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Residential Building Inspections
Professional Industry Experience
So it’s important that you know that Contractors and Building Inspectors will only give you short term solution of what needs fixing today.
Does not address root cause of the problem
Incomplete biased advice
Unregulated industry
Not qualified to diagnose structural risk or causation
Same tick-box checklist for every home
Inspection report = simple list of visible defects
While a Building Engineer can give you an expert diagnosis with independent risks and costs so that you’re in control of what happens in the future.
Structural cracking of walls, ceilings and floors
Foundation floor movement
Roof and wall structural failure
Stormwater drainage, wet area leaks and moisture issues
Retaining wall movement and unstable slope conditions
Planning issues related to renovations
When things go wrong, homeowners and insurers don’t call Contractors or Building Inspectors, they call Engineers like us to investigate.
Hidden Building Repair Costs
$25,000 - $80,000
Not covered by insurance. Missed by building inspectors.
Foundation Underpinning & Drainage
Structural Building Movement (Eltham VIC)
Chris Dafter (Founder, Home Toolkit) | Chartered Engineer (CPEng, NER)
Registered Building Practitioner (RBP, RPEng)
For over a decade, I was a forensic, structural and civil engineer.
I inspected thousands of Melbourne homes under major insurance claims. And I saw the same gut-wrenching scene again and again. Families stressed out and facing massive repair bills (typically $40,000 to $150,000+)! Why? Because nearly every claim I investigated was rejected by the insurer as “pre-existing damage.” No cover and no help.
I was always called in too late. Most families in trouble, had done everything “right” and hired a standard building inspector or contractor to "fix" the problem.
But skipping straight to the fix nearly always misses the critical issues. Like structural problems, foundation movement, or the things that cause the big expensive failures. I saw the unfair playing field clearly: insurers protect themselves by sending chartered engineers to fight claims, whilst homeowners get sent in with a checklist. That never sat right with me.
So I walked away from the insurance work and built something different.
A comprehensive building engineering service that puts homeowners on the same footing as the insurers.
Our team are Chartered Professional Engineers and Registered Building Practitioners.
Our job is to give you the facts. We tell you what’s really going on and what it will cost, then give you a clear plan for exactly what to do next.
Our background is in building engineering, structural design and consulting. Unlike building inspectors, we can diagnose the root cause of issues and give you a plan for the future. You’re not just getting an opinion; you’re getting an expert evaluation from chartered professional engineers.
Our Building Engineer Report includes a full Structural Engineer and Building Inspection plus a lot more. You’re not paying extra; you’re just getting more.
If we find something serious, we’ll break it down for you in plain English. We will work with you for as long as it takes, to ensure that you are confident with the next steps.
We’re typically on-site for 3-4 hours, depending on property size. You’ll receive a full written report with findings, photos, and recommendations within 1 week. Faster turnaround time can be arranged if needed.
We specialise in established residential homes. No apartments or high-rises. We service Melbourne suburbs from Greensborough and Eltham through Heidelberg, Kew, Balwyn, Box Hill and Doncaster, across to Ringwood, Croydon and Glen Waverley, and down to Brighton and Cheltenham. We also service Bayside and Mornington Peninsula.
Absolutely. We don’t leave you with just a report, we include a 1-on-1 phone debrief to answer your questions and guide your next steps. We are committed to helping you understand the condition of your home.
Feel free to book a call with Chris. You can also contact us at [email protected] or call us on 0492 909 191 for questions, quotes or advice.
We never share your details with third parties.
On-site inspection (we inspect for 3-4hrs, where others average 1hr)
Building defect catalogue (structural and building defects)
Moisture readings (visible leak detection)
Thermal imagery (heat & moisture patterns)
Subfloor crawler (robot inspection under the building)
Roof drainage & condition imagery (drone imagery)
Structural engineer assessment (registered building engineer)
Damage causation report (diagnosing the root cause of the problem)
Foundation & floor monitoring (digital level survey, footing assessment)
Load bearing assessment (sag, loads, structural elements)
Site & drainage classification (civil engineering assessment)
Remediation plan (prioritised with sequenced next steps)
Specialist referrals (incl. to licensed building professionals)
Land & planning report (zoning, overlays, easements)
Cost guidance & risk assessment (repair & maintenance cost ranges)
Renovation feasibility advice (preliminary options review)
Post-inspection debrief meeting (engineer walk-through of all the findings)
On-demand phone support (get your questions answered, even after moving in)
And if you are not clear on what to do next,
we will keep working with you until you are!

We service Melbourne suburbs from Greensborough and Eltham through Heidelberg, Kew, Balwyn, Box Hill and Doncaster, across to Ringwood, Croydon and Glen Waverley, and down to Brighton and Cheltenham. We also service Geelong, Bayside and Mornington Peninsula.
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