A thermal imaging inspection in Perth uses an infrared camera to detect temperature differences across the surfaces of a building. Those temperature differences reveal things a visual inspection alone cannot: heat loss from missing or inadequate insulation in the roof space, and certain concealed defects not visible to the naked eye. If you are buying an established home and want the most thorough inspection available, thermal imaging is one of the tools Bestwest Building uses to go beyond the standard scope.
Thermal imaging is available as part of Bestwest Building’s thermal inspections service and is included with our premium pre-purchase building inspection option. It is a Bestwest Building differentiator in the Perth market, and it matters most in older homes, poorly insulated roofs, and buildings where concealed defects are suspected but not visible.
| Thermal Imaging Inspection: Key Facts at a Glance |
Detects heat loss from missing or inadequate insulation in the roof space |
Identifies certain concealed defects not visible during a standard visual inspection |
Does NOT detect moisture in brick walls (moisture meters are used for this purpose) |
Most effective in conditions with a meaningful temperature difference between inside and outside |
Conducted by Bestwest Building’s registered builders as part of premium inspections |
Results documented with thermal images and written findings in your same-day report |
Get an instant personalised quote at bestwestbuilding.com.au |
What Does a Thermal Imaging Inspection Actually Find?
The most common and valuable application of thermal imaging in a building inspection context is identifying heat loss from missing or inadequate insulation in the roof space. In the Perth climate, insulation performance directly affects energy costs and indoor comfort. Thermal imaging reveals gaps, voids, or areas where insulation is absent, shifted, or deteriorated, which may not be visible through a standard roof space inspection.
Thermal cameras also assist in identifying certain concealed defects not visible to the naked eye. A key example is leaking pipes or areas of pooling water behind materials that cannot be accessed during a standard inspection. Plasterboard walls, roof space cavities, and roof eaves are areas where water can accumulate without any visible sign on the surface. Because water at a different temperature to its surroundings creates a heat variance, the thermal camera can detect that variance through the material, even when the moisture itself is not visible.
This makes thermal imaging particularly useful for locating the source of an unexplained water issue, or for identifying pooling in a roof space or eave cavity that a physical inspection cannot reach.
The thermal camera does not see through walls in the way an X-ray does. It reads surface temperature. What it detects is a temperature difference on a surface, which can indicate something unusual behind it. The inspector’s role is to interpret those differences in context and determine whether they warrant further investigation.
What Thermal Imaging Does NOT Detect: The Moisture Misconception
This is one of the most common misunderstandings about thermal imaging in building inspections, and it is important to be clear about it.
This is one of the most common misunderstandings about thermal imaging in building inspections, and it is worth addressing clearly.
The claim that thermal imaging reliably detects moisture in walls is often overstated. In most Perth residential construction, it is not straightforward. Cavity brickwork, which is the dominant construction method in Perth, presents a thick, thermally stable wall system. Basic moisture within a solid masonry wall will rarely produce a surface temperature difference detectable by a thermal camera under normal inspection conditions.
However, the picture is more nuanced than a flat no. If there is a leaking hot water pipe within a cavity brick wall, the heat from that pipe may produce a localised warm patch visible on the wall surface. If the wall is stud-framed with plasterboard cladding, the plasterboard is thin enough that a thermal camera can often detect heat variance on the other side. In these cases, thermal imaging can be a useful indicator that something is occurring behind the surface, and warrants further investigation.
What Bestwest Building does not do is present thermal imaging as a reliable moisture detection tool for standard cavity brickwork. That claim is misleading in the Perth context, and we will not make it.
Moisture assessment in walls is carried out using a moisture meter, deployed where there is visual evidence of damp such as efflorescence on brickwork, bubbling or lifting paint, tide marks at skirting level, or staining on internal linings. For wet areas including bathrooms, ensuite areas, and laundries, moisture meter testing to the walls behind showers is standard in Bestwest Building’s structural and premium pre-purchase building inspections.
For wet areas including bathrooms and ensuite areas, moisture meter testing to the walls behind showers is standard practice in Bestwest Building’s structural and premium pre-purchase building inspections. This is the correct tool for this application.
