The programme should show what must be complete and available before an inspection can be useful.
The inspection is booked for Thursday, so the team plans around Thursday. But a date in the calendar does not tell anyone whether the work, access and supporting information will be ready when the inspector arrives.
Treat the booking as the end of a preparation sequence. That makes it easier to identify a problem while there is still time to address it.
Work backwards from the requirement
MBIE explains that council inspections occur at relevant stages of consented work and may be carried out on site or using remote technology. Follow the requirements and arrangements for the actual consent and building consent authority; do not assume a method used on the last project applies to this one.
List the work that must be ready, the documents or records required and the person who will attend. Ask what needs to remain visible and what must not be covered before the required assessment. Confirm uncertainties with the appropriate authority rather than interpreting a generic checklist as project approval.
For a remote inspection, where agreed, preparation may also include the practical arrangements for showing the work clearly. The chosen technology cannot compensate for inaccessible areas or missing information.
Make readiness someone’s responsibility
Assign a person to check the prerequisites before the booking. They should be able to report a specific gap: an incomplete item, missing record or unresolved change. “Nearly ready” is too vague when another trade is scheduled to follow immediately afterwards.
If the work is not ready, follow the authority’s process for changing the booking. Do not conceal incomplete work or assume a later photograph will be accepted as a substitute for a required inspection.
Afterwards, record the actual outcome and communicate any actions to the people affected. An inspection taking place is not the same as every item passing. Keep the next construction step aligned with the recorded result and any applicable requirements.
A short readiness list can save repeated calls and misunderstandings without duplicating the inspector’s role. Its purpose is to organise the project team’s preparation so the inspection can assess what it is meant to assess, at the stage when that assessment is needed.