What to Expect in your Practical Completion Inspection (PCI)

what to look for at practical completion inspection

Everything to expect at this exciting stage of your new home journey

For many new home owners, the Practical Completion Inspection (PCI) stage is the most exciting Quality Assurance (QA) step of the building journey. It’s where you’ll walk through your completed home with your Site Supervisor, going over every detail with a fine tooth comb.

In total, your home will have 12 QA Inspections, 5 of which you’ll be able to attend on site with your Site Supervisor. These are some of the most crucial steps when it comes to building a home. Each of these give your Site Supervisor the chance to check-in with trades, inspect what’s been done, ensure compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC) standards and make sure works done to date match up with your signed contract and drafting plans.

By the time your PCI rolls around, you’ve already had the opportunity to walk through your home at the Slab, Frame, Lock-Up and Fixing stages. Even before your PCI, your Site Supervisor will do a walk through with their Manager, picking up on any items that may require touch-ups. All of these checks are in place to ensure that every detail, fixture and structure in your home not only meets Australian standards, but our own high standards of quality.

Our founder, Gary Simonds, used to personally inspect every Simonds home before handing over the keys. And now, the same care and consideration is taken by our teams of Site Supervisors and Construction Managers for every Quality Assurance Inspection and PCI they complete, 75 years on.

Founder of Australia's oldest volume builder, Gary Simonds in 1968

Our founder Gary Simonds all the way back in 1968.

What to expect during your PCI?

We'll be checking every feature and fixture, big and small.

After your PCI has been completed, you’ll still need to receive your Certificate of Occupancy (CO), bank valuation and final invoice for your exciting Settlement stage before you can move in.

If you’re renting, it’s important to wait for the all clear from your Site Supervisor before giving notice to your landlord. This is because if there are any touch ups required at PCI or unforeseen delays with your CO or bank valuation (which are unfortunately out of our control) this could take time to rectify before you’re handed the keys.

By the time you’ve reached your PCI, the finish line is edging closer. But first, let’s take a look at what you can expect during this exciting stage.

what is a pci inspection

Paint

A big part of your PCI is ensuring you’re happy with the paint job on your walls, ceilings and inside areas like your linen cupboards and built-in robes. During your build, once your plaster and waterproofing have been completed and your Site Supervisor has done their pre-paint inspection, the painters are called in to get to work.

After this point, you’ll have a number of different trades, from tilers to plumbers and electricians coming through your home to complete their part of the works. With so many trades moving in and out of the home during these stages, marks can occasionally appear on your paint work. These are easy to fix, cosmetic touch ups that can happen when there’s lots of action on site. Your Site Supervisor will pick up on these and point them out during your PCI, marking the spot with blue tape. They’ll get the painters back in to rectify the area, ensuring that you’re happy with the finished job.

checking quality of paint during a pci inspection at tallaganda 34

Cabinets

During your PCI, you’ll go around with your Site Supervisor testing all of your cupboards, drawers and built-in robes to ensure they’re all aligned, and they open and close easily. Same goes for your windows and doors, as we want to give you peace of mind that all of your sets of keys are correct and your locks are in perfect working order.

assessing cabinetry during a pci inspection at akuna 29

Lights and taps

We’ll go around testing all of your lights, checking your toilets flush correctly and making sure every power point is working properly. We’ll test every tap, checking things like water pressure and making sure there’s no issues with your plugs or drainage.

Visit our display homes to see what the finished product looks like.