Niddrie’s mix of post‑war brick homes, renovated weatherboards and newer townhouses can hide serious issues behind fresh finishes—movement cracks, roof leaks and unsafe alterations that affect value and safety.
Answer a few quick questions to receive your personalised quote for Niddrie
Complete this step to continue
Our comprehensive service includes everything you need to make an informed decision about your property.
We assess step cracking in brickwork, separation at corners, internal plaster cracks and uneven floors to determine whether movement looks cosmetic or consistent with footing/subfloor problems. This matters in Niddrie where older homes may have undergone extensions that load the structure differently from the original build.
We inspect roof framing where accessible, check for sagging ridgelines, water staining, broken tiles/metal sheeting issues, and overflow risks from gutters and downpipes. Roof and drainage defects can quickly become major issues by driving moisture into walls, ceilings and insulation.
For raised-floor homes, we check subfloor ventilation, timber condition, dampness indicators, and signs of inadequate support or past restumping. Hidden moisture and structural timber defects can affect safety and can be expensive to rectify once floors are finished or re-levelled.
We look for signs that walls have been removed, beams installed, or openings widened without appropriate support—such as deflection, cracking above openings, or mismatched framing. Renovation-driven structural defects are a common cause of major repairs, especially in updated Niddrie family homes.
We check bathrooms, laundries and kitchens for swelling, drummy tiles, deteriorated grout/silicone, moisture staining and poor falls to wastes. Waterproofing failure can become a major defect by damaging framing, subfloors and adjoining rooms, particularly where upgrades were done quickly before sale.
While not a substitute for specialist compliance certificates, we identify visible hazards and defect indicators—DIY cabling, unsafe connections, inadequate wet area protection, leaking pipework and poor drainage. These issues can pose immediate safety risks and signal broader non-compliant renovation work.
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
Get Major Building Defects as part of a comprehensive inspection package
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about our inspection service.
In Niddrie, we often see major concerns linked to structural movement (cracking that tracks through brickwork and openings), roof and gutter failures that drive moisture into ceilings and wall cavities, and renovation-related issues such as removed walls or undersized supports. Wet area leaks are another frequent cause of major damage, particularly where bathrooms were updated without effective waterproofing.
Yes—while we can’t see through walls, we look for strong indicators of hidden defects: cracking patterns above openings, uneven floors, doors that bind, moisture staining, drummy tiles, and roof/subfloor clues that don’t match the visible finish. In Niddrie, fresh paint and new flooring can mask movement and leaks, so we focus on symptoms and likely causes, then recommend further invasive checks where warranted.
We assess accessible areas inside and out, including the way the building is performing relative to its support system. That includes checking for external cracking, floor levels, subfloor conditions (where accessible), and indicators of footing movement. If the property has limited access due to tight subfloors, finished landscaping, or enclosed areas, we note the limitation and outline what further investigation may be needed.
Yes. In Niddrie, townhouse and dual-occupancy builds can present defects around shared walls, boundary drainage, roof water discharge, and waterproofing at balconies or upper-level wet areas. We pay close attention to how water is managed on tighter sites, whether downpipes connect effectively to stormwater, and whether there are signs of moisture transfer between attached structures or through party walls.
Start by separating urgent safety hazards from longer-term structural repairs. We’ll outline the likely cause and the seriousness, then recommend the right next step—often a structural engineer for movement or load-bearing issues, a roofer for leak sources, or a licensed plumber/electrician for compliance and safety concerns. For buyers, the findings can support renegotiation or conditions before you proceed.
Still have questions?
Get in TouchACE Building and Pest Inspections focuses on the serious issues that change decisions—structural movement, water ingress and renovation-related risks in Niddrie homes. Call 0413 163 187 to arrange an inspection.