What a building and pest inspection costs
A pre-purchase building and pest inspection is a visual report on the structure and on termite activity, commissioned and paid for by the buyer before the contract goes unconditional. The inspection companies publish their prices, and they cluster: a few hundred dollars for a building inspection, a little more combined with pest, scaled by property size and city. This guide tabulates the published prices, explains what the report covers and when to book it against the cooling-off period and the loan, and how to use it.
- Combined building and pest in Sydney: $475 to $730 (Rapid Building Inspections), $550 to $850 for a standard home (The Sheriff), $425 to $730 by size (BeSafe)
- Building inspection alone by city (hipages): about $200 to $250 for a small apartment, $400 to $550 for a large home, $730 to $830 for a duplex; pest inspection $100 to $150 on top
- The buyer pays and chooses the inspector; the report is visual, to an Australian Standard, and does not include invasive testing
- Book it before you are unconditional: inside the cooling-off or a building and pest condition on a private treaty, before auction day at auction
- Its financial use is negotiation and walking away; the lender orders its own valuation and does not need the report
WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees, or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Comparison rates are based on a secured loan of $30,000 over 5 years for vehicle finance and $50,000 over 5 years for equipment finance, as required under the National Credit Code.
What does it cost? The published prices
hipages puts it plainly: there is no flat rate, the fee largely depends on the size of the property, and pest inspections are less extensive than building inspections so cost less. The figures below are from the inspection companies' and hipages' published price pages, checked on 20 September 2026. Prices change without notice and vary by property, so treat them as a budget and get two quotes.
| Source | City | Building inspection | Combined building and pest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hipages (2026 guide) | Sydney | $200 to $250 small one-bedroom apartment; $400 to $550 large home; $730 duplex | Add $100 to $150 for pest | Regional average-sized house $500 to $750; metropolitan $800 to $1,200 at the top of its range |
| hipages (2026 guide) | Melbourne | $250 to $290 small apartment; $500 to $550 large home; $830 duplex | Add $100 to $150 for pest | Highest of the capitals in its list |
| hipages (2026 guide) | Brisbane | $200 to $250 small apartment; $400 to $500 large home; $730 duplex | Add $100 to $150 for pest | — |
| hipages (2026 guide) | Perth | $200 to $250 small apartment; $400 to $500 large home; $730 duplex | Add $100 to $150 for pest | — |
| Rapid Building Inspections | Sydney | — | $475 to $730 in 2026, by property type, size, scope and location | Publishes what the inspection includes |
| The Sheriff Building Inspections | Sydney | — | $550 to $850 for a standard home | Notes a cheap report that misses a $20,000 defect is expensive |
| BeSafe Property Inspections | Sydney | Around $400 to $500; three-bedroom homes from $425, larger properties up to $730 | Combined packages offered | Australian Standards apply |
What the inspection covers
The building inspection is a visual assessment of the accessible parts of the structure: the roof from outside and inside the roof space, external and internal walls, floors and subfloor where there is access, wet areas, windows and doors, drainage and the site, with defects rated by significance. The pest inspection is a visual check for termites and other timber pests, evidence of past activity or treatment, and the conditions that attract them, such as timber in contact with soil and poor subfloor ventilation. Both follow Australian Standards for pre-purchase inspections. They do not include invasive or destructive testing, moving stored goods, or specialist reports on electrical, plumbing, pools or asbestos, which are separate. The Sheriff publishes the three things a report gives you: the power to negotiate a lower price or request repairs, the confidence to proceed, and a maintenance roadmap.
When to book it
| Purchase type | When the inspection has to be done | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Private treaty with a cooling-off period | Inside the cooling-off period, or inside a building and pest condition written into the contract | A bad report lets you withdraw (usually forfeiting a small percentage) or renegotiate; see the state table in the auction and cooling-off guide |
| Private treaty, cooling-off waived or not available (WA, TAS by default) | Before you sign, or make the contract subject to a satisfactory report | Without a condition the contract is unconditional on signing |
| Auction | Before auction day | NSW's guide publishes that the successful bidder signs and pays the deposit on the spot with no cooling-off; you cannot inspect afterwards |
| Off-the-plan or new build | At practical completion, before settlement, and again before the defects period ends | The builder's warranty covers defects the report identifies |
How the report interacts with the loan
The lender does not ask for it; it orders its own valuation, and the bank valuation guide covers how that is different. But a report showing major structural movement, active termites or unapproved works can reach the lender through the valuer, who will note visible defects, and a property the lender will not accept as security stops the loan. On a construction or renovation purchase, the cost of the works the report identifies feeds the borrowing power test if you intend to borrow for them. The practical sequence is pre-approval, then contract review, then inspection, then exchange, with the report in hand before the deposit is at risk. The upfront buying costs calculator carries the inspection as a line, with the Sydney combined range as its default.
Using the report
Read the summary for the defects rated major or significant, then the photographs. Get a quote for anything structural before you decide. Then choose: walk away inside the cooling-off, renegotiate the price by the cost of the repairs, ask the vendor to fix before settlement with the work inspected, or proceed and budget the repairs into the renovation or top-up you were planning anyway. A broker cannot read the roof for you, but can tell you whether the lender will take the property and whether the repairs fit in the loan; Your Finance Guide refers you to one licensed broker partner for that, and we do not inspect, lend or value property ourselves.
Before you exchange
Inspections, valuations, cooling-off and the costs.
Building and pest inspection FAQs
Who pays for a building and pest inspection in QLD?
What should a building and pest inspection cover?
How much does a building and pest inspection cost in Victoria?
Can you claim the building and pest inspection cost?
When should I book the inspection?
Does the lender need the report?
Is it worth it on a new build or an apartment?
Inspect before the deposit is at risk
Tell us the property and how you are buying it, and we refer you to one licensed broker partner who sequences the approval, the inspection and the exchange so the report arrives while you can still act on it. Free for borrowers, no obligation.