BPC/VBA Building Inspector Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Building Act hierarchy

The Act overrides regulations, which override the building code, which overrides referenced standards. A lower instrument cannot contradict a higher one; conflicts are resolved upward.

Practitioner duty of care

A registered practitioner must act with reasonable care and skill, comply with the Act and regulations, and avoid signing off work not personally supervised or inspected.

Conflict of interest rule

A building surveyor must decline an appointment where a financial or personal interest exists in the building work, including designing or building the same project.

Record retention obligation

Inspection records, certificates and determinations must be kept for the period prescribed by regulation; losing them is itself a breach of statutory duty.

Disciplinary grounds

Regulators may act on incompetence, negligence, fraud, or issuing certificates without adequate inspection. Sanctions include suspension, cancellation, and conditions.

When permit required

A building permit is needed before building work begins unless a specific exemption applies, such as minor repairs, maintenance, or certain unroofed structures.

Surveyor independence

The building surveyor is the statutory decision-maker and must be independent of the builder and designer of the same work to avoid conflicted approvals.

Permit application contents

Applications must include plans, specifications, allotment and owner details, builder details, and evidence of planning consent, owner-builder approval, and insurance.

Permit conditions

Conditions may impose inspection stages, staging of work, or documentation. Breaching a permit condition is an offence separate from non-compliant building work.

Permit lapse

A permit lapses if work does not start within the prescribed period, commonly twelve months, or if work is suspended beyond the prescribed period.

Occupancy permit issue

An occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection may only be issued after all mandatory inspections are complete and compliance with the code is verified.

Mandatory inspection stages

Typical stages are footing before pour, slab before pour, frame before cladding, waterproofing before tiling, and final. Each must be physically inspected.

Concealed work rule

Work must not be covered before the mandatory inspection is completed. A desktop sign-off without site attendance does not satisfy the requirement.

Builder notification duty

The builder must notify the surveyor when a prescribed stage is reached; the surveyor must attend within the prescribed timeframe.

Non-compliance direction

When inspection reveals non-compliance, the surveyor issues a written direction. Work cannot proceed past that stage until rectification is verified.

Inspection record contents

Each record must state site, permit number, stage, date, inspector, compliance outcome, and any directions issued, with supporting evidence where marginal.

Successor surveyor file

The surveyor's file must be complete enough for a successor to continue oversight without re-inspecting stages already completed and signed off.

Proof of service

Notices, directions and certificates must be served in the prescribed manner, and proof of service must be retained on the project file.

Rectification close-out

A non-compliance record is closed only by a follow-up inspection record confirming rectification, not by a simple annotation on the original record.

Performance versus deemed-to-satisfy

The code sets performance requirements. Deemed-to-satisfy provisions are one compliance path; alternative solutions need evidence of equivalence.

Stop-work order

An enforcement notice requiring work to halt until specified issues are resolved. Continuing work in breach is an offence and may lead to prosecution.

Building order powers

A building order can require demolition, rectification or completion. If ignored, the regulator may do the work and recover costs from the owner.

Essential safety measures

Fire and life-safety systems must be maintained for the building's life. Maintenance schedules and records are enforceable obligations on owners.

Referenced standards force

Standards incorporated by reference into the building code are enforceable as part of the code, including structural, fire, energy and waterproofing standards.

Domestic insurance trigger

Domestic building insurance typically responds to builder death, disappearance, insolvency, or failure to complete or rectify, subject to policy limits.

Insurance certificate timing

The builder must give the owner a certificate of insurance and policy wording before work starts. Failure to do so is a breach by the builder.

Statutory warranties

Consumer law implies warranties of good workmanship, suitable materials, fitness for purpose, and compliance with law. These survive practical completion.

Defects liability periods

Structural defects carry a longer claim period than non-structural defects. Claims must be lodged within the prescribed period after completion.

Domestic contract requirements

Domestic building contracts must be written, contain prescribed disclosures, and include a cooling-off period where legislation requires one.

Insurance coverage limits

Policies cap the amount payable per dwelling and exclude items such as owner-supplied materials. Owners should check limits before signing the contract.

Dispute resolution sequence

Consumers usually must complain to the builder, then a regulator or dispute body, before litigating. Time limits apply at each stage.

Owner-builder obligations

An owner-builder who sells within the prescribed period must provide insurance cover and disclose the work. Resale obligations attach to the property.