AS 4349.1 1995 Australian Standard Inspection of buildings Part 1: Property inspections Residential buildings
This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee BD/85, Inspection of Buildings. It was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 18 August 1995 and published on 5 November 1995. The following interests are represented on Committee BD/85: Association of Building Consultants Association of Consulting Engineers, Australia Australian Concrete Repair Association Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association Australian Federation of Consumer Organisations Australian Institute of Building Australian Institute of Building Surveyors Clay Brick and Paver Institute Concrete Masonry Association of Australia Housing Industry Association Local Government and Shires Association Master Builders Australia National Association of Forest Industries Queensland Law Society Royal Australian Institute of Architects Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editions as necessary. It is important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest edition, and any amendments thereto. Full details of all Australian Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia Catalogue of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine The Australian Standard, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editions and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards. Suggestions for improvements to Australian Standards, addressed to the head office of Standards Australia, are welcomed. Notification of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard should be made without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken. This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 94350.
AS 4349.1 1995 Australian Standard Inspection of buildings Part 1: Property inspections Residential buildings PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA (STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA) 1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140 ISBN 0 7262 0071 3
AS 4349.1 1995 2 PREFACE This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee on Inspection of Buildings. When complete the series of Standards will comprise: AS 4349 Inspection of buildings 4349.1 Property inspections Residential buildings (this Standard) 4349.2 Property inspections Non-residential buildings 4349.3 Timber pest inspections 4349.4 Progress inspections 4349.5 Maintenance inspections The objective of this Standard is to provide those persons and organizations concerned with property inspections of residential dwellings with the basic criteria necessary to prepare a standard property report. In Appendix A, the Paragraphs in the Commentary relate directly to the Clauses in the Sections, e.g. Paragraph A1.1 provides additional information on Clause 1.1. The term informative has been used in this Standard to define the application of the appendix to which it applies. An informative appendix is only for information and guidance. Copyright STANDARDS AUSTRALIA Users of Standards are reminded that copyright subsists in all Standards Australia publications and software. Except where the Copyright Act allows and except where provided for below no publications or software produced by Standards Australia may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from Standards Australia. Permission may be conditional on an appropriate royalty payment. Requests for permission and information on commercial software royalties should be directed to the head office of Standards Australia. Standards Australia will permit up to 10 percent of the technical content pages of a Standard to be copied for use exclusively in-house by purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Australia. Standards Australia will also permit the inclusion of its copyright material in computer software programs for no royalty payment provided such programs are used exclusively in-house by the creators of the programs. Care should be taken to ensure that material used is from the current edition of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the Standard is amended or revised. The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identified. The use of material in print form or in computer software programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in commercial contracts is subject to the payment of a royalty. This policy may be varied by Standards Australia at any time.
3 AS 4349.1 1995 CONTENTS Page FOREWORD... 4 SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL 1.1 SCOPE... 5 1.2 APPLICATION... 5 1.3 REFERENCEDDOCUMENTS... 5 1.4 DEFINITIONS... 5 1.5 INSURANCE... 6 SECTION 2 THE STANDARD PROPERTY INSPECTION 2.1 SCOPE... 7 2.2 GENERAL... 7 2.3 THESTANDARDPROPERTYINSPECTION... 7 SECTION 3 THE STANDARD PROPERTY REPORT 3.1 SCOPE... 14 3.2 GENERAL... 14 3.3 THESTANDARDPROPERTYREPORT... 14 3.4 LIMITATIONSANDCONDITIONS... 14 SECTION 4 THE SPECIAL-PURPOSE PROPERTY INSPECTION AND REPORT 4.1 SCOPE... 16 4.2 GENERAL... 16 4.3 THE SPECIAL-PURPOSE PROPERTY INSPECTION................. 16 4.4 THESPECIAL-PURPOSEPROPERTYREPORT... 17 4.5 LIMITATIONSANDCONDITIONS... 17 APPENDIXA COMMENTARY... 18 First published as AS 4349.1 1995.
AS 4349.1 1995 4 FOREWORD This Standard was prepared primarily for pre-purchase property inspections, but it may be used as the basis for any visual inspection of a residential property. In most instances, the purchase of residential property is an important decision and should be contemplated only in the full knowledge of all the circumstances surrounding the property. In order for these decisions to be regarded as informed, completely independent and objective advice is often required. An inspection of all the common property of strata title buildings, including the interior of every unit, would need to be carried out to determine the extent of any defects in the whole of the common property.
5 AS 4349.1 1995 STANDARDS AUSTRALIA Australian Standard Inspection of buildings Part 1: Property inspections Residentialbuildings SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL 1.1 SCOPE This Standard sets out recommendations for the visual inspection of residential buildings, including pre-purchase inspections and for the preparation of the appropriate property inspection reports. NOTE: Additional information on certain aspects of this Standard is provided in the Commentary in Appendix A. 1.2 APPLICATION This Standard applies to all residential buildings including, but not limited to, the following: (a) Freestanding houses. (b) Semi-detached houses. (c) Terrace-style houses. (d) Home units and flats. (e) Company, strata and community title units. (f) Villas. (g) Town houses and cluster housing. This Standard does not apply to any matter, the inspection or assessment of which is entirely provided for in specific regulations. 1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS The following documents are referred to in this Standard. Australian Building Codes Board Building Code of Australia (BCA) 1.4 DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Standard, the definitions below apply. 1.4.1 Consultant person, partnership or company qualified and experienced to undertake property inspections. NOTE: This may include, for example, a licensed or registered builder, engineer, building consultant and architect. 1.4.2 Inspection criteria the items specified in Clause 2.3. 1.4.3 Minor fault or defect a matter which, in view of the age, type or condition of the residential building, does not require substantial repairs or urgent attention and rectification. 1.4.4 Pre-purchase property inspection a visual inspection of a residential building carried out in accordance with Clause 2.3. COPYRIGHT
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