Complete Building and Pest Inspections

03/08/2026

When buying a house, having a solar system should be a bonus.

With the solar boom, plenty of providers capitalised on federal rebates available to homeowners. As a result, many subcontractor installations may not have been completed to code.

If an installer mounts aluminium racking or stainless steel bolts directly against a galvanised or Colorbond metal roof without non-conductive rubber isolation washers, a process called a galvanic reaction occurs.

This, along with distorted corrugated iron, broken tiles, and incorrect sealing, should be inspected before major long-term damage becomes apparent.

Complete Building & Pest Inspections provide reports to help you make informed decisions in property purchasing.

31/07/2026

Today we say goodbye to our wonderful Cameron after 5 years of being apart of our team and family. Over the past 5 years your hard work and commitment to us has made a lasting impact and we will miss you dearly.
As you begin your next chapter, we wish you every success and happiness in whatever path you may choose in life. Thankyou for everything you have done , it has been a pleasure working alongside you cam. You and ellie will always hold a special place in our family and team. We wish you all the best and please don't be a stranger (Michael won't cope) haha
From your Complete family ❤️

14/07/2026

Non-compliant cyclone rods were widely available on the market, potentially affecting thousands of houses built, extended, or renovated from 2012 until the QBCC discovered the systemic issue during product audits and issued their formal industry warning in October/November 2016.

The issue predominantly lay with a cheap option on the market that didn't meet the minimum zinc protective coating necessary for corrosion resistance in our tropical conditions.

Because builders and DIY renovators throughout the mid-2010s were buying their materials off the shelf from mainstream hardware chains, any home built, extended, or re-roofed in North Queensland during that era could easily have these non-compliant rods buried inside the walls.

Complete Building & Pest Inspections provide reports to help you make informed decisions in property purchasing.

08/07/2026

Compared to other states, the QBCC does a great job of holding builders accountable. However, just because you're buying a house built in the past 15 years doesn't mean it is free of defects and areas of non-compliance.

During the housing boom of the mid-2000s and 2010s, a lot of poor workmanship managed to slip through the cracks, with waterproofing being a common defect that still shows up today.

Poorly installed membranes or incorrect processes used by underqualified subcontractors can lead to major issues. These range from wood rot within the walls and internal structure of the property to tile and slab damage.

While a home may look modern and clean, a thermal heat scan can detect hidden leaks and save you from major financial heartache post-purchase.

Complete Building & Pest Inspections provide reports to help you make informed decisions in property purchasing.

29/06/2026

Many areas across Townsville sit on highly reactive clay soils.

These soils act like a sponge, swelling massively during the summer monsoon wet season and shrinking drastically during the prolonged dry winter. This continuous shifting can lead to movement within a property, ultimately causing severe structural damage.

While these issues can easily be cosmetically masked before a sale, fixing the actual root cause of the problem is often as difficult as it is costly.

Discovering structural damage due to soil movement doesn't mean the seller is legally obligated to fix it. However, it provides monumental leverage during contract negotiations, ensuring you, the buyer, are fully aware of the future costs of rectification before signing on the dotted line.

Complete Building & Pest Inspections provide reports to help you make informed decisions in property purchasing.

15/06/2026

The Kitchen & Bathroom are the two areas that can help raise the value of a property, and also areas that require skilled trades and quality materials.

With near infinite colour and material combinations available, the splashback can really set the tone for an entire kitchen space.

Acrylic, glass with timber backing, or laminate splashbacks look great, but they can be major compliance traps when installed behind cooktops.

If a splashback material is combustible, it cannot be installed within 200mm of a gas burner's edge unless it is protected by a fire-resistant material (like fiber-cement sheeting) under the surface. Even with electric or induction cooktops, manufacturers have strict installation specs that flippers frequently ignore.

02/06/2026

Purchasing a property with a built-in downstairs area that has a ceiling height below 2.4 meters is one of the most common traps for buyers in Queensland.

Habitable rooms must have a minimum floor-to-ceiling height of 2.4 meters. Many DIY or unapproved downstairs enclosures fall well short of this.

If the height is between 2.1 meters and 2.4 meters, it can legally only be classified as a "utility room" (storage, laundry, or hallway). If it is under 2.1 meters, it doesn't even meet the standard for a utility room.

If a fire, major storm, or overland flood damages that downstairs area, or if someone is injured there, your insurance company may refuse to pay out. Most standard home insurance policies feature clauses that void coverage for illegal or non-compliant building works.

Complete Building & Pest Inspections provide reports to help you make informed decisions in property purchasing.

12/05/2026

In Townsville’s tropical climate, our humidity and warm soil temperatures mean termites stay at 100% metabolism year-round.

A healthy, mature colony in a North Queensland backyard can easily exceed 1 million workers.

A colony of this size can destroy a 60cm structural timber in as little as 3 to 5 weeks, not months.

Complete Building & Pest Inspections provide reports to help you make informed decisions in property purchasing.

07/05/2026

Approximately 33% of homes in North Queensland have some form of incomplete or unapproved construction. This most commonly includes pergolas, decks, or "built-in" rooms under high-set Queenslanders that lack council approval or fail to meet the Queensland Development Code.

While these structures may be well-built, lacking official approval or failing to meet the current code creates significant risk and liability. While the likelihood of having your property audited by the council or being "reported" may be low, it becomes a different story during a crisis. In the event of extreme weather, damage caused to or by non-compliant structures can quickly become an insurance nightmare.

This can also create significant hurdles when you look to sell the property in the future. Building reports will uncover these issues, often forcing you to deal with them financially as the seller just to get the deal across the line.

08/04/2026

Pool fencing is one of the most commonly overlooked defects in a pre-purchase inspection, and one of the most expensive to fix.

If the neighbor built a deck, a shed, or even a trellis on their side within the 900mm NCZ, your pool is now technically non-compliant. Even if the fence is within 10 years of age and was built to current spec, sag and lack of hinge tension can class it as non-compliant.

Fines for non-compliance can exceed $2,800, and major rectification work (like replacing a fence or moving a garden shed) can cost thousands.

If you purchase a property without a valid Pool Safety Certificate (PSC), the seller provides a Form 36 (Notice of No Pool Safety Certificate), the legal obligation to fix the fence and obtain certification shifts entirely to you. You then have just 90 days from settlement to ensure everything is up to code.