Toolcase · Planned for v0.5

Building Report Sanity Check

Upload a residential building inspection report. The Sanity Check verifies the inspector's LBP and NZIBI credentials, compares the report structure against NZS 4306:2005 scope and methodology, flags conclusions drawn from inaccessible areas, and identifies the common patterns of overreach (interior decorating as a defect, replacement recommendations for cosmetic items, misrepresented safety systems).

What it does

The NZ residential building inspection industry is unregulated — see NZS 4306:2005 for the voluntary standard, and The building inspection report: what NZS 4306 requires for the 12 red flags we watch for. The Sanity Check runs those checks automatically.

Inputs

The building inspection report (PDF).
The inspector's name and company (optional — will also be extracted from the report).

Outputs

Inspector credentials

Licensed Building Practitioner status check against the LBP register.
NZIBI membership check.
Professional Indemnity Insurance status where publicly verifiable.

Structure and scope

Presence of required NZS 4306 sections (grounds, structure, exterior, roofs, plumbing, electrical, interior, insulation/ventilation).
Identified access limitations and whether conclusions respect those limitations.
Scope creep flags: interior decorating, mechanical services, pest assessment, structural engineering, asbestos quantification (all outside NZS 4306 scope).

Red flags

Conclusions drawn about inaccessible areas ("no underfloor insulation" where subfloor access is noted as limited).
Misrepresentation of safety systems (RCD tripping on test described as a fault).
Replacement recommendations for items the photographs show as cosmetic.
Era-generic statements presented as property-specific findings.
Repetitive findings across rooms that inflate without adding content.
Photographs that appear to depict personal belongings or private living spaces.

Proportionality

Count of building-relevant findings per page (high ratio = substance; low ratio = padding).
Match between defect severity and recommended remediation.

What the tool does not do

It does not assess whether specific physical findings are accurate. That requires a physical re-inspection.
It does not replace reading the report. The Sanity Check surfaces patterns; human judgement interprets them.
It does not determine legal liability. Where the report has material defects, CGA s.28 and FTA s.9 frameworks are the legal paths.