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 · New Zealand
Know before
you commit.
A house is the largest purchase most people ever make, and hard to walk back. Datum is the fixed reference point you measure against: a faster, more detailed inspection that tells you what you're buying, before you sign.
Booked before 10am · in your inbox by 6pm
Digital report access - NZS 4306:2005and beyond
- Same-dayreport by 6pm
- Clear pricingup front
- Moisture + droneincluded
- New Zealandkey centres
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 10am, 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 10:00
Book
Lock in a time before 10am. 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. When the stakes are this high, 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
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.
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
Pricing
Clear pricing, up front.
You'll see the full price before you book: the core pre-purchase inspection, plus any optional add-ons for the extras not every property needs. Everything's shown up front, so nothing is bolted on at the end.
You're under enough pressure already. The price you're shown is the price you pay.
Core inspection + optional add-ons · all priced before you book
Pre-purchase inspection
Starting from
$ 399
Core inspection. Optional add-ons available.
- Full inspection to NZS 4306:2005, and beyond
- Photographed, plain-English findings
- Every accessible area, graded and explained
- Solicitor-ready report, delivered same day
Every price shown before you book.
Book an inspection Where we work
Across New Zealand.
We're live in Auckland now and rolling out across the country's key centres, with availability shown by location. Don't see your area? Enter your postcode at booking and we'll let you know straight away.
Check your area- Auckland Live
- Wellington Soon
- Hamilton Soon
- Tauranga Soon
- Your area?
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, with non-invasive moisture testing and a drone-assisted roof check included. 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 10am and your report is in your inbox by 6pm, built around finance conditions and live deadlines, not a one-to-two-week wait.
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 testing is a specialist, often invasive lab test we don't perform, though we'll flag any areas that look like they may warrant it. Methamphetamine screening is available as a separate toxicology report.
Which areas do you cover?
We're live in Auckland now, with Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga coming next. Live availability is shown when you book; if you don't see your area, enter your postcode and we'll confirm straight away.
Book
Know before you commit.
Tell us the property and your deadline. Book before 10am and the report is with you the same day.
- Same-day report: in your inbox by 6pm.
- Priced up front: every price shown before you book.
- Solicitor-ready: built for the people advising you.
- Across New Zealand: live availability shown at booking.
Before you sign.
Before you spend.
Book a Datum inspection and make the biggest property decision of the year with evidence behind it.