Combined Pre-Purchase Building and Pest Inspector Course

The Combined Pre-Purchase Residential Building and Pest Inspector course bundles two AIT courses so you can offer combined building and timber pest inspections:

• Pre-Purchase Residential Building Inspector (National Edition), which trains you to inspect completed homes and write reports that meet AS 4349.1; and
• Timber Pest Management, two nationally accredited units from the Certificate III in Urban Pest Management: CPPUPM3008 Inspect for and report on timber pests, and CPPUPM3010 Control timber pests.It is designed for people who want to work anywhere in Australia outside Queensland.

Experienced building industry professionals who want to offer combined pre-purchase building and timber pest inspections, the service most home buyers ask for. That includes people looking for a career change, a second income, or a way to add inspections to an existing building business. The course is not designed for beginners.

You need:

• a Certificate IV, Diploma or Degree in Building and Construction;
• to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident; and
• a work placement with a licensed timber pest technician, arranged before you enrol.

No. Queensland licenses pre-purchase building inspectors, and the licence requires a QBCC-approved course. Enrol in the Combined Pre-Purchase Residential Building and Pest Inspector QLD course instead.

Building inspection (10 modules):

• Introduction
• Customer Service Skills
• Effective Communication
• Australian Standard AS 4349
• Pre-Engagement Agreement
• Pre-Inspection Considerations
• Site Inspection Procedures and Techniques
• Report Writing
• Insurance and Legal Implications
• State and Territory RequirementsTimber pest management: how to inspect buildings and sites for timber pests, identify them and the damage they cause, write inspection reports, and plan and carry out treatments. Topics include termite, borer and wood decay biology, construction methods and pressure areas, inspection tools and safety, Australian Standards and codes of practice, general versus pre-purchase inspections, termite management systems, baiting, dusting, foaming and soil treatments, calculating termiticide quantities, chemical safety, and monitoring treatment results.

Subterranean termites, dampwood termites, drywood termites, borers and wood decay fungi.

There is no specific licence for pre-purchase building inspections in states and territories outside Queensland. However, clients, insurers and courts still expect you to be competent and to follow AS 4349.1. Insurers in particular may not provide you with professional indemnity insurance unless you meet minimum education and experience requirements in building and construction.

It depends on your state or territory. Some require a pest management licence for timber pest inspections and treatments, and some also require the general pest units. The course doesn't issue a licence, but it can help you meet the training requirements to apply for one through your licensing authority. Check your authority's requirements before you enrol.

In practice, insurers do. To get professional indemnity insurance you will generally need at least a Certificate IV in Building and Construction, completion of a course like this one, and relevant building experience (generally 2 to 5 years). Insurers also expect you to inspect and report in line with AS 4349.1, and not doing so may void your cover.

Yes. ACT sellers must provide building and pest reports before marketing a home. Inspectors preparing these reports need at least $500,000 professional indemnity insurance and must not be related to the seller. The building course covers the details.

In March 2026 the Victorian Government proposed requiring vendors to pay for building and pest reports for all prospective buyers, with legislation planned for 2027 if re-elected. If it goes ahead, it could greatly increase demand for inspections and is likely to bring minimum requirements for inspectors.

Professional indemnity insurance (at least $1 million is commonly expected, and many inspectors carry $2–5 million) and public liability insurance ($10–20 million). Make sure your policy covers both building and timber pest inspections.

Online and self-paced through AIT's Learning Management System (LMS). You can study at any time, and each module saves your place so you can stop and come back. There are no live tutorials or set online times, and you don't need advanced computer skills.

About 140 hours of learning across both courses, including your practical work. Most students finish in 6 to 8 weeks.

You have 9 months from the date of enrolment to complete both courses.

No. All study is online. Your practical work is done away from your computer: one building inspection that you arrange yourself, and your timber pest inspections and treatments with your supervising business.

Yes. You can download the building module notes, and each timber pest unit has a downloadable learner guide with the same content as the online modules.

Yes. Trainer support is available by email or phone. Call 1800 248 249 or email trainer@australianinspectortraining.com.au.

You will need:

• a desktop computer or laptop to complete the online learning modules;
• a smartphone to download the Formitize app and complete the building inspection report, and for photo evidence;
• safety boots, protective clothing, a ladder, a torch or headlamp, a tape measure and a spirit level for the building inspection; and
• access to timber pest inspection and treatment equipment, termiticides and PPE through your supervising business, plus the Australian Standards AS 3660 and AS 4349.3 and the industry codes of practice for termite management and pre-purchase timber pest inspections.

