Survey software for Australia

Building inspection and mould survey apps for Australia

In Australia, PropertySurvey Pro is the app for pre-purchase, dilapidation and strata defect reports, and DampApp Pro is the app for mould and moisture investigations. Community housing providers can hold damp and mould evidence for every home in HousingSurvey Pro. All three capture offline and are free to start.

For a pre-purchase building inspection, a dilapidation report or a strata defect record in Australia, use PropertySurvey Pro. For mould, condensation and moisture investigations, use DampApp Pro. If you run community housing, HousingSurvey Pro keeps the evidence for every home in one sealed record.

Australia is several building climates in one country. The National Construction Code maps eight climate zones, from the humid tropical north to the cool, alpine south, over brick veneer and timber-framed houses, older terraces on sandstone footings and strata apartment blocks. The same ceiling stain in Cairns and Hobart can need very different advice.

Regulation is split in two: the Australian Building Codes Board publishes the NCC and the states and territories give it legal effect, while tenancy, strata and inspector licensing are state matters. So a good Australian report records the state, the purpose and what could not be seen before any defect.

Building inspectors and pre-purchase consultants

Pre-purchase building inspection software in Australia

PropertySurvey Pro is a building inspection app for Australian pre-purchase work: you record each area, defect and limitation on site with numbered photographs, and the PDF report is built on the device before you leave the property.

AS 4349.1-2007, Inspection of buildings Part 1: Pre-purchase inspections – Residential buildings, sets the minimum criteria for an inspection and report that suit both client and inspector. It is a visual standard, so the areas you could not reach matter as much as the defects you found: a roof void without safe access, a subfloor too low to enter, a wall hidden by stored goods. Record each limit against the area it affects, not in fine print.

Timber pest inspection is a separate part of the series, AS 4349.3, so keep those findings apart. Inspector licensing differs between states and territories. On site, AI Polish expands your shorthand into draft wording you edit, and the stair checker includes NCC limits.

What PropertySurvey Pro records

  • Area-by-area defects with numbered, captioned photos
  • Stated limits: roof void, subfloor and obstructed areas
  • Stair geometry checked against NCC limits on site
  • Floor plans, with AR room scanning on LiDAR iPhones and iPads

Building consultants, builders and strata inspectors

Dilapidation reports and strata defect records

For a dilapidation report before excavation, demolition or piling next door, PropertySurvey Pro records the neighbouring building room by room and elevation by elevation with dated photographs, so the post-construction visit can follow the same order and compare like with like.

In New South Wales, the planning department's standard conditions of consent for residential development include a dilapidation report on adjoining buildings before site work starts, prepared by a suitably qualified engineer. The app is the capture and reporting tool; the consent condition decides who must prepare the report, so read it before you quote.

New apartment buildings bring a second defect record. Under the NSW Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme, the developer lodges a 2% building bond, and a building inspector reports on defects between 15 and 18 months after completion and again between 21 and 24 months. Label each item by lot or common property and repeat the photo angles.

If a dispute reaches the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, NCAT's Scott Schedule form itemises the defective work claimed. PropertySurvey Pro's itemised defect and cost schedule can feed that form; it does not replace it.

What PropertySurvey Pro records

  • Pre- and post-construction visits from one finished survey
  • The same elevation and room order at every visit
  • Crack widths with BRE Digest 251 damage categories
  • Lot, common property and access limits labelled
  • Itemised defect and cost schedule in AUD

Mould assessors, building inspectors and remedial builders

Mould inspection app for Australian homes and rentals

DampApp Pro is a mould and moisture inspection app: it records readings, surface temperatures and photographs room by room, calculates dew point on the device, and builds a report that explains why a surface is wet, not only that it is.

The cause changes with latitude: humid summers feed mould in the north and along the east coast, while heating-season condensation is the familiar pattern in cooler southern homes. The ABCB notes that well-sealed buildings with poor ventilation can have increased condensation risk, and that exhausting air directly from kitchens, bathrooms and laundries is one of the most effective measures.

Rentals add a legal frame that varies by state. Victoria's rental minimum standards require rooms to be free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure. Queensland's minimum housing standards require a rental to be free from damp and mould unless the tenant caused it. New South Wales lists adequate ventilation among its seven minimum standards. DampApp Pro records the evidence; the landlord, regulator or tribunal decides compliance.

What DampApp Pro records

  • Dew point and surface temperature margin by room
  • Moisture readings grid up each wall (Pro)
  • Interstitial condensation screening to BS EN ISO 13788
  • Extractor fans logged by location, type and working status
  • Weather on the day and radar for recent rain

Community housing providers and maintenance contractors

Damp and mould evidence for community housing providers

HousingSurvey Pro is for organisations that manage homes rather than commission one-off inspections: surveyors capture damp and mould evidence offline, and the office portal turns it into cases, works orders and a sealed record for each property.

Registered community housing providers under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing keep a list of their community housing assets, and property data such as year of construction and maintenance liability feeds asset performance reporting. Condition evidence per home sits naturally beside it.

Each finished record is geo-stamped, its photos fingerprinted at capture, and chained to the previous record for the same home, so a later change shows. Records reach your housing system by API, webhooks, EDI or SFTP. Data is held in a London cloud region, so check that against your own data policies.

What HousingSurvey Pro records

  • Offline capture with a GPS fix and photo fingerprints
  • A hash-chained record per home, locked on completion
  • Work orders in, evidence back on completion
  • Contractor access scoped to your stock

Rules that shape the report

Laws, standards and regulators in Australia

Standards Australia

AS 4349.1-2007 Inspection of buildings, Part 1: Pre-purchase inspections – Residential buildings

Minimum criteria for pre-purchase inspections of residential buildings and their reports. Standards Australia lists it as pending revision, so state the edition you worked to.

