Frequently asked questions

Two things, both before you commit. I inspect a property before you buy it, and tell you what condition it is really in. And I read the contract, drawings and specifications your builder has put forward before you sign, and tell you what they actually mean for your build. Both come back to you as a written report in plain English.

If you are buying a property, you want a building inspection. If you are about to sign with a builder for a renovation or a new build, you want a document review. If you are doing both, or you are not sure, get in touch and describe your situation. Shane will tell you which one fits, and will say so if the answer is neither.

No. That is the point of asking someone who does. Reports are written so they make sense to you rather than to another builder, and no question is treated as a stupid one.

Price depends on the property or the size of the document pack, so it is confirmed with you directly and in writing before anything is booked. No figure is published here because a number on a page cannot know what your job involves.

Get in touch through the contact page, by email or by phone. Shane will come back to you, confirm what is involved and what it costs in writing, and only then is anything booked. There is no obligation at the enquiry stage.

NSW only, for now. Both the building inspection and document review services are limited to New South Wales.

Shane started in construction as a teenager, over 30 years ago, as a carpenter. Since then he has run his own business, worked sites in London, run machinery on civil projects, and spent the last decade as a site manager on some of Sydney's more demanding homes. Build Advisory Co exists because he has seen from the inside exactly where high stakes builds and property purchases go wrong, and it is almost never obvious from the outside.

No. Both services are practical construction risk advice only, not legal, engineering, architectural, certification, financial or quantity surveying advice. Anything raised should be confirmed with the appropriate qualified professional before you commit. Where you need one of those specialists, Shane will point you to the right kind.

Your quote, drawings, specifications, and everything else your builder or architect has given you, are checked across ten categories: contract document trail, builder scope and design alignment, design intent alignment, design and consultant coordination, approval items and scope alignment, inclusions and finish coordination, cost clarity and allowance check, construction planning and buildability, critical client decision pathway, and a next step register. Every finding gets a Green, Amber, Red or Grey rating, so you can see at a glance what matters.

They differ in how much I read, not in what I look for. Every level is checked against all ten categories. Essential covers up to 25 files and 75 pages with a 30 minute call. Premium covers up to 75 files and 250 pages with a 60 minute call. Premium Plus covers up to 150 files and 600 pages with a 90 minute call, and adds planning suggestions.

No. This is a remote, document based review only. Version one of this service has no site visits. If you need someone to physically look at a property, that is the building inspection service.

The service is designed to be used before you sign. If you have already signed, get in touch and describe your situation. Shane will tell you honestly whether a review still adds value, including if the answer is no.

You keep it. The Project Map is your documents sorted into an organised register, plus a proposed scope for the full review. It is yours even if you decide not to continue.

The Pre-Purchase Building Inspection is a standard pre-purchase inspection: a full visual inspection of the property and a written report. The Building Condition Analysis adds physical access into roof spaces, subfloor spaces, service areas and plant rooms, which is where problems tend to hide and which basic inspections do not enter. The Property Advisory Report adds a written summary and advice statement interpreting what the findings mean for your own stated objectives.

Yes. Pest control can be added to any of the three levels for an additional cost. Ask when you enquire and it will be quoted with the rest.

That decision stays yours, and so does the final call on price. What you get is an accurate picture of the building's condition and, on a Property Advisory Report, what those findings mean for what you were trying to achieve. Several clients have used that to negotiate from an informed position.

Yes. Get in touch and Shane will send you a sample report so you can see the format and the level of detail before you commit to anything.

No. The Statement is desk-based: from a conversation and a few photos of your project, you get a written statement of what you are able, and rightfully able, to raise. If you want me on site inspecting the works, that is the Defect Inspection Report.

Not everything you are unhappy with. Every level is assessed against the standards and tolerances that apply to residential building work in NSW, so what you raise stands on solid ground and what does not qualify is flagged before it costs you goodwill with your builder.

The months after handover when your builder is still responsible for coming back and fixing faults, under most residential building contracts. It is one of the windows where raising the right items, the right way, matters most.

Yes. Each level builds on the one below it, so starting small and stepping up costs you nothing but the difference.

No, and that is the point. Builders who offer rescue work are pricing to take the job over. My position is independent: what is truly done, what it takes to finish, and making sure whoever finishes it does it right.

It is normal for a stalled job, and it is usually part of why the job stalled. Rebuilding the documentation is part of the service, not a barrier to it.

No. Start with Where It Stands. Each level builds on the last, so you decide how far to go once you know where you actually are.

Access to the home, and whatever records you hold: receipts, warranties, paperwork from the build or any renovation. Appliance details can be researched from the maker; paint colours, carpet and curtains only survive if a record of them exists, so what you can find shapes what the manual can hold.

Homes up to four bedrooms fit The Home Manual. Larger homes take The Home Manual, Unlimited. If you are not sure, describe the place and Shane will tell you.

A searchable file that opens in any browser, works without internet, and is yours outright whatever happens, plus a printed folder for the kitchen drawer.