In short
Before buying in Hobart, start with a pre-purchase building inspection: a visual check of the whole house to AS 4349.1, which local inspectors publish at about $500–$968. Add a structural engineer when the inspector flags cracks, movement, sloping floors, failing retaining walls or a steep or landslip block. Tasmania has no general statutory cooling-off period, so make the inspection a condition of the contract.
Key takeaways
- A building inspector checks the whole house for defects. A structural engineer finds the cause and seriousness of a structural problem.
- Published Hobart building inspection prices run from about $500 to $968. Our pre-purchase structural inspection starts from $590 + GST.
- Tasmania has no general statutory cooling-off period. Your building inspection condition is your window, so set it before you sign.
- If the inspector writes "refer to a structural engineer", book the engineer inside the condition period, not after it.
"Building inspection Hobart" is one of the most searched property terms in Tasmania, and for good reason. But a building inspector and a structural engineer do different jobs. Knowing which one you need, and in what order, can save you money and stop a structural problem slipping past your contract deadline.
Inspector or engineer: quick facts
- Building inspector
- Visual whole-of-house check to AS 4349.1
- Structural engineer
- Cause, severity and repair scope of structural issues
- Inspector price
- About $500–$968 from published Hobart prices
- Our engineer's inspection
- From $590 + GST
- Cooling-off
- None by law in Tasmania: use a contract condition
- Our quote
- Fixed, within 1–2 business hours
What is the difference between a building inspector and a structural engineer?
A building inspector looks at the whole house for defects; a structural engineer looks at whether the structure is sound, why it is moving and what it would take to fix. The inspection is broad and visual. The engineer's assessment is narrower and deeper, and it can lead to a repair design and certificate.
| Building inspector | Structural engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Main question | What defects does this house have? | Is the structure sound, and why is it moving? |
| Scope | Roof, walls, wet areas, subfloor, site drainage, safety items | Footings, stumps, slabs, framing, cracks, retaining walls, slope |
| Basis | AS 4349.1, visual, accessible areas | Engineering assessment; cracks rated against AS 2870 |
| Who | Often a licensed builder: ask what licence they hold | A licensed Engineer – Civil under the Occupational Licensing Act 2005 |
| Report | Defect list with photos; refers specialist items on | Cause, severity, repair scope and urgency, signed by the engineer |
| Cost in Hobart | About $500–$968 (published prices) | From $590 + GST (our fee) |
| Can design a repair? | No | Yes, with a Form 35 for the building surveyor |
Inspector prices from Swell Building Inspections ($550–$968 inc GST) and Building Evaluate ($500–$750, GST not stated), checked November 2026.
How much does a pre-purchase inspection cost in Hobart?
A pre-purchase building inspection in Hobart typically costs about $500 to $968, depending on the size of the house. An engineer's pre-purchase structural inspection from us starts at $590 + GST, and you get a fixed quote before anything is booked.
| Service | What the figure covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Building inspection, 1-bed unit | Swell Building Inspections, published | $550 inc GST |
| Building inspection, 3-bed 2-bath house | Swell Building Inspections, published | $770 inc GST |
| Building inspection, 5-bed 3-bath house | Swell Building Inspections, published | $968 inc GST |
| Building inspection, typical | Building Evaluate, South Hobart | $500–$750 |
| Pre-purchase structural inspection | Our engineer's site inspection and report | From $590 + GST |
Larger, rural or unusual properties are quoted separately by most inspectors. For the engineer, a steep block, a long subfloor or several structures (a house plus a granny flat and high retaining walls, for example) take longer, and your fixed quote reflects that.
Is there a cooling-off period when buying a house in Tasmania?
No. Tasmania has no general statutory cooling-off period for residential sales. The Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016 removed the old cooling-off provisions and left these matters to industry standard form contracts. The regulator's guidance says cooling-off periods are not a requirement, and that the most common protections are finance and building inspection conditions.
Your inspection condition is your window
Ask your conveyancer or lawyer to include a building inspection condition before you sign, with enough time to add a structural engineer if the inspector finds something. This is general information, not legal advice.