Yes. You need Personal Accident Insurance cover for the practical building inspection. Many Australian insurers and brokers sell it as a standalone policy, and some offer short-term or activity-based versions. You should also obtain Public Liability Insurance, which covers injury you cause to other people or damage to their property.

There are two parts:

• Building: one unsupervised pre-purchase building inspection and report, completed in AIT's inspection app.
• Timber pest: 20 supervised jobs at different premises: 10 timber pest inspections with reports (CPPUPM3008) and 10 timber pest treatments with management plans (CPPUPM3010). Across each set of 10, at least 5 involve subterranean termites and you cover at least two other timber pest types. Your treatments must include both slab-on-ground and suspended floor buildings.

Your own home, or a family member's or friend's, with the owner's written permission if it isn't yours. The property must be a detached house at least 5 years old. Don't use a newly built home: a pre-purchase inspection assesses wear, maintenance and the effects of ageing, which a new home rarely shows, and your trainer won't accept a report on a property less than 5 years old.

For the building inspection, no. It is unsupervised.

For the timber pest work, yes. You must complete it under the supervision of a licensed timber pest technician, and you need to arrange your supervisor before enrolling. If you don't have one, we can refer you to affiliated pest companies in capital cities. Supervision through an affiliated company costs $1,200 + GST, paid directly to the pest company. This isn't included in the course fee.

For each unit, you record 7 premises in your logbook with documents and photos, and your supervisor validates them. Your assessor observes the other 3, in person or by live video while a licensed person is with you. At least one observed job in each unit must involve subterranean termites.

Don't go there. Record it as a limitation in your report. Your trainer is assessing your judgement, not how much of the house you reached.

Building: a scored multiple-choice quiz at the end of each of the 10 modules (9 to 12 questions, 80% to pass), plus your practical inspection report, which a trainer assesses against AS 4349.1.

Timber pest: an online multiple-choice knowledge assessment for each unit (80% to pass), plus the workplace evidence described above. Your assessor reviews everything and makes the final competency decision.

You can try again. For the building quizzes, the questions are shuffled on each attempt and the LMS records your best score. After a failed attempt you can see which questions or topics to review.

Your trainer will give you feedback and may ask you to revise and resubmit it.

• A Certificate of Completion – Pre-Purchase Residential Building Inspector; and
• a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment – Timber Pest Management (CPPUPM3008 and CPPUPM3010).

1. Check the building and timber pest licensing rules in the state where you will work.
2. Arrange professional indemnity and public liability insurance that covers both building and timber pest inspections.
3. Set up your agreement, report templates and records system, and have your agreement reviewed by a lawyer.
4. Start building credibility and referrals. The Career Guide explains how.

It depends on your volume, prices and costs. As a guide, 2026 market surveys put a combined building and pest inspection at roughly $550–$1,000 or more in Sydney and Melbourne, compared with $400–$800 or more for a building-only inspection. Prices are often lower in regional areas. These figures are general market information, not a promise of earnings.

Besides pre-purchase building and pest inspections, inspectors often offer pre-sale and vendor reports, strata and unit inspections, dilapidation reports, new-home stage and handover inspections, defect reports, and timber pest treatments and management plans. Check whether your state requires a licence for each service and that your insurance covers it.

$2,490, on a payment plan only: $990 on enrolment, then four weekly payments of $375. That saves $200 compared with enrolling in both courses separately. For courses over $1,500 we don’t take the full fee upfront.

Supervision costs for the timber pest work are separate (see above).

Payment terms and our refund policy are in our Student Handbook.

Yes. The Timber Pest Management units are nationally recognised, so you need a USI before we can issue your Statement of Attainment. You can create one free at usi.gov.au.

AIT will ensure that it handles complaints and appeals fairly and without bias. You can email complaints to info@australianinspectortraining.com.au. We will attempt to resolve the complaint within 5 working days.

• Arrange your timber pest supervisor first.
• Click the Enrol button on the course webpage.
• Complete your student information online.
• Pay securely online.
• Receive your login link via email.
• Start studying.

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St Patrick Institute of Technology Pty Ltd trading as Australian Inspector Training