Phuket is one of the most active luxury property markets in Southeast Asia. It is also one of the most variable. A building that looks well-finished can still have substandard concrete cover, unearthed circuits, undersized drainage, or a foundation settling on fill it should never have sat on. The buyers and owners most exposed to these issues are the ones with the least visibility into how Phuket construction actually works.
7
Months of monsoon a year
5
Building systems checked, in order
5–7
Working days to your report
The realities of building in Phuket are not optional context. A seven-month monsoon punishes anything that wasn't designed for it. Hillside sites carry geotechnical and drainage risk the average buyer never sees. The trade quality across local sub-contractors varies enormously. Permits and as-built drawings often disagree. And the gap between what was sold and what was actually built can be small or it can be substantial. None of this is uniquely Phuket, but the combination is. A property inspection here needs a builder's eye, not a generalist's checklist.
Constructive: Build is a working construction studio in Cherngtalay. We design, engineer, project-manage and build properties in Phuket. We inspect properties here because we already know what gets built poorly and where. When we walk a property we know which sub-contractors typically run which trades, which finishes are short-life in the climate, and which structural shortcuts hide behind a finished wall. We are, in effect, the studio that would have built it correctly the first time.
We cover Phuket and the Andaman coast (Phang Nga, Krabi, and into Surat Thani for larger commissions). Reports are delivered in English by default, and in Thai, Russian or Mandarin on request, so they can be used directly in legal due diligence packages alongside Chanote land title checks, building permit verification and the rest of the property-purchase paperwork.
Pre-purchase · Post-handover · Diagnostic
Considering a property in Phuket? Book a 15-minute scoping call.
Each inspection is scoped to the situation. The systems we walk and the questions we answer are different for a pre-purchase due diligence than they are for a post-handover punch list or a diagnostic on a problem property.
/ 01 · BUYERS
Pre-purchase inspection
Before you sign. A full structural, MEP and finishes inspection of a Phuket property you're considering buying. Engineering and photographic report covering visible structural condition, electrical safety, plumbing and drainage, mechanical installation, finishes quality, and any visible signs of moisture, settlement or non-compliant additions. Used by foreign and local buyers to negotiate price, walk away, or sign with a clear understanding of what they are inheriting.
/ 02 · OWNERS
Post-handover punch list
After you take delivery. A full inspection against the original sales spec and the warranty contract, identifying defects within the developer's Defect Liability Period (DLP). Most Phuket developments hand over with a 12-month DLP. We document everything that should be fixed under warranty before that window closes, photographed and cross-referenced to contract clauses. The report is structured so it can be sent directly to the developer or main contractor.
/ 03 · DIAGNOSTIC
Diagnostic inspection
Strange problems. A villa with damp on the ceiling and no obvious leak. Lights tripping on circuits that shouldn't be related. Cracks reopening after they've been repaired. A pool losing water faster than evaporation explains. These are the inspections owners commission when something is wrong but the previous trades couldn't find it. Because we work across architecture, engineering and construction, we can run the diagnosis end to end rather than handing it off between specialists.
Warning signs
Symptoms of poor construction.
If your property shows any of the symptoms below, the underlying problem is usually structural, building-envelope or mechanical, not cosmetic. These are the issues owners describe to us most often before commissioning a diagnostic inspection.
01
Recurring black mould
Mould that comes back within weeks of being cleaned, in the same spots. Usually a moisture source behind the wall: A/C condensate, slab leak, or roof ingress. Bleaching only treats the surface.
02
Musty smell after a few days closed up
A villa that smells stale after a long weekend away has a humidity and ventilation problem. Common in builds without cross-ventilation, under-sized HRV, or A/C drainage that pools rather than drains.
03
Windows that only leak in heavy rain
Flashing detail is wrong or the seal is failing. The leak path is intermittent because it depends on wind direction and rain intensity, which is why owners dismiss it for years before it gets worse.
