The Perth Property Market Never Sleeps
Whether you own a CBD office tower, a Baldivis warehouse or a holiday rental in Fremantle, one document quietly keeps your asset healthy and compliant with your obligations as a property owner: the building maintenance report. It records the condition of visible components of the property, recommends remedial action where required and informs capital-works budgets. In Western Australia, lenders, insurers and strata managers increasingly ask to sight a recent building maintenance report before approving finance or approve insurance cover. Yet many owners still treat the exercise as optional until something goes wrong. Below, you will learn what a good report contains, how it ties into a Maintenance schedule for buildings, and why skipping it can cost far more than the inspection fee.
What is a Building Maintenance Report?
A building maintenance report is an independent, systematic assessment of a property’s structure, services and surrounds carried out by a qualified inspector or registered builder. The report typically references the National Construction Code, local planning by-laws and Australian Standards such as AS 4349.1 for residential and commercial properties. In Perth, professional bodies and associations like Inspect WA recommend updating the building maintenance reports at least every two years, or immediately after severe weather.
A Snapshot of Your Asset’s Health
Unlike a pre-purchase inspection, a building maintenance report focuses on life-cycle costs rather than sale price. Expect plain-language commentary on:
- Ceilings for signs of sagging, cracking, nails popping, dampness and damp damage
- Walls for signs of bulging, distortion, cracking, dampness and damage
- Above ground footings and floors for surface damage, unevenness and dampness
- Doors and door frames for damage and poor fit
- Taps and Showers for signs of leakage
- Roof Exterior for cracking, decay and broken or loose tiles
- External elements like patios, verandas and retaining walls
Essential services such as fire doors, alarms and exit lighting
Photographs and risk ratings make it easy for non-technical owners to prioritise works.
Key Components of a Building Maintenance Report
Executive summary – a concise list of defects ranked by urgency.
Methodology – inspection scope, reference standards and access limitations.
Detailed findings – annotated images, measured readings and material identification.
Costed recommendations – ball-park cost figures to help draft a realistic Maintenance schedule for buildings.
Regulatory compliance check – highlights departures from building standards and regulations WA Building Regulations 2012.
For owners and managers of strata properties, a property maintenance report prepared by a registered builder, is also helpful in preparing capital-expenditure forecasts required under the Strata Titles Act 1985.
What to Expect on Inspection Day
The inspector will visually assess accessible areas, photograph defects and may use a drone for high roofs common in Joondalup industrial estates. Allow two to four hours for a typical 250 m² property. Your digital building maintenance report should arrive within 24 hours, formatted so items feed directly into your Maintenance schedule for buildings spreadsheet.
How a Building Maintenance Report Feeds your Maintenance Schedule for Buildings
A proactive Maintenance schedule for buildings converts the report’s recommendations into a timeline of maintenance tasks with costings and budgets. Without a current building maintenance report, the maintenance schedule becomes guesswork, leading to under-funded sinking funds or unexpected special levies.
Recommended Frequencies for Perth Properties
Commercial offices – comprehensive building maintenance report every two years and roof checks after each winter storm.
Residential strata – annual common-property review, with a full report every three years to support the compulsory 10-year strata maintenance plan.
Industrial sheds – bi-annual report focused on structural steel, cladding and fire protection systems.
Aligning the report calendar with a living Maintenance schedule for buildings means minor issues such as blocked soak-wells and hairline render cracks—are fixed long before they trigger major insurance claims.
Risks of Skipping your Building Maintenance Report
Overlooking safety hazards
Overlooking safety hazards such as degraded fire seals may breach the National Construction Code, exposing owners to litigation.Insurance disputes
Insurers may deny claims when owners cannot prove they met “reasonable maintenance” obligations. A dated building maintenance report provides that evidence, making the claiming process easier.Reduced Asset Life
Salt-laden coastal air around Fremantle can corrode roof fixings in months. Regular reporting detects corrosion early, helping you to act sooner and extending the life of your property.Regulatory penalties
The WA Building Commissioner may issue rectification orders and fines if essential services are not maintained in commercial and strata properties.
Integrating your Building Maintenance Report with other due-diligence documents
You may consider pairing your maintenance report with other types of reports in the interests of cost and time efficiencies. Examples include:
Dilapidation Reports – if nearby construction is planned, pair your ongoing building maintenance report with a pre-works dilapidation survey.
Timber-pest inspections – Timber in and around the home can attract termites; consider scheduling timber pest checks alongside the maintenance report for peace of mind.
The Bottom Line
A timely, detailed building maintenance report is an investment that preserves your property value, safeguards occupants and satisfies your regulatory and insurance obligations. When paired with a Maintenance schedule for buildings, it empowers Perth owners to plan, budget and act before defects snowball into expensive failures.
Ready to protect your property? Speak with the registered builders at Broad Building Inspections about arranging your next building maintenance report and turning it into a practical, cost-effective maintenance schedule.