What a building and pest report covers

How a pre-purchase report is organised, what a visual inspection can and cannot tell you, and a 15-minute method for reading the findings before you buy in Bendigo.

The two standards behind the report

Two Australian Standards shape a combined report. AS 4349.1 deals with the visual inspection of residential buildings and the content of the report (ABLIS: AS 4349.1-2007). AS 4349.3 sets out the minimum requirements for a visual timber pest inspection and report (ABLIS: AS 4349.3-2010). A good report names both on its first page.

How a report is laid out

Every inspector uses their own template, but you should be able to find each of these:

Summary: the findings that matter most, on one or two pages.
Property and inspection details: address, date, weather, and the type of inspection agreed.
Areas inspected and not inspected, with the reason for any restriction.
Major defects and minor defects, with photos and locations.
Safety hazards.
Timber pest findings, including active termites, damage and signs of previous treatment.
Conducive conditions that invite timber pests.
Recommendations for further investigation by specialists.
Limitations: the boundaries of a visual, non-invasive inspection.

How to read it in 15 minutes

Start with the summary, so you know the headline findings.
Go straight to the limitations and the list of areas not accessed. A subfloor the inspector could not enter is an unknown, not a pass. In a Bendigo miners' cottage with a very low crawl space, that can be a big unknown.
Read the major defects and safety hazards in full, and look at every photo.
Read each recommendation for further investigation. These are the items the inspector could not resolve on the day.
Get trade quotes for anything structural, roof, damp or termite related before you negotiate or sign.

Finally, call the inspector and ask which items they would fix first if it were their house.

Defects that change the deal vs normal wear

Some findings are deal-breakers and others are just the age of the house showing. Guidance from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland treats a major termite infestation, latent structural damage or extensive water damage as serious, and general wear and weathering as cosmetic (REIQ, 14/10/2025). It was written for Queensland contracts, but it is a sound way to sort findings anywhere. Expect an 1890s cottage to show more wear than a 2015 brick veneer.

What a visual inspection cannot see

Anything behind a wall lining, under a fixed floor covering, beneath stored goods or furniture, or inside a service (wiring, pipes, gas lines, drains) is outside the scope. Pools and asbestos need separate specialists, and for homes built before 1990 Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests an asbestos assessment (CAV). Fresh paint and new floor coverings can hide past problems, so ask the vendor about recent work.

Using the report to negotiate

Speak to your conveyancer before using the report to renegotiate the price, ask for repairs or end the contract. What you can do depends on the contract conditions and their deadlines. Written quotes from licensed trades make a far stronger case than the report alone.

Bendigo notes

Heritage. Get a free planning property report to see whether a Heritage Overlay applies, then read the City of Greater Bendigo's Residential Heritage Design Guidelines before budgeting for external repairs.
Mine workings. Bendigo's goldfields mean historic shafts exist across the area. If the report notes unusual settlement or cracking, check the state's historical mining activity dataset and ask your conveyancer about further searches.
Flooding. A building and pest report is not a flood assessment. Ask the inspector to note any visible signs of past water entry.