DampApp Pro
PropertySurvey ProSouth African Government
National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 103 of 1977
The Act behind the National Building Regulations. Municipalities approve building plans and administer the regulations locally.
Official sourceSurvey software for South Africa
Property inspection and damp survey apps for South Africa
In South Africa, DampApp Pro is the app for rising damp, penetrating damp and mould surveys, and PropertySurvey Pro is the app for new-home snag lists, Rental Housing Act joint inspections and sectional title condition records. Both work offline and are free to start.
For damp in South Africa, whether rising, penetrating or condensation, use DampApp Pro. For snag lists on new homes, joint inspections under the Rental Housing Act and condition records in sectional title schemes, use PropertySurvey Pro. Both capture offline and hand over a PDF on site.
The damp picture changes with the coast and the season. Winter rain in the Western Cape tests roofs, parapets and exposed walls. The humid east coast keeps walls damp and mould active through the warm months. On the Highveld, summer thunderstorms and stormwater running towards the house do the damage. Older masonry homes add rising and bridged damp where ground levels, paving or render have crept up over the damp-proof course.
Regulation is national in outline and local in practice. The National Building Regulations are applied through the SANS 10400 series and administered by municipalities, new homes are enrolled with the NHBRC before building starts, and the Rental Housing Act sets the inspection routine for residential leases, with disputes going to provincial Rental Housing Tribunals.
Damp-proofing specialists, building inspectors and waterproofers
Rising damp and damp surveys in South Africa
DampApp Pro is a damp survey app for South African homes: it records moisture readings up each affected wall, air and surface conditions, dew point, drainage and ground levels, and turns them into a report that shows the pattern behind your diagnosis.
A rising damp claim deserves evidence. Readings taken at consistent heights, compared with an unaffected wall, show whether moisture falls away with height; a profile that peaks beside a leaking downpipe, a bridged damp-proof course or a patch of cement render points somewhere else. Photograph external ground levels, paving, weep holes and any visible damp-proof course before you record the internal finishes.
Coastal and winter-rain properties often have more than one source. The weather panel records conditions on the day and recent rain, the subsoil module adds soil and drainage context from ISRIC SoilGrids, and the condensation check shows whether a cold wall or a wet wall is the better explanation. AI Polish drafts the wording; you decide the cause.
What DampApp Pro records
- Moisture readings grid up each wall (Pro)
- Ground levels, DPC, weep holes and drainage photographed
- Dew point and surface temperature margin
- Soil and drainage context from ISRIC SoilGrids
- Remedial costs itemised in ZAR
- A plain-language summary letter for the occupier (Pro)
Snag inspectors, home buyers' agents and site teams
Snag lists and NHBRC warranty evidence for new homes
PropertySurvey Pro produces the snag list a new South African home needs at handover: room-by-room defects with numbered photos, a clear location and a date, exported as a PDF you can send to the builder the same day.
The NHBRC's warranty cover depends on the home being enrolled, which the home builder must do at least 15 days before construction. Once enrolled, the builder must remedy minor defects identified within the first three months of occupation, roof leaks identified within the first year, and major structural defects identified within the first five years. Those windows make the date on the snag list, and on every follow-up visit, matter.
The Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act 95 of 1998 sets that framework today. The Housing Consumer Protection Act 25 of 2024 will replace it from a date still to be proclaimed, so check which Act applies when you write the report. A snag list is evidence for the builder and for the NHBRC's own processes; it is not an NHBRC assessment.
What PropertySurvey Pro records
- Defects by room with numbered, captioned photos
- Roof leaks and structural items flagged apart from finishes
- Follow-up visits that show what the builder fixed
- Photo markup to point at the defect (Pro)
- Crack widths with BRE Digest 251 categories
Letting agents, landlords and managing agents
Joint rental inspections and sectional title records
PropertySurvey Pro records the joint inspections a South African residential lease calls for, and the condition records a body corporate relies on, in a dated PDF that both parties can keep.
The Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 has landlord and tenant inspect the dwelling together before the tenant moves in, to establish any existing defects or damage, and again at the end of the lease, within the three days before it expires. The Western Cape Government's guidance adds the practical steps: list the existing defects in writing, both sign the list and attach it to the lease, then compare the move-out list with it. Deductions from the deposit then rest on the difference between two dated records.
In sectional title schemes, the body corporate manages common property under the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act 8 of 2011, and the Community Schemes Ombud Service handles disputes. A condition record that separates a section from common property, and states what could not be accessed, helps trustees and managing agents without deciding who pays.
