Cost guide
Building Inspection & Builder's Report Cost in NZ
What a builder's report costs, what moves the price — and why it's money well spent.
A pre-purchase building inspection (often called a builder's report) is one of the cheapest forms of insurance you'll ever buy — a few hundred dollars to avoid a six-figure mistake. Here's what to budget.
How much does a builder's report cost in NZ?
A builder's report in New Zealand commonly costs somewhere from around $400 to $1,200. Most standard three-bedroom homes land in the $500–$800 range for a full written pre-purchase report. Larger, older or more complex properties — or reports that add moisture readings and thermal imaging — sit at the upper end. For the size of the purchase it's protecting, it's exceptional value.
What moves the price
- Size of the home — more rooms, roof area and subfloor to inspect
- Age and construction type — older homes and monolithic-clad homes from the leaky era take longer to assess properly
- Depth of the report — a standard visual inspection versus added moisture testing or thermal imaging
- Access — steep sites, tight subfloors and roof spaces add time
What a builder's report covers
A proper report works through the roof, cladding, joinery, interior linings, subfloor, foundations and site drainage, and flags weathertightness risks, structural concerns and deferred maintenance. You get it in writing, with photos — the evidence you need to negotiate on price, budget for repairs, or walk away.
Why use a builder
As working builders, we look at a home through the eyes of someone who actually fixes these problems — so we can tell a cosmetic patch from a serious structural or weathertightness issue, and give you a realistic idea of what putting it right would cost.