FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you’ll find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions regarding building inspections, pool safety inspections and our inspectors.

How do I know if I need a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection?

A pre-purchase inspection will give any buyer peace of mind, the power to be fully informed, power to negotiate prices and understand what unexpected costs might be involved before buying a house and we can help you understand everything! iCertified offer building inspections in Sydney, Brisbane, Northern NSW, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Learn more about our building inspection services.

How do I know if I need a Pre-Sale Inspection?

A pre-sale inspection will help you know if there are any hidden costs, last minute issues that could prevent a sale, help you identify value in your property that could help you negotiate sale or help you renovate items to get the most value from your house.

How do I know if I need a Pool Safety/compliance Inspection?

Queensland
Homeowners in Queensland have until 30th of November 2015 to comply with the new pool safety laws or earlier if they sell or lease property before this time.

When leasing or selling a property you need a current pool safety certificate.

If you are buying a property a pool safety inspection can alert you to know what items are non-compliant and how much it will cost to get them fixed we can provide a quote for your for the work.

If you have bought a property, you have 90 days from settlement date to provide a valid pool certificate.

New South Wales
By the 29th of April 2015 shared pools and anyone selling or leasing their house with a pool will need to have a valid pool compliance certificate.

We offer pool safety inspections in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, as well as pool compliance certificates in Sydney and Northern NSW. Find out more about getting a pool safety inspection.

Is iCertified licensed?

Each of our fully licensed inspectors have professional indemnity insurance and we have $10,000,000 in public liability insurance.

Can I speak with the Certifier / inspector?

The iCertified team is always available to speak to and advise you regarding your queries and concerns. Call us on 1300 899 078 today

How and when do I pay for the inspections?

iCertified offer the following payment options:

  • Pay via phone prior to your inspection booking and supply your credit card/debit card details with one of our staff members
  • Pay the inspector at the time of the inspection by cash of EFTPOS (he will have an EFTPOS machine with him).
  • You can also contact and pay with a credit card/debit card after the inspection by calling our office or we will send you an invoice and you can pay via electronic transfer.

If you have any further questions please contact us at 1300 899 078.

How do I book an inspection?

You can call and speak with one of the friendly iCertified team at 1300 899 078 or book online now. Fill in the form and one of our helpful staff will assist you with your booking.

What is involved in a pool safety inspection?

One of our knowledgeable inspectors will come out and measure and check all the Standards which are provided by the council depending on what State your property is in. Our inspector will be checking the pool fence and parts of the dwelling if they are in the vicinity of the pool area.

View our helpful checklists below for your state:

Our inspector at this time welcomes any questions you might have if you are present for the inspection.

An average pool inspection can range from 30 minutes to 1 hour long. No matter how big or small the property is our inspector takes as much time as necessary to ensure your pool is safe. Pool safety is our first priority.

How long does the pool safety certificate last?

Depending on what State you are in or what type of property you have depends on how long your pool compliance/safety certificate is valid for.

Queensland Pool Safety Certificates:

If your property is a single dwelling residence your pool safety certificate (Form 23 or Form 17) is valid for 2 years. If you don’t lease or sell your property after 2 years you do not have to renew your certificate.

If you sell your property you are required to have a pool safety certificate (Form 23). If you buy a property you are required to have a pool safety certificate 90 days after your settlement date.

If you are leasing out your property you are required to renew your pool safety certificate (Form 23) every two years no matter how many people move in our out of the property. You must keep this certificate current for your renters unless you move back into the property.

If your property is a multiple dwelling residence your pool safety certificate is valid for 1 year (Form 23 or Form 17). The body corporate is usually responsible to provide a certificate that covers all properties in the complex. Unless your property is apart of a multiple complex dwelling and has a private pool or spa that is not available to the public then your property is viewed as a single residence dwelling the specific owners are in charge of arranging a pool safety certificate.

For all certificates in Queensland, they expire a day before the date they were issued 2 years earlier.

New South Wales Pool Compliance Certificate:

If your property is in New South Wales and is a single dwelling property or a multiple dwelling property your pool compliance certificate is valid for 3 years.

If you are leasing out your property your certificate will be valid for 3 years no matter how many times your tenants may change at the property.

If you’re unsure about your pool compliance certificate contact us to discuss your options today.

Are there different types of pool safety certificates?

For Queensland:

Form 23 – is a pool safety certificate given by a licensed pool safety inspector after he/she has inspected the property and has determined that it meets the council’s requirements.

Form 17 – is a final inspection certificate that is given after the completion of a new swimming pool or after major pool alterations by a building certifier. This works the same as a form 23 and is given for the same amount of time as a Form 23, 2 years for a single dwelling residence and 1 year for a multiple dwelling residence.

Our inspectors are licensed to issue both types of certificates in Queensland. See our QLD pool inspection checklist for more information.

For New South Wales:

A swimming pool compliance certificate is issued once the pool and pool barrier meets the council’s requirement. (Please see our pool compliance checklist for NSW)

How can I prepare for a pool safety inspection?

Please see our NSW checklist and QLD checklist, based on the Council’s Standards for the state where your property is located. These checklists can help you be familiar as to what the inspector will be looking for and you can see if your property meets the standards.

There is also a QBCC video on Pool Safety Standards in Queensland.

If you have any other particular questions about your property please don’t hesitate to call us at 1 300 899 078 or email us any questions at mail@icertified.com.au.

When do I have to have a pool fence for my portable pool or spa?

Queensland:

The Laws as of 1 December 2010 state that all spas and portable pools need a safety barrier if they meet one of these criteria (a child resistant locked cover does not serve as an approved pool barrier):

  1. Deeper than 30 cm
  2. Have a filtration system or
  3. Hold at least 2000 litres of water

See the QLD checklist for more information.

New South Wales:

Any pool or spa that holds more than 300mm of water needs a safety barrier and if it is solely used for or built for the purpose of swimming, paddling, wading or any other human aquatic activity. This would include spas and pools but not spa bathtubs which are located in a bathroom. (Please see the checklist to see what the requirements are for pool fencing)

What happens if my pool/spa does not pass the first inspection?

Queensland:

A full report will be sent to you as to what needs to be fixed along with diagrams that are applicable. If our inspector deems that pool fencing proposes a public safety hazard our inspectors are required to alert the council immediately. We are also licensed to do pool fence repairs, if you would like us to give you a quote please let us know once you get your noncompliance notice and we will send you out a quote. Our work is guaranteed.

We are required by council to register all pools with them that have received a nonconformity notice and the council gives owners 90 days to rectify any nonconforming items from the date of the inspection. If more time is needed, we can come out and do another inspection (for an additional fee) and issue another nonconformity notice which will give the owners another 90 days to finish the repairs. Only two inspections can be done until the pool needs to be made compliant.

No matter what happens our team here at iCertified will walk you or your company through the process and will make sure all your needs are met to the best of our ability.

New South Wales:

A full report will be sent to you as to what needs to be fixed along with any diagrams that are applicable.

If our inspector deems that the property is a public safety hazard, our inspectors are required to alert the council immediately. From the date you received the report you have a period of six weeks to attend to the noncompliant items. If by the end of the six week period the noncompliant items have not been resolved then by law we must send a copy of the noncompliance notice to the council.

No matter what happens our team here at iCertified will walk you or your company through the process and will make sure all your needs are met to the best of our ability.

Page last updated: 11-10-2018

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