What PropertySurvey Pro records
- Move-in and move-out condition compared room by room
- Existing defects listed with photos for the lease
- Section and common property labelled separately
- Repair and cleaning costs itemised in ZAR
- Photo times from EXIF data, or the attachment time if missing
Rules that shape the report
Laws, standards and regulators in South Africa
South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)
SANS 10400: The application of the National Building Regulations
The series of parts that sets out how to satisfy the National Building Regulations for new work. Use it as context for a finding in an existing home, not as a compliance verdict.
National Home Builders Registration Council
NHBRC home enrolment and warranty
Builders enrol new homes at least 15 days before construction. Cover runs to minor defects within three months of occupation, roof leaks within one year and major structural defects within five years.
Official sourceSouth African Government
Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act 95 of 1998
The current law behind NHBRC registration and enrolment. The Housing Consumer Protection Act 25 of 2024 is set to repeal it once its commencement is proclaimed.
Official sourceSouth African Government
Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999
Sets landlord and tenant duties for residential leases, including the joint inspections at move-in and at the end of the lease, and provides for Rental Housing Tribunals.
Official sourceWestern Cape Government
Rental Housing Tribunal (Western Cape)
A free service for renters and landlords in the province: complaints are screened, then mediated, and a hearing produces a legally binding decision if mediation fails.
Official sourceSouth African Government
Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act 8 of 2011
Provides for bodies corporate to manage and regulate sections and common property in sectional title schemes.
Official sourceCSOS
Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS)
Established under the Community Schemes Ombud Service Act 9 of 2011 to regulate conduct within community schemes and resolve disputes, including in sectional title schemes.
Official sourceOn site in South Africa
What surveyors meet on site
Rising and bridged damp in older masonry
Raised flowerbeds, new paving and cement render laid over the damp-proof course bridge it, and older walls may have a weak or missing one. Record the external ground level against the internal floor, and take readings at the same heights on affected and unaffected walls.
Winter rain in the Western Cape
Wet winters drive water through parapets, flat-roof junctions, cracked plaster and window sills. Survey after rain where you can, record the weather and the elevations affected, and trace penetrating damp from the outside in.
Humidity and mould on the east coast
Warm, humid air keeps mould active in bathrooms, wardrobes and poorly ventilated rooms. Record humidity, surface temperatures and ventilation, so the advice separates a building defect from how the room is used.
Summer storms and stormwater on the Highveld
Heavy summer thunderstorms test gutters, downpipes and ground falls. Photograph where water goes when it leaves the roof, and whether paving slopes towards or away from the walls.
Section or common property?
In a sectional title scheme a damp patch inside a unit can start in common property or another section. Record the exact location and access limits, and leave the question of who pays to the body corporate and its rules.
More guides for South Africa
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 South Africa
Is there a free damp survey app in South Africa?
Yes. DampApp Pro is free to download and to use on real jobs. Without paying you can survey offline, export a PDF with the app watermark, use each AI tool 3 times a month and keep up to 25 surveys on the device. Pro is optional, and the App Store and Google Play show its price in rand.
Does PropertySurvey Pro follow SANS 10400?
PropertySurvey Pro lets you reference SANS 10400 and the National Building Regulations beside your observations, with dated photographs. It is not certified or endorsed by SABS, and it does not decide compliance: municipalities approve plans and administer the regulations, and competent persons sign off their own work.
Can a snag list support an NHBRC warranty claim?
A dated, photo-led snag list shows what was wrong and when it was reported, which matters because NHBRC cover depends on when a defect is identified: three months for minor defects, one year for roof leaks and five years for major structural defects. The NHBRC and the builder follow their own processes; the snag list is evidence, not an assessment.
Does the app handle Rental Housing Act joint inspections?
Yes. Record the move-in inspection room by room with photos, export the PDF for both parties to sign and attach to the lease, then run the move-out inspection in the same order and compare. The app records condition; it does not decide deposit deductions or a Rental Housing Tribunal outcome.
Can DampApp Pro prove rising damp?
No app proves a cause on its own. DampApp Pro records the evidence a diagnosis rests on: readings at consistent heights, surface and air conditions, ground levels, drainage and photographs. Meter readings in masonry are comparative, so the surveyor interprets them and recommends further testing where needed.
Does it work without signal, on farms or during power cuts?
Yes. A survey never waits for a network: readings, photos, calculations and the PDF are all handled on the device, so a Karoo farmhouse, an estate with weak coverage or a mobile outage makes no difference. Pro's cloud sync uploads the work once you are connected again.
Will reports show rand and degrees Celsius?
Yes. With South Africa selected as your region (Settings, then Region & Language), cost schedules show in ZAR, temperatures in Celsius and your company details carry the matching tax label. A manual currency override is there if a client asks for another.
Not in South Africa? Choose your country
Start your next survey in South Africa 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.
Compare prices and free trials on the pricing page.