Build Over Sewer CCTV Inspections in Brisbane Reports built for Urban Utilities and Brisbane City Council.
If you are building an extension, pool, shed, retaining wall or new home over or near a sewer or stormwater main in Brisbane, your certifier will need a CCTV survey of the asset before the approval goes through.
We inspect across every Brisbane suburb, code the report to WSA 05:2020 in WinCan VX, and set it out to suit QDC MP 1.4 and the requirements of the authority assessing your application. Most jobs are back with you in 24 to 48 hours. More on the Build Over process here.
What a Build Over Sewer survey is, in plain English.
A Build Over Sewer (BOS) or Build Over Stormwater (BOSW) survey is a camera inspection of the underground main your build sits over or near. You may also see it called a Build Over Asset (BOA) or Build Over Infrastructure inspection. They all mean the same thing.
The authority that owns the pipe wants to know two things before they let you build: that the pipe is sound now, and that they can still get to it later. The survey answers both. Nothing is dug up, we work from the maintenance holes and inspection openings already on the property, and most Brisbane homes are done in a few hours.
You will usually need one at two points:
To record the condition of the main before anything is built over it.
To confirm nothing was damaged while the work was carried out.
The report supports QDC MP 1.4 compliance and the Form 32 your certifier lodges with Urban Utilities, Brisbane City Council or the relevant service provider. Full detail on the Build Over process here.
Why Brisbane requires it.
If your new structure sits over or close to a sewer or stormwater main, the authority that owns that pipe has to be satisfied before your approval proceeds. A CCTV survey is how that is demonstrated.
Urban Utilities (QUU)
Owns the sewer and water network across Brisbane. If the asset near your build is a sewer main or house drain, your application is assessed against their build over requirements.
Brisbane City Council
Owns the stormwater network. If the asset is a stormwater line, the application sits with council rather than with a water authority.
Not sure which one applies to your property? That is one of the first things we check. Send the address through and we will confirm the asset, the owner and what the assessor will be looking for before you commit to anything.
Every Brisbane suburb, north and south of the river.
We work across the whole Brisbane City Council area and the surrounding corridor. If your suburb is not on the list below it does not mean we will not be there, it just means the list would be very long. Send the address and we will confirm.
Inner City
- New Farm
- Teneriffe
- Kangaroo Point
- West End
- Highgate Hill
- Paddington
- Red Hill
- Woolloongabba
North
- Albion
- Clayfield
- Hamilton
- Nundah
- Banyo
- Chermside
- Stafford
- Bracken Ridge
South
- Mount Gravatt
- Coorparoo
- Camp Hill
- Yeronga
- Annerley
- Holland Park
- Carindale
- Sunnybank
West
- Toowong
- Indooroopilly
- Ashgrove
- Bardon
- The Gap
- Kenmore
- Sherwood
- Graceville
East & Bayside
- Bulimba
- Hawthorne
- Morningside
- Cannon Hill
- Carina
- Tingalpa
- Wynnum
- Manly
Outside Brisbane City Council? We cover the wider corridor as well, including Ipswich, Logan, Redland, Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and up to Gympie. Note that the asset owner changes once you leave Brisbane, which changes who assesses your application.
Check my suburbWhy Brisbane builders and homeowners use us.
No badges and no slogans. Six things you can hold us to on the job.
Coded to WSA 05:2020
Every observation graded against the Conduit Inspection Reporting Code of Australia and produced in WinCan VX, the format assessors read every day.
NWP331B-Qualified Operators
The nationally recognised unit for conduit condition evaluation. The person interpreting your pipe is qualified to code what they are looking at.
Reports in 24–48 Hours
Most Brisbane jobs are back with you inside two days, so the survey is not the thing holding up your approval.
We Check the Asset First
Before quoting we confirm whether the main is sewer or stormwater, and whether Urban Utilities or Brisbane City Council will be assessing it. You know what applies before you commit.
Nothing Gets Dug Up
We work from the maintenance holes and inspection openings already on the property. The survey is non-invasive and the yard is left as we found it.
Scope Confirmed Before We Roll
Access points, scope and a time window agreed in writing before the day. No arriving to a locked gate, a buried pit or a different job to the one quoted.
Get a Brisbane Build Over quote.
Send us the property address and we will confirm whether the asset is sewer or stormwater, who assesses it, and the earliest we can get out to you.
Been given a condition or reference number by Urban Utilities, Brisbane City Council or your certifier? Include it with your enquiry. It tells us the approval pathway straight away and means we can quote the right scope first time.
Brisbane Build Over FAQs
Urban Utilities, Brisbane City Council and everything in between.
01Do I actually need a CCTV survey for my Brisbane build?
If your structure sits over or close to a sewer or stormwater main, almost certainly. Your building certifier will tell you, and it usually comes through as a condition on the approval.
It applies to more than new houses. Extensions, decks, sheds, carports, pools, driveways and retaining walls all trigger it regularly, because it is the position of the structure relative to the pipe that matters, not the size of the job.
02Who assesses it, Urban Utilities or Brisbane City Council?
It depends which asset is near your build. Urban Utilities (QUU) owns the sewer and water network across Brisbane, so a sewer main or house drain is assessed against their build over requirements. Brisbane City Council owns the stormwater network, so a stormwater line sits with council.
Some properties have both. If you are not sure which applies, send us the address and we will confirm the asset and the owner before you commit to anything.
03Will you need to dig anything up in my yard?
No. The survey is non-invasive. We work from the maintenance holes and inspection openings already on the property, so nothing is excavated and the yard is left as we found it.
The one thing worth checking before we arrive is whether your access points can actually be found. Inspection openings often end up buried under turf, mulch, pavers or a garden bed. If yours cannot be located on the day we may need to come back once it is uncovered, so a quick look beforehand saves everyone a trip.
04Do I need the survey before construction, after, or both?
Most approvals require a pre-construction survey to record the condition of the main before anything is built over it. Many also require a post-construction survey afterwards to confirm nothing was damaged during the works.
Which one applies to you is set by the condition on your approval. Send us the wording you have been given and we will tell you what is being asked for.
05What do I need to have ready before booking?
The property address is enough to quote and book. Anything else you have helps us get it right first time:
- The condition, letter or reference number from the authority or your certifier
- Site plans or engineering drawings, if you have them
- Whether the survey is pre-construction, post-construction or both
- Access notes such as locked gates, dogs, or a steep block
If you have none of that, the address alone is fine. We check the authority asset mapping ourselves before the job.
06How long does it take and when do I get the report?
Most Brisbane residential surveys take a few hours on site. Larger properties or sites with several assets can take longer.
The report is delivered within 24–48 hours of the inspection as a submission-ready PDF with MP4 footage and still images, by secure link or on USB if you prefer. You forward it to your certifier, or we can send it to them directly.
07What happens if the inspection finds the pipe is damaged?
We record and code what is there, factually. A defect does not automatically stop your approval. Assessors see pipes in all sorts of condition, and what matters is that the condition is documented properly so a decision can be made on the evidence.
Depending on what is found, the authority may accept it as is, ask for the asset to be repaired or relined first, or ask for the design to be adjusted. That call sits with the assessor, not with us. Where remediation is carried out we can re-inspect afterwards and issue an updated report.
Finding a defect before you build is a far better outcome than finding it afterwards, which is the whole reason the pre-construction survey exists.
08Which Brisbane suburbs do you cover?
All of them, north and south of the river, across the whole Brisbane City Council area. We are out in Brisbane most days.
We also cover the wider corridor including Ipswich, Logan, Redland, Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and up to Gympie. Keep in mind the asset owner changes once you leave Brisbane, which changes who assesses your application.