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Rapid Building Inspections

Rapid Building Inspections

 Verified
Rapid Building Inspections
3.2

120 reviews

Positive vs Negative
59%41%
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Customer Service
3.5
Job Satisfaction ?
3.3
120 reviews
5 Ken S.  · A quite detailed report showed a careful and extensive inspection was done. I can't know if anything was missed but it seemed well done.
5 siavosh g.  · Alan was very thorough and tested every part of the building, from inside and outside and I'm satisfied with the report.
5 Max B.  · Thorough and very investigative. Informed me of any areas of concern and recommended any remedial work which i have underway.
5 Laura  · Amazing, thorough report. Open to multiple conversations to talk it through and very knowledgeable and down to earth
1 RSP  · Not reachable just submit report with so many exception and excuses not a professional inspector
5 Baden  · Very quick and easy to organise. Detailed report and picked up several good things
Donna
DonnaVIC2 posts
 

Our building inspector was very thorough and brought to our attention things that we may have overlooked. I wish I had used rapid building inspections on another property earlier. I would highly recommend them for your own building inspection

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David T
David T
 

The whole process with Rapid Inspections was excellent. Communication was spot on from the get go. A very comprehensive inspection was provided by Dave who was friendly and professional throughout and provided a clear, concise and actionable report in a very quick turnaround. Thoroughly recommend Rapid Inspections.

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Gelareh A.
Gelareh A.SA
 

Our experience with Rapid Building Inspection has been extremely disappointing, and based on what we have experienced, we cannot recommend this business. We contacted them to arrange inspections at several critical stages of our build, including earthworks, slab preparation, pouring and concreting. Each time, arrangements were discussed and we… Read more

were given the impression that an inspector would attend. However, despite these commitments, they repeatedly failed to attend our block and provide the inspection service they had promised.

The most recent inspection was supposed to take place on Friday. Our builder and the relevant work had to be coordinated around the agreed inspection timing. Then, only last night, we received an email advising that the person responsible is now on annual leave.

We completely understand that circumstances change and employees are entitled to take leave. However, when a business accepts an inspection, communicates back and forth with a client, coordinates timing with a builder, and knows that construction activities are being scheduled around that inspection, we believe it has a responsibility to either honour the commitment or arrange a suitable replacement.

What has been particularly frustrating is the repeated pattern of promises followed by non-attendance. Despite all the emails and arrangements, to date they have never actually attended our block of land to carry out the inspections we engaged them for.

This experience has raised very serious concerns for us about the reliability and professionalism of this business. When dealing with something as important and time-sensitive as building inspections, clients need to be able to trust that an inspector will actually attend when arrangements have been confirmed.

Based on our experience, we would highly recommend that anyone considering using Rapid Building Inspection exercise caution and carefully confirm exactly who will be attending, when they will attend, and what will happen if the nominated inspector becomes unavailable.

We certainly would not use this company again and cannot recommend their services.

Reviews with attachments

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Michael S.
Michael S.NSW6 posts
  Verified

Failed to report serious building faults and did not redress it – We engaged RBI to inspect our son's townhouse, in particular the roof since some water damage was evident on the ceiling and walls. So they attended, took some lovely photos with a drone and delivered their report very promptly stating they detected no major problems and falsely claimed their view was obstructed. What I found at the property was… Read more

vastly different to the report.

Immediately upon entering the 3 bedrooms and bathroom it was evident the ceilings were sagging quite significantly. When I lifted the manhole cover and poked my head through it was immediately evident that the ceiling had separated from the joists and was in a state of near collapse. I had a clear unobstructed view of this without actually having to climb up into the cavity.

So I went back to the report thinking how on earth could a suitably qualified building inspector miss something like this? And sure enough, there in the report were several tiny photos of the roof cavity which looked actually quite clean and tidy. So I zoomed in for a closer look and despite the resolution being quite low you could clearly see the separation of the ceiling from the joists!

So I called RBI to report the discrepancy and to seek an explanation, and I was fobbed off on the phone and told I must submit a claim and provide photographic evidence. I protested that they have all the photographic evidence they need since they would have the inspectors original high resolution photos. He insisted I submit a claim which I did with photos. I have since contacted them several times by email and phone and get fobbed off with “our team is investigating”.

So I started researching “other” reviews about this company, and I found that many others had had similar painful experiences including the following

1. Non-reporting of blatantly obvious building faults 2. Failure to respond 3. Failure to redress this matter 4. Explicitly denying refund. 5. Not admitting any failure on their part.

Professionalism - ZERO. Credentials - ZERO. Service - ZERO. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

Michael S.
Michael S.   

