Building Surveying
Legislated under the Building Act 1993 and the Victorian Building Regulations 2018. Australian Standards.
Stokes Safety has been providing independent building surveying services across Victoria for 40 years, supporting architects, builders, developers, and property owners through every stage of the building approval process. As registered building surveyors, our role is to ensure that new construction, alterations, and additions comply with the Building Act 1993, the Victorian Building Regulations 2018, and the National Construction Code (NCC), while keeping projects moving on a realistic and achievable timeline.
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Why building surveying matters
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A building surveyor is one of the few statutory roles in the construction process with legal authority to issue a building permit and sign off on completed works. Engaging a surveyor early, ideally before a project reaches town planning, gives the design team clarity on whether a concept is achievable under current regulations, and helps avoid costly redesigns further down the track.
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Our services include early design and regulatory advice for architects, draftspeople, and engineers, so compliance is built into a project from the outset rather than retrofitted later; building permit issuance once documentation demonstrates compliance with the Act, Regulations, and National Construction Code; mandatory inspections at each required stage of construction, confirming that work on site matches approved plans; issuing the Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection once a project is complete and safe to use or occupy; and BCA compliance assessments and due diligence reports for existing buildings, useful ahead of a sale, lease, or renovation.
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Our process
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We work collaboratively rather than as a final checkpoint. From the first conversation, we look at what's being proposed, flag any likely compliance issues, and stay engaged through documentation, permit issuance, staged inspections, and final sign-off. Because our surveyors are involved in projects from the early stages, problems tend to surface while they are still cheap and easy to fix.
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For existing buildings, our BCA compliance assessments identify where a building may fall short of current standards and set out practical options for addressing any gaps, whether that's for a due diligence report ahead of a purchase or simply peace of mind for an owner.
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Outcomes for our clients
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Property owners and design teams working with Stokes Safety get a clear, documented path to a compliant building: a building permit issued without unnecessary delay, inspections completed at the right stages, and a final Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection that confirms the building is safe to use. For existing buildings, our assessments give owners and purchasers a realistic picture of a building's compliance position and the cost and complexity of addressing any shortfalls.
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Get started
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If you have a project in the early stages of design, or an existing building you'd like assessed, contact Stokes Safety for an initial conversation about how we can help keep your project compliant and on track.