Dilapidation Reports and Adjoining Works Protection, Engineer-Led
For homeowners, builders and developers undertaking works near a boundary, and for neighbours wanting their own property protected before works begin. One engineer-led record, from before the first excavation to after the last truck leaves.
Adjoining Property Damage Is Always a Dispute About Cause, Not Just Cost
Excavation, demolition, underpinning and boundary construction can affect the structure of a neighbouring property, sometimes visibly, sometimes only as hairline cracking that takes months to appear. Without an independent record of the neighbouring property's condition before works start, almost any defect that shows up afterward becomes a dispute about who caused it and when.
This isn't only a neighbour's problem. If you're the one doing the works, an undocumented adjoining property is a liability sitting next door. BINM starts every adjoining works engagement with a Chartered Engineer, priced the same as a standard market survey. If damage is found or disputed, you do not pay for a second visit — we escalate the same data to a formal causation assessment or dispute-ready expert report.
One engineer-led record. Every pathway covered. No second fee.
One Core Service. Every Stage of Protection.
Adjoining Works Protection (Engineer-Led)
A market-priced survey of the neighbouring property, delivered by a Chartered Engineer rather than a general inspector. If nothing is found, you get a clear, photographed baseline. If damage shows up later, your inspector already has the qualifications to assess causation, on the spot.
Three Stages of Protection
Adjoining works protection is structured around the lifecycle of the works next door, not a single point-in-time inspection.
Before Works: Dilapidation Survey
A documented, photographed baseline of the neighbouring property's condition before excavation, demolition or construction begins. Covers visible cracking, existing movement, and the general condition of structures, fences, paving and retaining walls within the zone of influence of the works.
During Works: Construction Monitoring
Scheduled site visits through the works to check for new or worsening cracking, movement or damage, particularly important during excavation, piling, underpinning or demolition near a shared boundary.
During Works: Crack & Level Monitoring
Where existing cracking is identified at the baseline survey, BINM can install crack monitoring gauges and conduct level surveys to track movement with measurable precision, not just a visual "looks the same" judgement.
After Works: Comparison Report
A final inspection compared directly against the baseline survey, identifying any new or worsened defects and assessing whether they are consistent with the works carried out next door.
Tiered Upgrades and Add-Ons
Every adjoining works engagement can be extended with the following, individually or combined.
Crack and level monitoring gauges — measurable tracking of existing cracking through the duration of the works.
Photographic timelapse record — a dated visual record of the property through the works period.
Engineering causation report — a formal assessment of whether damage found is consistent with the nearby works.
Dispute-ready comparison report — prepared to the evidentiary standard required by your state's building tribunal.
If Damage Is Found or Disputed, What Happens Next
Scope
A clear, itemised scope describing exactly what's damaged and why.
Costing
Engineer-prepared estimates so you know what you are negotiating or budgeting for.
Procurement
Help sourcing and briefing the right trade or contractor for the rectification.
Project Management
Oversight through the rectification process, so the fix matches the recommendation.
Verification
A follow-up inspection to confirm the rectification was completed to standard.
Inspect. Report. Protect.
Three steps from booking to a report you can act on.
Inspect
Book before works begin. We survey the neighbouring property, or your own, and document its baseline condition.
Report
Receive your dilapidation survey, then schedule monitoring visits for the duration of the works if required.
Protect
At completion, receive a comparison report. If a dispute arises at any point, your data is already in the right format to escalate.
Adjoining Works Protection Pricing
Pricing depends on property size, number of properties affected, and works duration. All pricing confirmed before booking.
Renovating or extending your own home near a boundary? See Renovation & Extension Inspections for how this fits into your project.
Adjoining Works Protection FAQs
Everything you need to know about dilapidation surveys and construction monitoring.
A dilapidation report, or dilapidation survey, is a documented record of a property's condition before nearby construction, excavation or demolition begins. It protects whoever is doing the works from inflated or false damage claims, and protects the neighbouring property owner by proving what condition their property was in beforehand. Builders, developers, owner-builders and neighbouring property owners can all commission one.
This service covers the neighbouring property affected by works happening next door. If you want a baseline survey of your own property before you start renovating, let us know when booking and we'll scope that as part of your renovation inspection.
A dilapidation survey is a single baseline record taken before works begin. Construction monitoring is an ongoing service, scheduled visits through the works to check for new or worsening movement, particularly important during excavation, piling or demolition near a boundary.
Because BINM's surveys and monitoring are conducted by Chartered Engineers, the data already collected can be escalated to a formal causation assessment or a dispute-ready expert report without a second site visit, so you're not starting from scratch if a dispute arises.
Yes. BINM's adjoining works reports are prepared to the evidentiary standard required by state tribunals, VCAT in Victoria, NCAT in New South Wales, QCAT in Queensland, and SACAT in South Australia, so they hold up if a disagreement about the cause or timing of damage needs to be resolved formally.
As early as possible, and always before any excavation, demolition or construction activity begins. A baseline taken after works have started has limited value, since it can no longer prove the property's condition beforehand.