Inspector West carries out building and timber pest inspections in Alkimos. Brian Collins, a WA registered builder (BC13603) with more than 33 years of building experience, inspects each property and writes the report.
Alkimos is a coastal suburb in the City of Wanneroo, about 42 kilometres north-northwest of the Perth central business district. The Indian Ocean is the western boundary. Eglinton is to the north, and Butler and Jindalee are to the south. Before the current estates, most of the locality was coastal scrub. It was not enumerated as a suburb in the 2011 census. The housing stock is therefore new, or close to it, in estates such as Alkimos Beach, Trinity and Shorehaven. Alkimos station on the Yanchep line opened in July 2024.
On 3 October 2026, REIWA listed 85 houses for sale in Alkimos, with surrounding suburbs excluded.
What the inspection covers
The combined inspection pairs a building inspection, with reference to AS 4349.1, and a timber pest inspection, with reference to AS 4349.3. Both are visual and limited to safely accessible areas.
Where access allows, it covers the site, exterior, roof exterior, roof space, subfloor where there is one, interior and outbuildings. The pest inspection looks for termites, borers of seasoned timber and wood decay fungi, and for conditions that favour them, including moisture, poor drainage, ground-contact timber and bridged or missing barriers.
The report is photographic. Electrical, plumbing and gas compliance, swimming pools and asbestos identification are outside the scope. The buyer’s overview is on pre-purchase inspections. Alkimos is also part of the northern corridor described on building and timber pest inspections in Joondalup and Wanneroo.
Who it is for
Buyers. There is no mandatory cooling-off period for residential property in Western Australia. Buyers of Alkimos houses, including near-new resales, usually need the offer made subject to a building inspection and a timber pest inspection. Book as soon as the offer is accepted.
Sellers. A seller inspection is equally relevant to a house that is only a few years old. Early movement, incomplete external work and moisture staining are easier to deal with before the property is listed.
Owners at handover. Stage inspections and a practical completion inspection are available before the builder hands the house over. The point of that inspection is a written defect list at the time the builder is required to rectify it.
Housing in Alkimos
Almost every house in Alkimos is a recent project home. That reduces the chance of decades-old roof and plumbing wear, and it does not remove defects. Waterproofing to wet areas, roof plumbing and flashings, incomplete external finishes, site levels and stormwater are the items a practical completion or pre-purchase inspection is there to find.
The suburb faces the ocean. Houses nearer the coast are exposed to salt-laden air. Roof fixings, gutters, flashings, window and door frames, balustrades and other exposed metal are checked for corrosion, separating light surface weathering from anything that needs work. Published geology for this part of the northern coast describes Quindalup dune sand over the Spearwood dune system, which includes Tamala Limestone, with Bassendean sand further inland. The inspection is visual. It does not test the soil, it does not confirm what is under a particular slab, and it does not comment on karst or geotechnical risk beyond what can be seen at the surface, such as retaining walls, levels and drainage.
Termites are active across the Perth metropolitan area, including new coastal estates. A building inspection does not replace the timber pest inspection. Mention any retained bushland against the boundary, or any timber landscaping hard against the slab, when booking.
Price
A combined building and timber pest inspection is priced from $550 including GST, depending on location. Alkimos is within Perth metropolitan coverage. Building-only and timber pest-only inspections are quoted on request. Reports are written by Brian Collins, include photographs, and are usually delivered on the day of the inspection.
Suburbs nearby
The immediate neighbours are Eglinton, Butler, Jindalee and Yanchep, with Clarkson and Mindarie further south along the same coast.
- The northern suburbs service area, which already includes Alkimos: Joondalup and Wanneroo.
- Metropolitan coverage generally: building and timber pest inspections in Perth.
Book an inspection in Alkimos
Call 1300 080 554 or email brian@inspectorwest.com.au with the address and whether the booking is pre-purchase, pre-sale or practical completion. Online booking is available where times are shown. Inspector West: inspectorwest.com.au.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What does a building and pest inspection cost in Alkimos?
A: A combined building and timber pest inspection is priced from $550 including GST, depending on location. Building-only and timber pest-only inspections are quoted on request.
Q: Do new coastal houses in Alkimos need a pest inspection as well?
A: A timber pest inspection is recommended. Termites occur across the Perth metropolitan area, including new estates. Salt air is a separate matter: exposed metal, gutters, fixings and frames on houses closer to the beach are checked for corrosion during the building inspection.
Q: Can you inspect an Alkimos house before the builder hands it over?
A: Yes. Stage inspections and practical completion inspections are available. The report lists photographed items to raise with the builder. A resale in Alkimos Beach, Trinity, Shorehaven or another estate is booked as a pre-purchase or seller inspection.
Q: How soon is the Alkimos report available?
A: Reports are usually delivered on the day of the inspection. Brian Collins writes the report. It is digital and includes photographs of the findings.