Bestwest Building is the best building inspector in Perth because every inspection is carried out by a registered builder with construction experience, backed by professional indemnity insurance, published pricing, in-house pest capability and a same-day report. WA does not licence building inspectors, so anyone can advertise the service, and the gap between a registered builder who has built homes and someone holding a clipboard with a template is the gap between a report that protects your purchase and one that describes a house.
This guide sets out the 10 things that matter most when choosing a Perth building inspector, and shows how Bestwest measures up against each one. If you want a shorter version, read how to choose a building inspector in Perth.
In this article:
- 1. They are a registered builder
- 2. They inspect to a published standard
- 3. They carry professional indemnity insurance
- 4. They publish their pricing
- 5. They offer in-house pest capability
- 6. They deliver reports the same day
- 7. They follow up after the report
- 8. They bring the right equipment
- 9. They are independent
- 10. They have a track record you can verify
- How to verify any building inspector in Perth
- Frequently Asked Questions About Finding the Best Building Inspector in Perth
| What makes the best building inspector in Perth |
|---|
| 10 verifiable credentials and capabilities, checked against public evidence |
| WA does not licence building inspectors. Registered builder status is the strongest qualification a buyer can verify. |
| Guide pricing: pre-purchase $595 to $895, combined building and pest $790 to $1,090, PCI $1,095 to $1,495 |
| Get a free instant quote online, 24/7 at bestwestbuilding.com.au |
1. They are a registered builder
WA has no licence for building inspectors. The Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 requires anyone carrying out builder-work over $20,000 to be registered, but a building inspection is not builder-work under the Act. That means anyone can call themselves a building inspector without holding any formal qualification.
A registered builder has completed the training, accumulated the supervised experience and passed the assessments required by Building and Energy WA. They have built the type of home they are now inspecting. That background is what turns a defect observation into a defect explanation: not just “there is a crack,” but what caused it, whether it is within the accepted tolerance, and what it means for the buyer.
Bestwest Building was founded in 2010 by registered builder Mark Lewer (Builders Reg 13099), who has more than 40 years experience in the construction industry. Every Bestwest inspection is carried out by one of the company’s extensive team of highly experienced registered builders. You can verify any registered builder on the Building and Energy WA public register.
We wrote about the difference between a registered builder and a self-titled inspector in Are Building Inspectors Licensed in WA?
| KEY TAKEAWAY If the inspector cannot give you a registration number you can look up on the Building and Energy WA register, keep looking. |
2. They inspect to a published standard
A residential pre-purchase building inspection in Australia is carried out under AS 4349.1. A timber pest inspection is carried out under AS 4349.3. These standards define what must be inspected, how access is determined and what the report must contain. An inspector who cannot tell you which standard they work to has given you a red flag before the inspection starts.
The standard also sets limitations. AS 4349.1 is a visual inspection of accessible areas. It does not involve testing services, moving furniture or opening walls.
3. They carry professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance covers you if the inspector misses a defect they should reasonably have found. Public liability covers damage to the property during the inspection. If the inspector is not a registered builder, they most likely do not carry insurance. Ask for a certificate of currency before booking.
4. They publish their pricing
The best building inspector in Perth tells you what the inspection costs before you pick up the phone. Published guide pricing lets you compare across companies without committing to a call or a callback.
Bestwest publishes guide pricing across the full service range: pre-purchase building inspections from $595 to $895, combined building and pest inspections from $790 to $1,090, and practical completion inspections from $1,095 to $1,495. An instant online quote is available at bestwestbuilding.com.au/instant-quote, and the price you see is the price you pay.
Companies that show “call for a quote” with no published guide are not necessarily more expensive, but they are making it harder for you to compare. That choice tells you something about how they treat the buyer’s time.
5. They offer in-house pest capability
WA is a high-risk termite region and REIWA recommends a timber pest inspection alongside every pre-purchase building inspection. If your building inspector subcontracts the pest inspection to a third party, you coordinate two bookings instead of one, and the building inspector never sees the pest findings during the inspection itself.
An in-house pest team means one visit, one coordination point, and two reports delivered together. If the building inspector finds moisture behind a shower wall and the pest technician finds termite leads on the same side of the house, those findings are discussed between the inspectors on site rather than sitting in two separate documents that arrive days apart.