Integrity - ZERO, Accountability - ZERO

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Cana
CanaVIC
 

Missed water leak and water damage in bathroom. Wouldn’t recommend them. I sent feedback and never received a response.

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Bronson H.
Bronson H.VIC
  Verified

Ron inspected my house for a building and pest inspection. He not only did a thorough job with the report with extensive amounts of photos and descriptions but also went out of his way to stay back at the property with me and answer all my questions and provide great insight so I had a better understanding. Thanks again to Ron who I would highly recommend!

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David
DavidNSW4 posts
  Verified

Would not answer the call – I got this guy to do the pre purchase building and pest inspection for my property. They failed to pick up the obvious termite damages which could cost over 100k to fix. Tried to contact them to address the issue. They would not return my call after learning they made a terrible mistake. Now I have to engage the law to file a law court case. STAY AWAY FROM THIS SCAM.

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Hung Quoc Nguyen
Hung Quoc Nguyen3 posts
 

Horrible service. Waste of money – We paid for the Pre-Purchase Report for a new house. The guy came and did his inspection and provided us with a report. After we bought the property, we found serious structural problems with the house. We would not have bought the house if Rapid Inspections had identified these issues. We sent a complaint to Rapid Inspections and they sent… Read more

the same person to come back for another assessment. He came with a clipboard and took some photos. He didn't bring any tools and didn't measure anything. The whole inspection was visual only. He assured us that some of our concerns were wrong and said that he would contact the builder regarding the other issues. As far as we know, he didn't do this. He didn't send us an updated report and the builder never contacted us to fix anything. Rapid Inspections never followed up on our complaint either or bothered to contact us to see if the complaint was resolved. Attached photos are some of the things Rapid Inspections missed - giant hole in plasterwork, exposed garage beams not painted, house is leaning (not a joke - disgraceful that a building inspector missed this), plumbing not connected because connections not even installed, broken brickwork, and roof flashing that is not secured and exposed.

Positive reviews

Bree
Bree3 posts
 

Outstanding service. I was able to get an inspection booked very quickly and the inspector was thorough, patient, and explained everything well when I attended the inspection with him. The report was back to me on the same day. Thank you!

Elizabeth
Elizabeth2 posts
 

QLD Building & Pest Insp- thank you Alan for a very thorough detailed report. Clearly has the knowledge & experience. So easy to deal with a short notice booking. Will definitely use again.

David M.
David M.
  Verified

Alan from Rapid Inspections (Qld) reported on our prospective new townhouse villa on Hope Island. As a practicing Building Certifier, I'm inclined to view pre-purchase inspections with some scepticism in terms of reporting limitations, exclusions and self evident access obstructions. However, Alan's report was insightful and, importantly he phoned… Read more

me to report a significant/major defect regarding water leakage into the floor slab. Without immediate action potential health consequences are likely so thanks Alan for the prompt call to notify the important defect.

Negative reviews

Trudi
TrudiQLD4 posts
 

Absolutely the worst experience I’ve ever had with a company. Avoid at all costs. They do not do what they are asked and the report was false on two levels and had to have another report done by reputable company to confirm

Find out how Rapid Building Inspections compares to other Home Inspection Companies

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Chris
Chris
 

Unreliable at critical stages. I used Rapid Building Inspections for multiple stage inspections (slab, frame, and lock-up) and was generally satisfied with the quality of the inspections themselves. However, there were several issues with reliability and coordination throughout the process. The lock-up stage had to be rescheduled multiple… Read more

times, largely due to a lack of alignment between the builder and inspector on what constituted “lock-up.” On at least one occasion, the inspector did not attend the scheduled appointment, which required further rescheduling.

By the time the inspection was eventually completed, the build had progressed significantly. As a result, several areas were obstructed, and parts of the inspection could not be fully assessed or clearly documented in photos.

The biggest issue came at the most critical stage — the final handover inspection. I initially engaged them with the intention of using their service for all stages and requested a quote accordingly. When it came time to book the final inspection, my email was not responded to. After following up by phone, I was advised they would not be available for approximately six weeks.

I understand and respect the reason given (the inspector being unavailable due to the birth of a child), however this lack of availability was not communicated in advance. Given how time-sensitive handover inspections are, this left me in a difficult position.

Additionally, the expected discount structure was not applied as anticipated, which added to the frustration.

Overall, while the inspections themselves were professional, the ongoing scheduling issues, lack of communication, and unavailability at the most critical stage mean I cannot rely on them for end-to-end service.

