Victoria’s housing crunch – A stitch in time saves nine

We have an age-old tug-of-war between quality and cost in a high-demand market, but this can’t be an excuse for oversights, shortcuts and poor work.

In the Victorian Building Authority’s last annual Proactive Inspections Report, of 1,610 inspections, 39 per cent of homes have compliance risks identified.

While the spot checks and good work by the VBA are reminders to the industry and a good conscience for builders, it simply cannot keep up with the sheer volume of homes being built, it is a sample of the market and at this rate not an authority or a vehicle for true accountability.

Of the 51,045 homes built in Victoria in 2023, this would account for almost 20,000 homes with compliance risks, excluding those which were identified as low risk.

If nothing changes, nothing changes

Currently, the required inspections are after the framing stage, is completed, and again upon completion of the build. There are hundreds of steps taken and countless tradespeople working on a project between these two stages, leaving a huge window for errors.

Change can be a daunting prospect for any industry, especially one under pressure but one simple step could have widespread benefit for home builders and home owners alike.

The early detection of errors during the pre-plaster inspection will lead to a higher standard of construction, translating into safer and more reliable homes for Victorians and improved quality.

A stitch in time

An additional inspection between framing and completion could have an enormous impact on the industry. One $500 inspection could save thousands in building cost blowouts and potentially hundreds of thousands for the home owner further down the track.

Mandating just one extra inspection at the pre-plaster stage could have an almost immeasurable benefit to the residential sector. This is the last point where the electrical and plumbing work is visible and can be fully inspected. This is not only critical to the quality of the build, but for the safety and longevity of the home as well.

Once the plasterboard is installed, it’s too late. The plasterboard could be masking extremely dangerous and costly defects, which have become all too common in the industry.

Change is win-win for builders and home owners

Improving quality: Early detection of errors during the mid-build inspection will lead to higher construction standards, which translates to safer, more reliable homes for Victorians. A second set of eyes allows for greater checks and balances.

Reducing costs: Catching mistakes early avoids the wasteful use of resources – manpower, materials, and time – needed to fix problems later. This is crucial in a construction market already stretched thin.

Saving time: Minimising rework through early detection improves project completion times and overall industry efficiency, freeing up valuable resources for other projects, and accelerating us towards that lofty housing target.

Cultural shift: With an additional inspection midway, tradespeople will be more accountable and will take greater care, which will lift standards across the sector. Papering over the cracks of poor craftsmanship will no longer be possible, and it won’t be accepted.

The time is now

As Victoria’s home builders put their collective shoulder to the wheel and provide much-needed housing, there must be a shift towards accountability and improving the quality of our work.

Whether it is written into legislation, or there is a collective responsibility within the industry, we must act now.

This year we will fall massively short of the forecasted housing provision in Victoria and without this change, we will see project timelines blow out, precious labour and materials wasted, and the housing target will become less achievable year on year.

Gabriel Yousif is the director of Fortier.