Up until now, the quality of your build has often been negatively affected by subcontractors employed and supervised by your builder not being incentivised to deliver the quality both you and your builder require. Only the principal contractor and not their subcontractors were held to be responsible for work. Disputes involving untradesmanlike work and unmet schedules have become rife within the residential building industry . In an endeavour to change all this and improve the quality of residential construction generally, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) have just implemented a change to their existing policy which means good news for you.
According to the QBCC, from June 1 2015, “subcontractors will be held accountable for any defective work they do and will be required to rectify it or face disciplinary action which could result in suspension or cancellation of their licence”.
“If a subcontractor fails to comply with a QBCC direction to rectify a defect, the principal contractor will be required to rectify the defect or have another subcontractor rectify it, at the principal contractor’s cost”.
However, the QBCC would then take disciplinary action against the subcontractor, while the principal contractor would seek to recoup their costs from the subcontractor. See http://www.qbcc.qld.gov.au.
This should mean improved quality in residential construction with less defects and a smoother less stressful building experience which has got to be good for you the consumer. It’s also gathered strong industry support as a means of improving the overall level of professionalism in domestic construction. Nevertheless, as a further quality control measure, it’s always a good idea to get a building inspection conducted by a licensed and independent builder.
Now you can have detailed Stage Reports at Foundation, Frame, Lock-up or Waterproofing, and Fixing or Pre-painting Stages throughout the entire building process and finally, a comprehensive Handover Report on practical completion so you can make your progress payments with confidence.
