What is a Building Expert Witness Report?

A building expert witness report is a report that describes building defects, or non-compliant building works present within a structure. It is sometimes casually called a defective building report, ncat report, defective cost report, dilapidation report or ncat expert report.

NCAT and Civil Court Expert Witness reports are undertaken when the building owner and contractor can’t agree on building defects and compliance with: National Construction Code (NCC), Australian Standards, The Home Building Act NSW 1989, Architect’s and Engineer’s Drawings, and Council DA or CDC conditions. 

The report will be used as impartial evidence in the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), District Court or Supreme Court and Appeals, depending on the defects and remediation cost. If your remediation cost report is estimated up to $500,000, you will resolve your dispute through NCAT. If it comes in between $500,000 and $750,000 you will need to go through the District Court, and you’ll go to the Supreme Court and Appeals if the remediation cost is over $751,000.

All of our reports are compiled in accordance with the Expert Witness Code of Conduct and can be relied on in NCAT, District Court and Supreme Court and Appeals. 

Whichever channel your dispute goes through, your expert witness must be demonstrably qualified and experienced. For example, as part of a Civil Court expert witness report, the expert witness will include their resume. Relevant qualifications and experience must prove their ability to act as a civil court expert witness, or the report will not be accepted.