Wayne C.
Wayne C.QLD
 

Rapid were booked a week before our open house and turned up on time. We were not told that the inspection included very wide photos of our house, rooms and outside. We werent given a chance to move our possession and rubbish out of the shots. As a result the photos were an embarrassment because of the timing. I phoned them back when we got the… Read more

report and asked if they could come back and do more pictures. They declined. I phoned them back to explain and ask again - they agreed but it would cost about $300. They said the inspector was about 15km away and would come again and it would include a new inspection. Less than two days out from our open house it was cancelled as they claimed it needed certification of any changes. So much stuff around - it depends on who you get at the call centre in Melbourne ..... we are in Strathpine.

Recent reviews

Ayoh
AyohVIC
 

Unprofessional and not recommended. Report had errors, was vague and of low quality. For example: - The report had many photos that were so underexposed that no useful details were visible. I was able to subsequently take better photos with my own phone of the same subfloor location during my own inspection. - Obvious questions about the… Read more

condition of the house were not answered, e.g., does the house have ceiling insulation? they could answer this basic question. Roof cavity photos were so underexposed you could not see any details. - The report's moisture measurements included photos of a moisture reader placed on bathroom tiles that do not correspond to any room present in the inspected house (the report had photos of old tiled bathroom surfaces that are definitely not present in any bathroom in the inspected house - I inspected the house three times). The inspector likely mixed up photos from a different inspection. - Comments were quite vague and not helpful. The inspector did not seem to remember any details from an inspection they conducted six days prior.

Melinda T.
Melinda T.Victoria
 

Absolutely fantastic. The inspection was completed and we received a phone call straight away. Ron was very honest and candid about what he found and disclosed information that helped us make a final and informed decision. Would absolutely recommend this service.

jeremy n.
jeremy n.
 

Full disclossure, Im a builder from out of state. My son engaged these guys to do a pre purchase inspection. The first report was not worth the paper written on. They were good enough to send out another inspector the following week however he didnt find the water eggress issues mentioned in the the first report but did find a few others that the first guy didnt pick up on. All in all an absolute waste of time and money.

George
GeorgeQLD3 posts
 

Unfortunately, the inspector made out the report to look like the property was in a really bad state, calling blind cords a major defect in the property, ffs! also alot of other issues that had nothing to do with the actual building of the property. The building is renovated, old but totally taken care of. they did get it right on two minor issues… Read more

but made the buyer pull out of the sale. very dissappointed and even contacted them with the concerns

AJm
AJmQLD
 

They couldn't find any defects in my new building ( inspected multiple times) and money I paid was just wasted. I regret that I lost the money for such a poor service.I am glad that I arranged another private inspecter, who came with equipments and found lots of mistakes all over my same new house and some dangerous materials ( on roof) so quickly. Such a waste of money and time booking these guys Show details

Jasmine S.
Jasmine S.5 posts
 

I booked a pre purchase building inspection through RBI in Nov 2024 for a property which we did not ultimately purchase. In April 2025 I engaged RBI again for another pre-purchase inspection where I was charged 45% more for a similar inspection. There was no additional value to the inspection or report from this price increase. I queried this… Read more

price difference and they directed me to the inspector. When I contacted the inspector they referred me back to RBI. My query remains unresolved.

matt g.
matt g.NSW7 posts
  Verified

Unaccountable & Unreliable – Avoid at all cost...... I had a highly disappointing experience with Rapid Building Inspections. I initially booked a building and pest inspection two weeks in advance. Unfortunately, the inspection had to be rescheduled to the following week as the inspector fell ill. Understanding that unforeseen circumstances occur, I agreed to the new date.… Read more

However, on the rescheduled day, the inspector failed to show up without any notice, which left me in a precarious position considering the contract deadline was the very next day, December 24th.

Despite multiple attempts to contact the company for an explanation or a solution, responses were non-existent. I spent the entire morning until 13:00 trying to reach someone with no success. This lack of reliability and professionalism has not only caused significant inconvenience but also impacted my contractual obligations negatively.

Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Rapid Building Inspections. They demonstrated a lack of accountability and reliability, which are crucial in the building and pest inspection industry.

Find out how Rapid Building Inspections compares to other Home Inspection Companies

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Ali
AliVIC2 posts
 

Poor Customer service – I would like to take time and write about the poor customer service provided by your service consultant Jo Unger. Who didn't acknowledge my email request to arrange an inspector for lock up stage but also didn't call back after leaving multiple messages by other consultants. Due to this act I missed out on our builder to start the plaster job.… Read more

Which will now start mid January 2025. If you don't have an inspector just acknowledge your client email earlier so that we can arrange someone else rather than ignoring customers emails and phone calls.

