Building inspector’s horror find in roof of new home

2 weeks ago 14

The building inspector warned “a home can look close to finished while still missing key components”. Source: Darbecca

A building inspector has lifted the lid on a shocking discovery in a brand-new Aussie home – urging homeowners to demand inspections while tradies are still at work.

The bombshell find raises serious questions about what’s really happening on building sites when no one’s watching – after insulation batts were discovered still wrapped in their packaging and never installed in a roof cavity during a final inspection.

Darbecca Building Inspections managing director, Rod Leetham, told The Courier-Mail the issue was uncovered during a final stage inspection at practical completion – the critical check before settlement.

“The most common contributing factor is that roof spaces are not routinely accessed during normal site supervision,” he said.

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A quick check in the roof space revealed the insulation still in its original packaging on bare beams. Source: Darbecca

“Roof cavities are physically restrictive and often require specific access equipment, meaning defects in these areas can go unnoticed,” he said.

The mistake with missing insulation could have slugged the homeowners with years of eye-watering energy bills and overheating in summer.

Mr Leetham said while insulation mistakes like these represented a small minority of homes his company inspects, broader insulation installation and performance problems were far more common – and hit Aussie families in the hip pocket.

“Energy-related defects can have an ongoing cost impact for homeowners if left unaddressed,” he warned.

The discovery has struck a chord with homeowners across the country, many sharing similar experiences.

One Sydney buyer discovered the same problem in the late 1990s – bags of pink batts sitting unused in their roof cavity after their building inspector failed to check the roof space.

Another homeowner found no insulation whatsoever in their recently purchased property, despite documentation claiming it had been installed. The builder eventually sent someone to fix the problem.

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Did they just “chuck it up there” and forget about it? Source: Darbecca

The problem extends beyond roof cavities. Some homeowners suspect their walls contain no insulation despite external house wrap, with extreme heat penetrating through on hot days.

The discovery has also prompted dark humour from Queensland residents, with some joking the packaged batts still represent better insulation than many existing homes across the state.

Master Builders Queensland executive manager of advocacy and member services, Michael Hopkins, said proper checks should stop such insulation issues reaching handover stage.

He said insulation contractors provide certificates to builders confirming proper installation, but builders remain responsible for ensuring insulation isn’t displaced by other trades or environmental factors such as wind.

Mr Hopkins said simple measures like Inspection and Test Plans – essentially checklists used throughout the building process – can prevent disasters.

“Implementing these procedures ultimately helps protect both the contractor and the builder from missing critical work or steps during construction,” he said.

The discovery has prompted theories about what went wrong, with some suggesting a breakdown in communication between labourers and supervisors may be to blame. Others joked the instruction to “chuck it up in the loft” may have been taken too literally.

It’s enough to make a homeowner want to check everything twice. Source: Darbecca

This as the industry faces a crippling skills shortage, putting building schedules under the pump.

“The skilled worker shortage is the number one challenge facing the building and construction industry right now, which places pressure on program schedules,” Mr Hopkins said.

“This makes it even more important that builders implement quality procedures.”

According to the Queensland Building & Construction Commission’s annual industry snapshot, insulation did not make the top 10 most common defects reported across the state.

Both the inspector and industry body agreed homeowners could not afford to be passive and need to take an active role in final inspections.

Mr Hopkins said home buyers must conduct a final inspection with their builder, and if the property is financed, lenders might want to also inspect before making the final payment.

“If a homeowner wants to engage a building consultant or inspector to perform the final inspection, they should advise their builder that they will be attending,” Mr Hopkins said.

Master Builders Queensland encourages consumers to report defective building work to the QBCC, and also has a free Find a Master Builder search service to find properly licensed builders and inspectors.

Mr Leetham said it was important to engage independent inspectors at multiple construction stages – not just at completion.

“Independents are trained to assess areas and elements that will later be concealed as construction progresses,” he said.

“While ceiling spaces may remain accessible after completion, many critical structural and engineering components become covered by cladding, linings, or finishes, making early identification essential,” he said.

In the case of the packaged insulation batts, the inspector documented the defects so they could be fixed before handover.