The Role a Building Surveyor Plays in a Home Extension

If you're building a home extension, many different experts will be involved, including architects and builders. One necessary professional is a building surveyor. Here's an outline of the role they'll play in your remodel.

Planning and Designing the Building

You will probably need a building permit to construct your extension, and the professional who can issue that is a building surveyor. They are familiar with the building codes of Australia and the relevant regulations. Part of a surveyor's role is to review building plans to make sure they're compliant with these codes.

While you can have the plans drawn up by architects and then submit them to a building surveyor to get a permit, it can save time to hire a surveyor for their input during the drafting stage. That way, you can be more confident that they're compliant and won't need to be reworked.

Once the plans are approved by a building surveyor, who can either work for the government or in private practice, you will be issued a building permit, and the construction work can begin.

Constructing the Extension

The building surveyor continues to engage with the project during the construction phase, regularly inspecting the site at different points.

The points of inspection depend on your state and local laws. For example, a building surveyor's inspection may be required after a foundation is laid and before the building continues. For a new bathroom, an inspection may be mandatory after waterproofing. With the extension being audited at different points, any problems can be picked up early rather than later, which would probably cost more if work needed to be undone.

The surveyor is not only concerned about the safety and structural integrity of the building but also its energy efficiency. Building codes specify that a house needs to function at a particular level of energy efficiency; for example, insulation may be mandatory. The building surveyor will monitor that aspect as well.

Final Approvals

The surveyor also plays a role in the stages after the construction is complete. They can issue a final inspection notice stating that the building is compliant, as well as an occupancy certificate that confirms a building is safe and energy efficient. This is the final approval that you need to move into the new part of your home.

Building surveyors have a wide field of knowledge as they work with experts such as architects, structural engineers, and builders, and the surveyor needs to be able to engage with each of these dimensions. For more information, contact a building surveyor near you.