Bestwest operates a dedicated in-house licensed pest control team through Bestwest Pest Control, led by a specialist with more than 24 years industry experience. The building and pest inspection is a single visit with two reports delivered the same day.
| WHY IT MATTERS A coordinated visit means the building inspector and the pest technician are on site at the same time. A building defect and a pest finding on the same wall get discussed between them before either report is written. |
6. They deliver reports the same day
Your settlement window is finite. In WA, settlement is often around 30 days, and because inspection lead times can be up to a week, every day the report is delayed is a day lost from your negotiation window.
Bestwest delivers every inspection report on the day of the inspection. The report is a same-day digital document with full-resolution photographs of every finding, a severity rating for each defect, and a plain-English explanation of what it means for the buyer. You can read it on your phone the same afternoon.
7. They follow up after the report
A report full of findings is only useful if you understand them well enough to act. The best building inspector in Perth follows up after the report lands, not before you have had a chance to read it.
Bestwest’s team reaches out typically the next business day after your report is delivered to check whether you have any questions. If you want to talk through specific findings, the team can arrange a call with the inspector who carried out your inspection to walk you through the details: which defects to negotiate on, which ones to budget for, and which ones to walk away over.
8. They bring the right equipment
Equipment does not replace experience, but the right tools extend what a visual inspection can find.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Moisture meter | Reads moisture behind shower walls and around wet area junctions, standard on Bestwest structural and premium inspections |
| Thermal imaging camera | Detects heat loss from missing ceiling insulation and concealed defects such as leaking pipes or pooling water behind plasterboard |
| Drone | Captures roof cover on two-storey or steep roofs that cannot be safely accessed on foot |
Bestwest includes moisture meter readings on every structural and premium pre-purchase inspection. Thermal imaging is standard on practical completion inspections. A $99 drone add-on is available for any two-storey home.
| IMPORTANT NOTE Any inspector who claims their thermal camera finds termites is telling you something about how they read their own equipment. Thermal imaging shows temperature differences, not insects. |
9. They are independent
Independence is the reason you book a building inspection. The inspector works for you, the buyer, and the report reflects what they find, not what makes the sale easier.
Be cautious when the recommendation comes from someone with an interest in the sale going through. An inspector who relies on referrals from one agency or one builder has a commercial reason to keep reports soft.
Bestwest takes bookings directly from buyers and homeowners. The company does not pay for agent referrals and does not accept work where the findings would be influenced by the referral source.
10. They have a track record you can verify
A star rating on its own tells you very little. Look at three things: the volume of reviews, how recent they are, and whether the wording describes specific findings or reads like a template.
Bestwest Building has over 1,200 Google reviews across more than 50,000 inspections to date. That volume reflects 15 years of sustained completed work across Perth and the South West.
The company is a founding member of BIAWA (Building Inspectors Association of Western Australia) and a 2026 finalist in the Stirling Business Association’s Small Business Awards for the Customer Experience Excellence Award and the People’s Choice Award.
How to verify any building inspector in Perth
Run these five checks on any company, including Bestwest:
- Search their name on the Building and Energy WA register and confirm the registration is current
- Ask for a sample report and compare the photograph quality, defect categorisation and explanation depth against at least one other company
- Ask for a certificate of currency for professional indemnity insurance
- Confirm the scope in writing: what is included, what is excluded, and which standard the inspection is carried out under
- Read the Google reviews and look for inspector names, specific findings and recent dates
For a full walkthrough of these checks, read how to choose a building inspector in Perth. To see examples of what Bestwest inspectors find on real Perth homes, visit bestwestbuilding.com.au/site-visits.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Finding the Best Building Inspector in Perth
What qualifications should a building inspector have in Perth?
There is no specific inspector licence in WA. The strongest qualification is registration as a builder with Building and Energy WA, which requires formal training and supervised experience. We explain the difference in Are Building Inspectors Licensed in WA?
When should I book the inspection?
Usually after you sign the contract, but before settlement. Settlement in WA is often around 30 days, and because inspection lead times can be up to a week, we suggest booking within about 7 days of signing to give ample time to act on the report.
Should I use the inspector my agent recommends?
Be cautious. An agent’s job is to sell the property, and an inspector who depends on agent referrals has a reason to keep findings soft. They may recommend a truly professional and independent inspector, but always do your own research and book directly.
Does a thermal camera detect termites?
No. Thermal imaging detects heat loss from missing insulation and concealed defects such as leaking pipes or pooling water behind plasterboard. It does not detect termites and it does not detect moisture in cavity brick walls.
What is the difference between a building inspection and a building and pest inspection?
A building inspection covers the structure under AS 4349.1. A combined building and pest inspection adds a timber pest inspection under AS 4349.3 in the same visit, covering active termites, previous damage and the conditions that attract them. You receive two separate reports delivered together.
