When you might need an inspection
- The engineering drawings or your building surveyor call for an engineer's inspection before concrete is poured or work is covered up.
- You're building and want confirmation that footing excavations, bored piers, screw piles or reinforcement match the design before you commit to the next stage.
- Something on site doesn't match the drawings — different ground, a clash with services, a changed dimension — and you need an engineer's direction before proceeding.
- You own a property and want an engineer to look at a specific structural issue, such as a cracked wall, a sagging beam or a leaning retaining wall.
How this differs from other inspections
An engineering inspection is focused. It examines particular structural or foundation elements against the engineering design and engineering principles.
- It is not a pre-purchase building and pest inspection. Those survey the general condition of a whole property. If you're buying a home, a building inspector is usually the right first call; an engineer is useful when that inspection raises a structural question.
- It does not replace the building surveyor's inspections. The relevant building surveyor carries out the mandatory inspections and decides whether building work complies with the building permit. Where a surveyor asks for engineering evidence, our inspection record is one input to their decision.
About certification. Whether an inspection can lead to a certificate depends on the agreed scope, the stage at which we saw the work and the evidence available. We can only certify what we have been able to observe or verify. Reinforcement already covered by concrete, for example, can't be certified from a later visit.
What an inspection can cover
- Footing excavations: founding material as exposed, depth, dimensions and set-out against the design
- Reinforcement before the pour: bar sizes, spacing, laps, cover and support
- Bored piers: founding depth and founding material before concrete is placed
- Screw piles: installation records, such as torque, against the design's criteria
- Structural framing, steel connections and tie-downs that form part of the engineering design
- Retaining walls under construction: footing, drainage provisions and backfill
- Targeted inspection of existing structural elements showing distress
- A review of the relevant drawings before the visit, so the inspection checks the right things
What you receive
- Inspection recordThe date, stage and elements inspected, with observations and photographs.
- Issues and actionsAnything that doesn't conform, what must be corrected, and whether we need to see it again.
- Follow-upRe-inspection, or review of photographic evidence of rectification, where appropriate.
- Certificate, where applicableIssued when the agreed scope and the evidence support it.
What we need from you
- Site address and access arrangements, including who will meet us
- The current engineering drawings and any specification
- Building permit documents or the surveyor's inspection requirements, if applicable
- The stage of work and the date you need the inspection
- For piles: the installer's records, such as torque or driving logs
- For existing structures: photos and a short history of the problem
Don't have everything yet? Send what you have. We'll tell you what's missing and whether it affects the proposal.
How it works
- Tell us the stage and dateGet in touch as early as you can. Inspections depend on your construction programme, so we'll confirm availability rather than promise a response time we can't be sure of.
- We review the documentsWe check the drawings and any surveyor requirements before the visit.
- Site inspectionWe inspect the elements in scope and talk through anything we find with whoever is on site.
- Record and follow-upYou receive the written record. If rectification is needed, we agree how it will be verified.
Who does what
MEG provides
- Engineering inspection of the elements in the agreed scope
- A written engineering record or report
- Certification where the scope and evidence support it
Not included, or by others
- Pre-purchase building and pest inspections
- Mandatory inspections by the building surveyor
- Materials testing, such as concrete cylinders or compaction tests — we can tell you what's needed and review the results
- Geotechnical investigation
Questions
How much notice do you need?
As much as you can give. Tell us the stage of work and your target date when you first contact us, and we'll confirm whether we can attend then. If the programme moves, let us know as soon as possible.
Can you certify work that's already been covered up?
Not by looking at the finished surface. Options depend on the element: sometimes a sample can be exposed, sometimes other evidence such as photos taken during construction or test results is enough to support an assessment. We'll tell you what is and isn't possible before you commit.
Will the building surveyor accept your inspection?
The building surveyor decides what evidence they need. Before we inspect, we'll ask what they require so that our record addresses it.
Do you inspect outside Melbourne?
Yes, across Victoria by arrangement. Travel is included in the proposal so there are no surprises.
I'm buying a house. Should I book you?
Usually a pre-purchase building inspection comes first. If it identifies a structural concern — significant cracking, movement or an altered structure — an engineer's assessment is the logical next step. See structural assessments.