What Thermal Imaging Does NOT Detect: Thermal Imaging Can Detect Termites
Another point worth clarifying. A thermal termite inspection is a specific pest inspection Some building inspection companies present a thermal camera as a tool for detecting termite activity. The claim does not hold up to scrutiny. Termites are small insects. A thermal camera reads surface temperature differences measured in fractions of a degree. The idea that a camera reading wall surface temperatures can locate an insect through a wall is not realistic, and Bestwest Building does not make that claim.
Where this causes confusion is that some pest inspectors do use thermal cameras as part of a timber pest inspection, looking for heat signatures consistent with active termite workings in areas of high activity. This is a specific application, in specific conditions, carried out by a licensed pest inspector as part of a dedicated pest assessment. It is a different tool application from what a thermal camera does in a building inspection context.
At Bestwest Building, thermal imaging is part of the building inspection and is used to detect heat loss and concealed building defects. Timber pest assessment is conducted separately under a combined building and pest inspection by licensed pest inspectors
When Is Thermal Imaging Most Effective?
Thermal imaging works best when there is a meaningful temperature difference between building materials. In Perth’s climate, this means the tool is most effective during cooler months (May to September) and in the hotter months (December to February) when the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature is most pronounced.
Thermal imaging is also most valuable in:
Older homes: Properties built before the widespread adoption of insulation standards often have significant gaps or absent insulation in the roof space. Thermal imaging makes these visible quickly and reliably.
Homes with unexplained energy bills: If a property has unusually high heating or cooling costs, thermal imaging in the roof space can identify whether insulation performance is the cause.
Properties where prior inspection reports have flagged unexplained issues: Thermal imaging can assist in narrowing down the location of a suspected problem when visual inspection has not provided a clear answer.
Thermal Imaging and Your Inspection Report
Where thermal imaging is used during a Bestwest Building inspection, the findings are documented in your same-day report with thermal images alongside standard photographs. The inspector’s written findings explain what the thermal image shows and whether further investigation is recommended.
Thermal images are always interpreted by the inspector in context. A temperature anomaly on a wall surface does not automatically mean a defect: it could reflect a structural element, a service run, or an environmental condition. The value of thermal imaging lies in the inspector’s trained interpretation of what the camera shows, not in the raw image alone.
Book a Thermal Imaging Inspection in Perth with Bestwest Building
Bestwest Building’s extensive team of highly experienced registered builders has completed 50,000+ inspections across Perth and South West WA. Get a free instant quote at bestwestbuilding.com.au, or call us on (08) 9444 9562. Ask about thermal imaging availability when you book.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thermal Imaging Inspections in Perth
What does a thermal imaging inspection find that a standard inspection misses?
Thermal imaging primarily detects heat loss from missing or inadequate insulation in the roof space, as well as certain concealed defects not visible during a standard visual inspection. It does not detect moisture in brick walls: that requires a moisture meter deployed where there is visual evidence of damp.
Can thermal cameras detect moisture in walls?
Not reliably in Perth’s predominantly cavity brick construction. Claims that thermal imaging can detect moisture in brick walls are not accurate in this context. Moisture assessment in walls is carried out using a moisture meter, deployed where there is visual evidence of damp such as efflorescence, bubbling paint, or tide marks at skirting level. In wet areas including bathrooms and ensuite areas, moisture meter testing behind showers is standard in Bestwest Building’s structural and premium inspections.
Is thermal imaging worth it for a Perth building inspection?
Yes, particularly for older homes, properties with suspected insulation deficiencies, or buyers who want the most thorough inspection available. Thermal imaging adds a layer of assessment that a standard visual inspection cannot provide, especially in the roof space where insulation condition directly affects energy performance and comfort. It is included in Bestwest Building’s premium pre-purchase building inspection option.
Is a thermal building inspection the same as a thermal termite inspection?
No, and the distinction matters.
A thermal building inspection uses an infrared camera to detect heat loss from missing insulation, concealed defects, and in some cases moisture from leaking pipes behind surfaces. It is a building condition tool, used by registered builders to assess the structure and fabric of a home.
A thermal termite inspection is a completely different claim made by some pest inspectors, suggesting a thermal camera can detect termites inside walls. Think about what that would actually require: the camera would need to detect the heat signature of an insect, through a solid building material. That is not how infrared cameras work, and the claim does not hold up to scrutiny.
At Bestwest Building, we do not use our thermal camera to look for termites, and we do not tell clients it can. Timber pest assessment is conducted separately under a combined building and pest inspection by our licensed pest inspectors, using the correct tools and methodology for that purpose.