Michael S
Michael SNSW3 posts
 

Do not use rapid building inspections – I wouldn’t recommend anyone auctioning their home to use rapid building inspections for a pest and building report. Furthermore, if you were considering using rapid building inspections for a new home report, I would choose someone else for the following reasons. Firstly, I was told by a customer service agent that my house wasn’t within the… Read more

Sydney basin, before I could finish telling the customer service agent what my postcode was she hung up. Customer service representatives are not equipped to give accurate information. They’ll schedule a date of appointment with you and move the appointment at 4 o’clock the day before they’re due to arrive. Reports long winded and confusing. The Inspectors conducting the reports will ask questions like, “has the house ever had termite activity”… to trick unsuspecting clients into admitting defects in the home, then adding it into the report without any evidence. The inspectors will make reference in the report to structural defects, where only minor defects should be noted. When you question the report and try to contact Brian Reynolds for clarification, he either refuses to respond, or does not receive messages and emails. What a waste of $$$. These reports are a joke.

Ange
AngeVIC
 

If you love throwing money away go with these guys – Do not pass go do not hand over a few hundred dollars. But seriously I hate the saying you get what you pay for but in this case you really do. Don’t be like me and do some better research before you throw your money away on these people.

Peter Ballarat
Peter Ballarat2 posts
  Verified

Hard sell and no follow up of complaints – Don't touch this mob. National organisation that subcontracts work to who ever is available at the time Hard sell at time of booking Our pre purchase inspection revealed "termites everywhere" - but no moisture or structural damage. 2 subsequent Pest inspections by vendor and myself revealed no termite activity at all. In addition the pest… Read more

inspection revealed some moisture ingress and minor damage that was not picked up in building inspection. The 2nd inspector concluded that Rapids inspector was not properly trained to use Termatrac equipment.

The Estate Agent involved thought Rapid's inspector was very unprofessional He was late for the appointment He left the lights on and the front door open when finished - after specifically being asked to lock up when he left He did not seem to know what he was doing – this comes from someone who observes this on a daily basis

The inaccurate Pest report led to great angst and stress on all the parties involved and almost led to the termination of our contract

I contacted Rapid Building Inspections 3 weeks ago asking for an explanation and refund. I'm still waiting for a reply

jerryg
jerrygVIC
 

Great Inspector – Hello Rapid Building Inspections, I am passing on my Thanks for organising a building inspection at such late notice. The reply to my online enquiry quote was very fast and communication via telephone was great. Your inspector Ron Smulders was brilliant. He arrived on time, was very courteous and helpful. Giving plenty of advice when questioned… Read more

and was very knowledgeable about the entire process of the inspection. He helped make what could be an anxious situation, calming & enjoyable. The report was very detailed and the photos were well taken. I will be recommending your team. Thanks again

Ron
Ron
  Verified

Inexperienced inspectors with money making business strategies – I had Rapid to carry out 'framing inspection' in Werribee. Given that the industry is full of cowboys, I did request a copy of sample report beforehand & I was provided a detailed report. So I agreed & paid the fee and the inspector by the name of "[Name Removed]" carried out inspection. I was basically given a bunch of photos in PDF saying "all… Read more

okay" - no regulation reference, no code or compliance reference whatsoever. So I challenged the credibility of the inspector and found that he subcontracted by Rapid and a random inexperienced moron carried out the inspection.

I've lodged a formal complaint to be reviewed and demanded for a second inspection but NOTHING! As expected, Rapid is a company that basically promote the building inspection and employ a bunch of 'failed inspectors' with their own ABNs. These lose end inspectors cannot find their own way, so they rely on Rapid.

Trust me, Rapid will charge you around $50 cheaper than others but IT'S NOT WORTH EVEN $10 to engage this money making idiots.

I ended up having a second inspector and he was well known and ex-builder with 3 decades of experience in construction. He gave me the report that I was looking for!

Stay away from Rapid

Rakesh Shrestha
Rakesh ShresthaQLD
 

Worst experience with building inspector – Building inspector was really rude and literally didn’t wanted to answer any of my questions. I regret for choosing my building inspection from rapid building inspection. Not happy

Ann-Marie D.
Ann-Marie D.QLD
 

Not qualified or retired builders – Inspector was lovely but I had a specific potential structural defect disclosed from the agent that needed attention - I spoke to the inspector prior and at no point did he say he wasnt qualified to check it. Receiving the report afterwards, there was no mention of my query anywhere in his report so I rang him directly. It was this conversation he… Read more

advised he wasnt qualified, he was only a visual inspector, not a builder. I had to pay for a 2nd opinion to come and re-do the building inspection.

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