04
Cracks that reappear after repair
Settlement is ongoing. The crack is mapping live structural movement, not surface drying. Surface filler will not hold it. Distinguishing cosmetic from structural is part of every inspection.
05
Doors that stick in some seasons but not others
Frame is racking with humidity. Sometimes settlement-driven, sometimes substandard hardwood that wasn't kiln-dried before installation. Easy to dismiss, expensive once the frame distorts.
06
Lights flickering or breakers tripping unexpectedly
Loose neutral, overloaded common bus, or earth fault somewhere upstream of where the problem appears. Common in older Phuket installations and in builds where electrical was the last trade to leave site.
07
Pool losing water faster than evaporation explains
Pool shell hairline crack, return-line leak, or overflow channel mis-set. Chemicals usually go out of balance at the same time. Hard to find without dye testing and pressure isolation.
08
A/C dripping inside the room or onto the ceiling
Condensate drain blocked, drain slope wrong, or the unit installed below the drain line. Slow damage to plaster and timber that becomes expensive once visible inside finished surfaces.
09
Damp stains on ceilings during dry season
When weather isn't the cause, the source is internal: plumbing leak in the slab above, drainage failure, or A/C condensate. Needs moisture meter and thermal imaging to trace properly.
10
Tiles drumming hollow when tapped
Bedding mortar has failed. The tile will come loose eventually; the larger question is whether the underlying waterproofing also failed and is letting water through to the structure below.
The inspection works through the building the way it was built: structure first, then services, then finishes. Findings are categorised by severity (critical, advisory, cosmetic) so the report is actionable. Where remediation is needed, we cost it where we can.
Structure
Foundation type and settlement evidence. Hillside builds get particular attention to geotechnical risk and retaining wall condition.
Slab condition, beam and column integrity, visible concrete cover. Spalling, carbonation and rebar exposure on monsoon-side walls.
Roof structure, water ingress evidence, ridge and gutter condition.
Floor levels, out-of-plumb walls and visible cracking patterns. Distinguishing cosmetic from structural cracks.
Structure first
Foundations, slabs, beams, columns, retaining walls. The first system on every walk-through, because everything else depends on it.
Electrical
Main board condition, RCD and breaker sizing, earthing continuity.
Lighting circuits, socket coverage, GFCI in wet areas.
Generator, solar inverter and battery installations where present.
Compliance with PEA standards and visible safety risks.
Plumbing & drainage
Water supply pressure and pipe material. Visible joints, leak evidence and corrosion.
Septic tank capacity, soakaway sizing, distance from water sources and water-table impact.
Stormwater drainage, gutter and downpipe condition. Monsoon-season capacity check.
Hot water systems, recirculation pumps, water heaters.
Pool circulation, balance tanks and equipment room condition.
Where shortcuts hide
First-fix services are mostly invisible once the walls close. We open access where we have to, and read the rest from drawings, pressure tests and instrument readings.
Mechanical (HVAC) & ventilation
A/C unit age, condition, refrigerant line insulation and condensate drainage.
Ceiling cassette installation quality and condensate trays.
Cross-ventilation, openable windows, kitchen and bathroom extract.
Pool deck shading and sun exposure on living spaces.
Finishes, fittings & exterior
Tiling and grout condition, expansion joint coverage in large floors.
Joinery and cabinetry installation, hardware quality.
Render and paint condition, monsoon-side wall coverage.
Pool tile, waterline and coping condition.
Landscaping drainage, paving falls, retaining edge condition.
Common Phuket-specific findings
Ten issues we find regularly.
A non-exhaustive list of the issues that recur on Phuket properties. These are the ones a generalist surveyor will miss and that a buyer will inherit if no one looks for them.
01
Hillside builds on uncertified fill
Foundations laid on imported earth that wasn't compacted or tested. Settlement appears in years 2–5 and shows up as recurring cracks and uneven floors.
