Beyond NZS 4306
We start where most reports stop. The standard sets the minimum, and we treat it as the baseline, not the goal.
01Pre-purchase house inspection · Auckland
Know before
you commit.
A house is the largest, most irreversible purchase most people ever make. Datum is the fixed reference point you measure it against: a faster, deeper pre-purchase inspection that tells you exactly what you're buying, before you sign.
Booked before 11am · in your inbox by 6pm
Auckland 36.85° S · 174.76° E - NZS 4306:2005and beyond
- Same-dayreport by 6pm
- One flat feeno add-ons
- Moisture + droneincluded
- Auckland-widecity & surrounds
The datum principle
A datum is the point everything else is measured from.
In surveying, every boundary, every level, every measurement refers back to a single fixed origin. Move the datum and the whole map is wrong. Keep it true and everything else can be trusted.
We took the name on purpose. On a decision worth $800k to $2M and beyond, our job is to be that fixed point: the trusted reference you measure the property against, so the choice to buy, negotiate, or walk away rests on evidence, not hope.
The inspection
Past the standard. By design.
Every Datum inspection is carried out to NZS 4306:2005, the New Zealand standard for residential property inspection. That's the floor. Then it keeps going, with the tools and detail a standard report leaves out.
Moisture testing
Non-invasive moisture readings on the spots that fail first: wet areas, cladding junctions, window reveals.
02Drone-assisted exterior
Roofs, gutters and high cladding inspected from the air: seen properly, not guessed at from the ground.
03Reports that commit
Long, specific and fully photographed. A clear position on every finding, not six pages of hedging.
04Same-day turnaround
Booked before 11am, in your inbox by 6pm. Built around finance conditions and live deadlines.
05Plain English
Findings written in language you can act on: what it is, where it is, and what it means for your decision.
06How it works
Same-day, end to end.
No week-long wait while a deadline runs down. Book in the morning, decide in the evening.
01 Before 11:00
Book
Lock in a time before 11am. Send us the address and when you need the report by.
02 On site
Inspect
We're on site with moisture meters and a drone, working to NZS 4306 and past it.
03 By 18:00
Report
A full, photographed, solicitor-ready report lands in your inbox the same day.
Why it matters
In New Zealand, anyone can call themselves a building inspector.
Building inspection isn't a regulated profession here: there's no licence required to offer one. On a decision worth $800k to $2M and beyond, who carries out the inspection, and how rigorous it is, makes all the difference.
Every Datum inspection works to NZS 4306:2005, is fully photographed, and is evidence-based, so the report stands on what we actually observed, not on hedged guesses.
Works to NZS 4306:2005 Moisture + drone included Evidence-based & photographed Solicitor-ready + Add your credentials (LBP, insurance)
The report
A report you can act on.
Most inspection reports hedge. "We recommend further investigation" lands on every other line, and you're left exactly where you started, paying again to find out what you've actually bought.
A Datum report takes a position: what we found, where it is, how serious it is, and what it means for your decision. Every issue is graded, photographed, and written in plain English, structured to go straight to your solicitor. No jargon, no surprise add-ons, no week-long wait.
- A PASS / MINOR / MAJOR grade on every area
- Photographic evidence for each finding
- Plain-English severity and clear recommendations
- Solicitor-ready, delivered the same day
DATUM
42 Birkenhead Avenue, Birkenhead
Pre-purchase inspection · 1962 weatherboard bungalow
Roof & flashingsPass
StructurePass
Moisture (3 readings high)Major
Electrical (no RCD on garage circuit)Minor
Sub-floor ventilationMinor
Drainage & sitePass
Illustrative sample
Pricing
One fee. Everything in it.
No tiers to decode, no extras bolted on at the end. The price you're quoted is the price you pay: moisture testing, drone work, the full report and same-day delivery all included.
You're under enough pressure already. Pricing shouldn't be one more thing to second-guess.
Flat fee · no hidden add-ons · same-day delivery as standard
Pre-purchase inspection
$ XXX
Flat fee: one price, fully inclusive
- Full inspection to NZS 4306, and beyond
- Non-invasive moisture testing
- Drone-assisted exterior inspection
- Full photographed, solicitor-ready report
- Same-day delivery by 6pm
Common questions
Before you book.
What does a Datum pre-purchase house inspection include?
A full inspection to NZS 4306:2005, the New Zealand standard for residential property inspection, plus non-invasive moisture testing and a drone-assisted check of the roof and high exterior. You receive a long, photographed, plain-English report, structured so it can go straight to your solicitor.
How quickly will I get my report?
Same day. Book before 11am and your report is in your inbox by 6pm, built around finance conditions and live deadlines, not a one-to-two-week wait.
Is it really one flat fee?
Yes. One price covers the full inspection, moisture testing, drone exterior, the complete report and same-day delivery. Nothing is charged as a separate add-on at checkout.
Do you follow the New Zealand standard?
Every inspection meets NZS 4306:2005, then goes beyond it, with moisture testing, drone work, and a far more detailed report than a standard inspection produces.
Aren't all building inspectors qualified?
No. In New Zealand, building inspectors aren't a regulated profession: there's no licence required to offer one, so who carries out your inspection matters. Every Datum inspection works to NZS 4306:2005, is evidence-based, and is fully photographed, so you can see exactly what we saw.
Can I be there during the inspection?
Yes. Many buyers come by at the start or end to point out specific concerns. A thorough inspection takes time, so your inspector will agree the best window with you when you book.
Do you check the LIM report or the title?
Those usually sit with your conveyancing solicitor. Datum focuses on the physical condition of the building. If anything we find touches on a LIM or title question, we'll flag it so you can follow it up.
Do you test for asbestos or methamphetamine?
Asbestos and meth testing are specialist, often invasive tests carried out by accredited labs. Datum doesn't perform them, but we'll flag any areas that look like they may warrant specialist testing so you know what to follow up.
Which areas do you cover?
Auckland-wide: across the city and surrounds.
Book
Know before you commit.
Tell us the property and your deadline. Book before 11am and the report is with you the same day.
- Same-day report: in your inbox by 6pm.
- One flat fee: everything included, no surprises.
- Solicitor-ready: built for the people advising you.
- Auckland-wide: across the city and surrounds.
Before you sign.
Before you spend.
Book a Datum inspection and make the biggest call you'll make this year with certainty behind it.