Most residential contracts of sale in Queensland include a building and pest inspection clause — a special condition that makes the contract subject to a satisfactory inspection result within a set number of business days after signing. Get the timing right and the clause does exactly what it is meant to: it gives you a written report in hand before you are locked in. Miss the window and you may have let your one formal opportunity to act on the findings run out. The clause itself is a legal instrument — its exact wording, what counts as "satisfactory" and what rights it gives you sit with your particular contract and your conveyancer or solicitor, not with your building inspector. What follows is the practical side: roughly what happens, in what order, and why the days between signing and the report matter more than almost anything else in the purchase.
What the clause actually does
A Queensland contract of sale is not automatically conditional on an inspection — the clause has to be included, usually as a special condition, and it is common but not universal. Cash purchases and auction sales typically carry no such clause at all. Where it is included, it makes the contract "subject to a satisfactory building and pest inspection" for a specified number of business days from the contract date. If a satisfactory result is not obtained within that period, the clause generally gives the buyer the right to terminate or to raise the findings with the seller — but exactly what "satisfactory" means, and what happens next, depends entirely on the wording used in that particular contract and any special conditions attached to it. This is a legal question, not a building one — always confirm the exact clause wording and your rights under it with your conveyancer or solicitor before relying on it.
A realistic timeline
The clause period is usually short, and every day of it matters. Here is roughly how it plays out once contracts are signed:
| Stage | What generally happens |
|---|---|
| Contract signed | The clause period starts running. Confirm the exact number of business days with your conveyancer straight away. |
| Book the inspection | Call as early in the period as you can. A combined building and pest inspection can usually be arranged within a day or two of booking. |
| Inspection on site | A visual, non-invasive assessment of the readily accessible areas — typically one to two hours, depending on the property. |
| Report delivered | The same day as the inspection. Read the full report, not just the summary — the detail is in the findings, not the headline. |
| Decide, before the clause expires | Discuss the findings and your contractual options with your conveyancer or solicitor before the clause period runs out. |
What "satisfactory" actually depends on
Buyers sometimes assume "satisfactory" means no defects at all. In practice, the standard is set by the specific wording in your contract and any special conditions attached to it — and in our experience, the great majority of properties turn up at least one finding of some kind, so a literal "no defects" reading would make the clause almost meaningless. What the finding is, how significant it is, and what your contract actually allows you to do about it are questions for your conveyancer or solicitor, who can read the clause against your report. CYTE's role is the same in every case: a written, photographed record of what was actually observed at the time of inspection, classified as a major defect, a serious safety hazard, a minor defect or a timber pest finding, in plain language.
Your options once the report is in hand
A written report does not make the decision for you. In practical terms, it gives you the same three honest options in every case: proceed with the purchase informed of what was found, raise the findings with your conveyancer as part of any discussion with the seller, or step away within the clause period if your contract allows it. Which of those applies to your situation is a conversation for your conveyancer or solicitor — not your building inspector.
Auctions do not have this clause at all
Not every purchase has this safety net. Buying at auction in Queensland is unconditional — the contract is binding the moment the hammer falls, with no inspection clause and no cooling-off period to fall back on afterwards. If a satisfactory-inspection clause is the only formal reason a buyer gets to reconsider, it is worth remembering that it exists only because it was written into that particular contract — it is not automatic, and it is not there at all at auction. For an auction purchase, the inspection and its written report need to happen before you bid, not after.
Our guide to why an inspection matters more than ever at record prices covers the same three-option decision from the buyer's side of a hot market. If a seller has already provided a report, our article on vendor-supplied reports explains what that report can and cannot do for you. Our guide to choosing a building and pest inspector covers what to confirm before you book, and the FAQs cover more on timing, auctions and what happens after you receive your report.
To book a combined building and pest inspection within your contract's clause period, call 0431 114 815 — QBCC licence 1519 2537. The fixed price is confirmed before you book, and the written report is with you the same day.