 24 to 48 hours
There is more about how I work on my about page.
Building and Pest Inspection Maroochydore — Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a building and pest inspection cost in Maroochydore?
Inspections start from $399, and a standard four bedroom, two bathroom home runs $539 to $619. That covers the building and the pest inspection together, the written report, and the walkthrough at the end. Call me for an exact figure and it takes about thirty seconds.
Do you inspect the pontoon or the canal wall?
No. Pontoons, jetties and canal or revetment walls are marine structures and they sit outside a standard building and pest inspection. That is not me being cagey, it is me staying inside what I am qualified to assess. What I do cover is the house: the structure, the roof and its fixings, decks and balconies including the ones facing the water, and the ground conditions around the building. If the pontoon or the canal wall matters to your purchase, and on a canal property it usually does, get a marine or structural engineer onto it separately.
Are canal homes in Maroochydore a bigger risk than other properties?
More exposed rather than automatically worse. A canal property sits in salt water and salt air constantly, so anything metal on it is ageing faster than the same fitting a few streets back. It does not mean a canal home is a bad buy. It means the condition of the fixings and the roof matters more, and is worth assessing properly before you commit.
Which areas around Maroochydore do you cover?
Maroochydore itself including Maroochy Waters, Cotton Tree and the CBD, plus Alexandra Headland, Kuluin, Bradman Avenue along the river, and Twin Waters on the north side. If you are not sure whether your address falls in my area, ring me and I will tell you straight away.
Do you inspect units and apartments?
Yes. A unit inspection covers the inside of the property and the parts of the building I can reasonably access and see. Common property and anything managed by the body corporate sits outside a standard inspection. Ring me first and I will tell you what I can and cannot cover, so there are no surprises.
Should I still get an inspection on a newer home?
Yes. Newer does not mean fault free. Waterproofing to wet areas, drainage around the slab and early moisture all turn up in newer homes before anything is visible. If the builder’s statutory warranty is close to expiry, that is the right time to book. Finding something while the warranty is live means the builder carries the cost, not you.
Is there anything a building inspection will not cover?
Yes, and it is worth knowing before you book. Inspections are visual and non-invasive. I do not cut into walls, lift floor coverings, move your belongings or enter areas that are unsafe or sealed on the day. Anything behind linings or under the slab cannot be assessed without destructive testing, which sits outside a standard inspection. The full detail is on my scope and limitations page.
Ready to book your Maroochydore inspection?
Call me direct or book online and I will get you sorted. Ask for Waza, everyone does.
Phone: 0469 904 139
Email: info@trustedbuildinginspections.com.au
You can book a building inspection online, or have a look at the case studies page to see what turns up on real jobs.