What our inspectors find in Riverstone NSW

Everything published on this site comes from three practical completion inspections in Riverstone. Sorted, the findings fall into two groups. The envelope group belongs to earlier stages and should never have reached handover: weep holes, flashings, capping sloping the wrong way, damp proof course, insufficient ventilation. The finish group belongs exactly where it was found: caulking to windows and to the slab and driveway join, paint through common areas and bedrooms, damaged skirtings and architraves, cabinetry gaps needing adjustment, doors unsealed top and bottom, a shower screen still to be sealed, service penetrations still open. One safety item sat outside both: a fitting inside the clearance zone around a shower.

Fifty six photographs, three homes, all at practical completion.

Envelope items should have been closed at lock-up and were not.

Finish items are normal at handover and are what the list exists for.

A light or switch inside the wet area clearance zone is reported as a safety item.

Service penetrations left unsealed break the separation a wall is meant to provide.

More about Riverstone

Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Riverstone. Licensed building practitioners.

Guides for Riverstone owners and buyers

29 January 2026 · 8 min read

Three weep holes, three different failures

Missing, too high, and off the flashing.

23 February 2026 · 6 min read

Damp proof course, and why it is a lock-up item

Rising moisture is stopped by a layer nobody sees again.

19 August 2026 · 6 min read

Insufficient ventilation, and what it costs later

Air movement is a structural question, not a comfort one.

What our inspectors find in Riverstone NSW: common questions

Is this a typical list?

It is a typical shape. The number of items varies with the builder and the house; the split between envelope and finish is the part worth reading.

Which items should I push hardest on?

The envelope ones, every time. They are the expensive ones to correct later and the ones a builder is most likely to resist.

Do you come back and check the work?

Yes, as a separate reinspection that marks each item complete, part complete or outstanding.