02
Substandard concrete cover
Reinforcement set too close to the surface. Carbonation reaches the bars early in the life of the building. Rust expansion lifts the render off monsoon-side walls.
03
Drainage sized for dry season
Gutters, downpipes and surface drainage that work fine in November and overflow in September. Often the simplest fix in the inspection report.
04
Electrical without functional earthing
Older properties (and some newer ones) with no working earth bond. RCDs sometimes installed but not actually wired through.
05
Septic over-spec, soakaway under-spec
Tank size meets the spec; the leach field doesn't. Symptoms appear in monsoon when the water table rises and the soakaway stops absorbing.
06
Illegal additions and unpermitted alterations
Pavilions, granny flats and extensions added without permit. Implications for resale value, insurance and legal compliance.
07
Pool returns plumbed wrong
Symptoms: poor circulation, algae in corners, chemicals that won't balance, heaters cycling more than they should.
08
MEP installed before structure cured
Conduit and pipes embedded in slabs that hadn't reached design strength. Damage shows up years later, after the warranty is gone.
09
A/C condensate into bedroom walls
Common in sub-contracted units installed under cost pressure. Slow damage that is expensive to remediate by the time it becomes visible.
10
Title vs. building footprint mismatch
What was sold isn't what was actually built. Sometimes a few square metres; sometimes a whole pavilion or pool deck encroaching on a setback.
Why C:B
Inspected by builders, not by generalists.
The studio runs architecture, engineering, project management and construction in-house. The same disciplines that inspect a property are the disciplines that would have built it. We don't outsource the structural check to an external engineer, the electrical check to a generic surveyor and the plumbing check to a sub. One inspection team. One report. One accountable principal.
Builders, not generalists
In-house architects, engineers, project managers and trades. The studio that inspects is the studio that would have built it correctly the first time.
We work to DIN, NZS and ISO construction standards on our own builds. We apply the same standards when we inspect other people's. This matters: a Phuket property inspection done to "looks finished" standards will pass things that an inspection done to engineering standards will flag. The pre-purchase report you bring to a price negotiation, or to a decision to walk away, is only useful if it tells you what is actually there.
Multilingual reporting
The Phuket property market is genuinely international. We report in English by default, Thai on request for lawyer and contractor follow-up, Russian for the large Russian-speaking buyer base that has been a major part of the Phuket residential market for over a decade, and Mandarin for buyers and owners who need to share the report with stakeholders in mainland China or Hong Kong. The report is structured to be useful in three contexts: due diligence ahead of purchase, warranty follow-up with a developer, or instruction to a remediation contractor.
Where we don't work
We don't run legal due diligence, title checks or planning verification ourselves. Those sit with your Thai property lawyer and we will work alongside them. We don't certify properties as "fit for sale" or "safe to occupy" the way some jurisdictions require, because no such certificate exists under Thai law. The deliverable is an engineering-grade condition report; how it is used is your call.
Process
From brief to report.
A typical pre-purchase inspection runs from initial brief to delivered report in around 7 working days. Diagnostic inspections sometimes need a second visit; we'll flag that in the scoping call.
STEP / 01
Scope & quote
A 15-minute call to understand the property, the use case and any specific concerns. We confirm coverage, turnaround and fixed price.
STEP / 02
Site inspection
A team of two: an engineer and a senior project manager. Full systems walk-through with instrument readings (moisture meter, RCD tester, level). Photographic documentation. Allow 4–6 hours for a typical villa.
STEP / 03
Engineering report
Findings categorised by severity. Critical issues, advisory recommendations and cosmetic notes. Photographs cross-referenced. Remediation costed where possible. Delivered in 5–7 working days.
STEP / 04
Follow-up call
Optional walk-through call to discuss findings. If remediation is needed we can quote the work or refer to a suitable contractor depending on scope and your preference.
Book an inspection
Tell us about the property.
Location, approximate size and use case (pre-purchase, post-handover, diagnostic). We'll confirm scope, turnaround and a fixed quote within 24 hours.
