Tap any heading to expand it. Items marked Draft — please review are starter descriptions we've written from general knowledge of Tasmanian building surveying — please check and correct the wording before this goes live, since it touches on statutory requirements.
Building surveyors are licensed building professionals who provide independent supervision of buildings and building work throughout the construction process, and upon completion, to ensure that buildings are safe and compliant for use.
Building surveyors are engaged by the property owner and are responsible for making sure the building design and construction meets the requirements of building laws, such as the Building Act 2016 and the National Construction Code. It's important that you're involved in selecting and engaging your Building Surveyor, as they're responsible for ensuring your design and building work meets the requirements of the Building Act 2016, the National Construction Code, and relevant Australian Standards.
Your Building Surveyor remains involved in your project until it's complete, inspecting the work at particular stages to ensure your builder — or you, if you're an owner-builder — is building in accordance with the approved design. We can also advise on whether you need building approval for any building, alteration, or demolition work on your property.
The Building Act 2016 (TAS) sets out a risk-based framework of categories that building or demolition work falls into: Low Risk Building Work, Notifiable Building Work, and Permit Building Work. Which category your project falls into determines whether you need a permit, another type of approval, or nothing at all — and all work must comply with the National Construction Code regardless. If you're uncertain which category your project fits into, we can advise.
Draft — please review. Add a plain-English summary of Categories 1–4 here (see the Director's Determination on the CBOS Tasmania website) before publishing.
Some low-risk building work doesn't require full council approval, but still needs a statement confirming it meets the relevant standards. We can assess whether your project qualifies as low-risk, and prepare the statement required.
Draft — please review and expand with your own wording.
Issued at design and permit stage, a Certificate of Likely Compliance indicates that proposed building work is likely to comply with the National Construction Code and relevant standards — a required step before a building permit can be issued.
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Where building work has been carried out without the required permits, we assess the as-built work against the applicable standards and, where satisfied, issue a certificate to help regularise the unauthorised work.
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Where a building is assessed as posing an immediate risk to occupants or the public, we can issue an emergency order requiring urgent remedial action, or restricting use of the building until it's made safe.
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Written authorisation confirming that permit building work may commence, issued once all pre-conditions — permits, notifications, and any other requirements — have been satisfied.
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An Occupancy Permit is required before a new or altered building can be lawfully occupied. A Temporary Occupancy Permit may be issued where work is substantially, but not fully, complete.
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Building work must be inspected at defined stages — such as footings, frame, and final — to confirm it's proceeding in accordance with the approved permit documents.
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A record of essential safety features — such as fire doors, alarms, and exits — that must be maintained throughout a building's life, prepared as part of the occupancy permit process.
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Issued once building work is complete and has been inspected and found to comply with the permit and relevant standards — a pre-condition to an occupancy permit.
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Where a design departs from the deemed-to-satisfy provisions of the National Construction Code, we can assess an alternative performance solution to confirm it still meets the required performance outcomes.
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Where work hasn't been completed within the timeframe of an existing permit, we can assess and process an application to extend it.
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Independent investigation and reporting on building defects, disputes, or damage — prepared for owners, insurers, or legal proceedings.
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