GLOSSARY · ADELAIDE
Statutory warranty (SA Building Indemnity)
Plain English
Legally-mandated warranties on new building work in South Australia, providing protection for structural and general defects.
South Australian residential building work has statutory warranty protection under the Building Work Contractors Act and the SA Building Indemnity scheme. Structural defects: 5 years. General defects: 2 years (or sometimes more depending on the work).
If the builder fails to remediate covered defects within the warranty period, you can claim through SA Building Indemnity Insurance (which the builder is required to hold).
An AS 4349.7 defect inspection report supports warranty claims. The more clearly documented the defect and its cause, the smoother the claim process.
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