the role of dilapidation building reports in construction projects

July 16, 2024
Effective Building
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Construction projects can hardly run smoothly without dilapidation building reports. These reports are required before the start of a construction project and when it ends. Both the owners of properties near the construction site and the relevant city council have to receive dilapidation building reports from the builders or the site owner.

How a Dilapidated Building Report Helps Before Construction

Essential to securing an approved Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) from the city council, dilapidation building reports ensure that construction projects have the city council’s consent to begin. Builders will need to find and pay for an engineer, surveyor, or inspector to prepare the dilapidation building report.

Dilapidation building reports need to be prepared in an unbiased manner because the appointed principal certifier or the relevant city council must be satisfied with these reports. Another reason why dilapidation building reports are so important in construction projects is that these reports can lead to better construction project planning.

By knowing the condition of nearby properties and surrounding areas, construction project managers will be able to accurately plan how to avoid accidentally damaging these structures and places. With well-prepared dilapidation building reports, managers of construction projects can properly instruct builders how to carry out construction work.

How a Dilapidated Building Report Helps During Construction

It’s crucial for both construction project managers and site owners to have a dilapidation building report on hand during construction work. False claims made by owners of neighbouring properties can quickly derail the construction project’s timeline. Furthermore, without a dilapidation building report, the reputation of the construction company may be called into question, as it is a known prerequisite for almost all types of construction work. With dilapidation building reports, the construction company and the site owner will have the means and information necessary to defend against false claims of damage. These reports can also provide them with better leverage in case they enter into a legal dispute with the nearby property owner.

How a Dilapidated Building Report Helps After Construction

A dilapidated building report will have to be prepared again after the building work on the construction site is complete. This time, it’s to confirm that no damage to neighbouring properties and surrounding areas occurred during the construction project. Like the dilapidated building reports prepared pre-construction, these reports have to be similarly unbiased and detailed.

The principal certifier or the relevant city council will compare both dilapidated building reports to decide if there is any structural damage resulting from the construction project. Without the post-construction dilapidated building report, the site owner will have a hard time obtaining the Occupation Certificate (OC) which allows them to occupy and use the building.