Oran Park Building
Inspections

When is a defect actually a defect

Building arguments are about permission, not observation.

Oran Park 2570 · 5 May 2026

Fully licensed & accredited

  • NSW Fair Trading NSW Fair Trading
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  • Building Dispute Practitioners Society Building Dispute Practitioners Society

In short: Citing the tolerance turns a disagreement into a measurement.

Two questions

What was built, and whether it sits inside an allowance. Only the second gets argued.

Where allowances come from

Your contract, the National Construction Code, the relevant Australian Standard and the Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2017.

Why citation matters

Described as poor workmanship, an item invites debate. Cited against a tolerance, it becomes a measurement.

The grey area

Some things sit inside tolerance and still look wrong. Saying so is more useful than listing everything an owner dislikes.

The split

Every report separates structural from cosmetic, because that decides what is worth pressing.

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

Guides

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FAQ

Questions Oran Park owners ask about this

Must I accept anything inside tolerance?

Within your contract, generally yes, and knowing that saves you an unwinnable fight.

Who sets NSW tolerances?

The Guide to Standards and Tolerances 2017, read with your contract and the Code.

What if it is cited wrongly?

Then the report and the guide go side by side, which is why items are cited at all.

Is a long cosmetic list pointless?

No, provided it is labelled cosmetic so you can prioritise.

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