Lock-up inspection in Box Hill

Stage4 of 7

When to bookAfter roof, cladding and external doors, before plaster

Time on site1 to 2 hours on site

Inspected againstAS 3700 (masonry), AS 4773, AS 2047 (windows), NCC Part 3.5 roof and wall cladding, manufacturer flashing details

What is included in a Box Hill lock-up (pre-plaster) inspection

Wall wrap and roof sarking coverage, laps and tears
Head, sill and jamb flashings to every window and door
Weep holes clear and correctly spaced
Articulation joints and cavity clearance
Mortar joints, brick ties and bed joint reinforcement
Lintels over openings and their bearing
Roof battens, tile or sheet fixing and ridge details
Valleys, penetrations and box gutter supports
Roof space insulation, sarking and services
Exhaust and rangehood ducting runs
External cladding fixing and clearance to ground
Garage, porch and alfresco set-downs
Site drainage and grading before landscaping
Debris and mortar droppings at the slab edge

Why it matters here

Lock-up (pre-plaster) inspections on Box Hill builds

Lock-up is where damage done by following trades is still attributable. On Box Hill jobs we have recorded studs cut and damaged after the frame was signed off, cables run hard against hot water pipes without the clearance they need, and parapet capping and sarking details that will be behind cladding within days. It is also where we confirm what was actually rectified from the frame list.

What we find at this stage in Box Hill

Studs cut or damaged after the frame stage
Cables in contact with hot water pipes
Parapet capping and sarking detail incomplete
Gutters, sumps and overflows missing or undersized
Expansion joints not cleaned out before sealing

Gutter component missing at lock-up, Box Hill — Gutter component missing at lock-up

Sample findings

Sample defects found during our lock-up (pre-plaster) inspections in Box Hill

Annotated findings from Lock-up (pre-plaster) inspections on Box Hill builds. Client addresses withheld.

Damaged stud, recorded during a lock-up inspection in Box Hill — Stud damaged after the frame stage

Further damaged stud, recorded during a lock-up inspection in Box Hill — A second damaged stud on the same job

Cables in contact with hot water pipes, recorded during a lock-up inspection in Box Hill — Cable hard against a hot water pipe

Sarking to parapet capping, recorded during a lock-up inspection in Box Hill — Sarking at the parapet capping

The other stages of a Box Hill build

All construction stage inspections in Box Hill →

Guides

Construction stage guides for Box Hill

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FAQ

Lock-up (pre-plaster) inspections in Box Hill: common questions

Why is a damaged stud a defect if the frame passed?

Because it passed before the damage happened. A stud cut by a plumber or electrician after frame stage is carrying less than it was designed to, and the frame inspection that signed it off cannot have seen it.

What is wrong with a cable touching a hot water pipe?

A clearance is required for good reason. Sustained heat against cable insulation degrades it, and it is a two minute fix while the wall is open and effectively unfixable afterwards.

Do lock-up and pre-plaster describe the same visit?

Yes. The stage is defined by services being complete and linings not yet up, which here lasts only a handful of days.

Are the frame findings revisited at this stage?

Every one of them. The report carries a reassessment marking each earlier item fixed, partly fixed or outstanding.

How much time does it take?

Around two hours plus the report, longer on a double storey or a complex roofline where more of the capping and flashing has to be reached.

What if plastering has already started?

We inspect what is still open and state plainly which areas could not be seen. An honest partial inspection beats a full one you only think you got.