Loading...
Loading...
Fitzroy’s tight inner-city blocks and common rear-lane access mean services, drainage and edge formwork can be rushed or altered on site—checking the base stage before the pour helps avoid hard-to-fix slab and moisture problems.
Answer a few quick questions to receive your personalised quote for Fitzroy
Complete this step to continue
Our comprehensive service includes everything you need to make an informed decision about your property.
We visually assess the slab base for soft spots, uncontrolled fill, ponding water and uneven preparation that can lead to settlement or slab cracking. On small Fitzroy sites, hurried excavation and backfill around service trenches is common, so we focus on areas that are often covered quickly.
We check formwork alignment, bracing and obvious level issues, including step-downs, rebates and slab edges near boundaries. Poorly supported formwork can move during the pour, changing slab dimensions and creating lipping at doorways or along external walls.
We inspect slab mesh and any bars for placement, overlap/laps, support chairs and general cover above the membrane. If steel is sitting too low, twisted, or not adequately supported, it may not perform as designed once the concrete is placed.
We check the vapour barrier for tears, punctures, inadequate laps and poor taping, plus how it’s turned up at edges and around penetrations. In inner-city builds, multiple trades crossing the slab area can damage membranes before the pour, increasing damp risk.
We confirm penetrations are positioned sensibly, sleeved where required, and not cutting through critical reinforcement zones. Misplaced penetrations can create future drainage issues or require core drilling through the slab later, weakening the finished work.
Where visible, we review thickenings, beams, joint locations and key details that affect performance, particularly around extensions and interfaces. Getting these elements right before the pour helps reduce movement and cracking at high-stress points.
Discover why thousands of property buyers trust us with their most important investment.
Professional inspections with attention to every detail. Here's a glimpse of our work.
Inspection photo 1
Inspection photo 2
Inspection photo 3
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about our inspection service.
Book once the formwork, reinforcement, vapour barrier and service penetrations are installed, but before any concrete is poured. In Fitzroy, tight access and multiple trades working in a small footprint can mean last-minute changes, so try to schedule the inspection at least 24–48 hours before the pour to allow time for rectification and a quick re-check if needed.
Yes. Extensions often involve tying new slab areas into existing structures, working close to boundaries, and managing drainage so water doesn’t track back toward the original house. A Stage 1 inspection helps confirm the base is prepared correctly, membranes are continuous at junctions, and penetrations are positioned properly before the pour, which is when mistakes become permanent.
At Stage 1, issues like torn vapour barriers, missing laps, poorly supported mesh, incorrect laps, moved formwork, and mislocated penetrations can typically be corrected quickly. After the slab is poured, many of these turn into long-term moisture risks, cracking, uneven floors, or costly concrete cutting and rework. Catching them early keeps changes practical and contained.
They can. Limited access often means material deliveries and excavation happen in stages, and service trenches are backfilled quickly to keep the job moving. We pay close attention to the slab base around trenches, the stability of edge formwork near boundaries, and membrane damage from foot traffic and stored materials. These are common pressure points on compact Fitzroy sites.
Yes. You’ll receive a detailed report with photos, clear descriptions of what was observed, and actionable recommendations you can forward to your builder or site supervisor. The aim is to make pre-pour conversations straightforward: what needs fixing, why it matters, and what should be confirmed before the concrete truck arrives.
Still have questions?
Get in TouchACE Building and Pest Inspections focuses on the pre-pour details that commonly get missed on Fitzroy’s compact sites—call 0485 857 077 to lock in an inspection before your slab is poured.