Other states differ. NSW and Queensland, for example, have statutory cooling-off periods, so advice written for those states doesn't apply here.
When should you add a structural engineer before you buy?
Add an engineer whenever the building inspector refers a structural item on, or when the house or block shows signs of movement. This flow covers the common triggers.
Has the building inspector recommended a structural engineer?
Many reports refer cracking, footing or framing issues to a specialist.
Yes: book an engineer inside the condition periodNo: keep goingAre there cracks 5 mm or wider, stepped cracks, sloping floors or sticking doors?
A crack of 5 mm or more is moderate damage on the AS 2870 scale.
Yes: get the cause foundNo: keep goingIs it a steep block, in a landslip band, or held up by retaining walls over 1 m?
Slope and walls carry costs a defect list won't price.
Yes: ask about landslip and wallsNo: keep goingHave walls been removed, or a deck, extension or granny flat added?
Ask the vendor for approvals and certificates.
Yes: have the structure checkedNo: the building inspection is usually enough
- Cat 0Negligible< 0.1 mm
- Cat 1Very slight< 1 mm
- Cat 2Slight< 5 mm
- Cat 3Moderate5–15 mm
- Cat 4Severe15–25 mm
- Cat 5Very severe> 25 mm
What does a pre-purchase structural inspection include?
Our pre-purchase structural inspection is a site visit by a licensed engineer and a signed report on the structure. It focuses on the items that change what a house is worth or what it will cost you after settlement.
- Cracks measured, photographed and rated against the AS 2870 damage categories
- Footings, stumps, bearers and subfloor where they can be reached
- Floor levels, door and window distortion, and framing over openings
- Retaining walls, slope, site drainage, trees and any landslip band
- The likely cause, how serious it is, whether a repair is needed and its likely scope
- Work that looks unapproved, so your conveyancer can ask the vendor for paperwork
We are engineering only. We don't sell or carry out repairs and we don't recommend contractors, so the report is about the house, not a job. If a repair is needed, we can design it later for any licensed builder to price.
Can a structural engineer replace the building inspection?
Usually not. An engineer won't report on leaking showers, roof plumbing, electrical safety or timber pests, which a building inspection and a pest inspection cover. The two work best together: the inspector finds the issues across the whole house, and the engineer answers the structural ones. If the only concern is a known structural issue, such as a cracked wall you've already seen, an engineer's structural inspection may be all you need for that question.
When should you call a structural engineer before buying?
- The building report says "refer to a structural engineer" or "further investigation"
- Cracks are 5 mm or wider, stepped through brickwork or wider at one end. See cracks in walls
- Floors slope or doors stick, which can point to footing or stump movement
- Retaining walls lean or bulge, or the house sits on a steep block
- The area has reactive clay, such as dolerite-derived clays. See Hobart soils
- Your condition deadline is close: tell us the date when you ask for a quote
Send the building report with your request
Upload the inspector's report, a few photos and the condition or settlement date. Your fixed quote, within 1–2 business hours, says what's included and when you'll have the report. Get a fixed quote.
Need an engineer?
Inspector flagged something structural?
Send the building report and the settlement or condition date. We reply within 1–2 business hours with a fixed quote.
Sources
- Parliament of Tasmania, Fact sheet: Property Agents and Land Transactions Bill 2016. Cooling-off provisions removed and left to standard form contracts
- Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (now Consumer Affairs Tasmania), Advice on buying and selling property. Cooling-off periods are not a requirement; finance and building inspection conditions are the most common
- Swell Building Inspections, Building inspection costs in Hobart, Tasmania: 2026 pricing guide. $550–$968 inc GST for standard homes
- Building Evaluate, Pre-purchase building inspections (South Hobart). Typical $500–$750; GST not stated
- Standards Australia, AS 4349.1 Inspection of buildings, Part 1: Pre-purchase inspections, residential buildings
- Standards Australia, AS 2870-2011 Residential slabs and footings. Appendix C, damage categories for walls