Official source

Standards Australia

AS 4349.3-2010 Inspection of buildings, Part 3: Timber pest inspections

The timber pest part of the same series. Keep timber pest findings and building findings apart.

Official source

Australian Building Codes Board

National Construction Code (NCC)

Technical requirements for new building work, including condensation management. States and territories give it legal effect, with their own variations and dates.

Official source

Consumer Affairs Victoria

Rental minimum standards (Victoria)

Schedule 4 of the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, including rooms free from mould and damp caused by or related to the building structure, and adequate ventilation.

Official source

Residential Tenancies Authority

Minimum housing standards (Queensland)

In force for new tenancies from 1 September 2023 and all tenancies from 1 September 2024; a rental must be free from vermin, damp and mould unless the tenant caused them.

Official source

NSW Fair Trading

Minimum standards for rental properties (New South Wales)

Seven minimum standards under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010, including structural soundness, adequate ventilation, and adequate plumbing and drainage.

Official source

NSW Government

Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme (SBBIS)

Developers of new apartment buildings lodge a 2% building bond; an appointed inspector completes interim and final defect reports.

Official source

NRSCH Registrars

National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH)

Registered providers in participating jurisdictions keep a list of their community housing assets and property data.

Official source

On site in Australia

What surveyors meet on site

  1. Condensation in tighter, better-insulated homes

    Airtight envelopes cut draughts but hold moisture where ventilation is poor. Look for extract fans discharging into the roof space and mould in wardrobes on cold walls, and record the fan and surface temperature, not only the stain.

  2. Sandstone and brick below ground in older terraces

    Nineteenth-century terraces can have sandstone walls below courtyard or street level. Meters give comparative readings in stone, not moisture content, so present them as a pattern beside drainage and ground levels.

  3. Subfloors, termites and site drainage

    Timber floors on piers rely on a dry, ventilated subfloor. Note access, standing water and blocked vents, and refer suspected timber pest activity to an AS 4349.3 inspection rather than guessing.

  4. Strata: lot or common property?

    In an apartment, the leak you photograph may start in common property or another lot. Label the location precisely and leave responsibility to the owners corporation, the strata plan and the scheme's rules.

More guides for Australia

Run a real survey on the free tier

DampApp Pro and PropertySurvey Pro can be used without an account or card. The free tier supports full offline surveys, watermarked PDF export, 3 free uses a month of each AI tool and a reusable on-device capacity of up to 25 surveys. Export or delete completed work to free a slot.

Pro is optional and adds cloud sync, greater storage, the full AI allowance, premium integrations and white-label branding. Eligible new subscribers start Pro with a free trial. Review the current entitlements, free trials and store prices on the ProSurvey pricing page.

Survey app questions from Australia

Does PropertySurvey Pro follow AS 4349.1?

PropertySurvey Pro helps you structure a pre-purchase report around AS 4349.1: areas inspected, defects, limitations and recommendations, with dated photographs. It is not certified or endorsed by Standards Australia, and the inspector stays responsible for the scope and conclusions.

Is there a free building inspection app in Australia?

Yes. PropertySurvey Pro and DampApp Pro cost nothing to download and use on real jobs: offline inspections, PDF reports carrying the app watermark, 3 free uses a month of each AI tool and room for 25 surveys on the device. Pro is optional, and the App Store and Google Play show its price in Australian dollars.

Does it work offline in regional and remote Australia?

Yes. Capture, calculations and the finished PDF all happen on the phone or tablet, so a station homestead with no coverage works like a city office. Pro adds cloud sync, which catches up once you are back in range.

Will reports use Australian spelling, AUD and degrees Celsius?

Yes. Choose Australia under Region & Language in Settings and the app uses Australian spelling in the app and the PDF, costs in AUD, degrees Celsius and the matching tax label on your company details. AI Polish then drafts in Australian English, and you edit the result.

Can DampApp Pro tell me whether a rental meets Victoria's mould and damp standard?

No. DampApp Pro records the evidence a decision needs: where the mould is, air and surface readings, the ventilation and whether it works, and likely moisture sources for you to confirm. Whether a property meets the standard is for the rental provider, Consumer Affairs Victoria or VCAT to decide.

Is HousingSurvey Pro only for UK social landlords?

No. HousingSurvey Pro has an Australia page for community housing providers and suits any organisation that manages homes and contractors. Its Awaab's Law features follow English law and do not apply in Australia. It starts on a free Solo plan, and data is held in a London cloud region.

Not in Australia? Choose your country

Start your next survey in Australia free

Download the app that fits your work, run a real survey offline and hand over the PDF on site. Pro is optional, with a free trial first.

HousingSurvey Pro, Solo free

Compare prices and free trials on the pricing page.

Choose your store

Download DampApp Pro

Choose the store for your device. The app is free to download and use, with optional paid Pro features.

Download DampApp Pro on the App StoreGet DampApp Pro on Google Play

Choose your store

Download PropertySurvey Pro

Choose the store for your device. The app is free to download and use, with optional paid Pro features.

Download PropertySurvey Pro on the App StoreGet PropertySurvey Pro on Google Play

Choose your store

Download HousingSurvey Pro

Choose the store for your device. The app is free to install. Signing in requires an active HousingSurvey Pro organisation subscription purchased on the web.

Download HousingSurvey Pro on the App StoreGet HousingSurvey Pro on Google Play