Expert Building Consulting Australia

Experts in damage, causation and scope of work reporting for the insurance industry

ABOUT
EBCA specialises in the delivery of independent, thorough and professional reports that are designed specifically for the insurance industry in response to damage to property from fire, impact, storm, building movement, and escape of liquid events.

Our reports typically identify the extent of loss or damage, its proximate cause and effect, appropriate and cost-effective methods of remediation, and realistic restoration costs. We can also provide comment on risk identification, hazard mitigation, and disaster response and recovery.

We offer a wide range of services by leveraging our network of highly skilled experts, which includes building consultants, engineers, quantity surveyors, plumbers, architects, building surveyors, and various other industry specialists.

EBCA services insurers, loss adjusters, and insurance builders by reporting on a variety of buildings, including but not limited to residential properties, apartment complexes, commercial property, industrial property, rural property, and infrastructure.

We can also assist our clients with dispute resolution and submissions to organisations, such as the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).

By leveraging our vast network of experienced, qualified and licensed consultants, EBCA offers an extensive range of services to its clients, which includes:

Damage & Causation Reporting

Our team of experts can analyse damage to property and provide independent, thorough, and professional reports on proximate causes, whilst separating maintenance related items, pre-existing conditions, and general age-related issues, as well as reporting on contributing factors in relation to non-compliance with the Building Code of Australia, the National Construction Code, and the Australian Standards.

Cost Containment

Our team of experienced builders and quantity surveyors can recommend cost effective remediation processes and provide quantified scopes of work for use in construction tenders. We can also provide our clients with accurate, fair, and reasonable pricing for remediation works by preparing detailed cost estimates that reflect current market conditions, in an industry where construction costs are constantly evolving. Our team can also conduct cost analysis of quotes, tenders, and invoices to ensure that they are fair and reasonable and to minimise contract variations. The aim of these services is to reduce construction time, reduce disputes with property owners, and to provide a robust level of cost control to our clients.

Quality Assurance

We can complete quality assurance audits during remediation works, as well as post repair inspections to ensure that works meet the required standards, specifications, and regulations. Our team helps to identify and prevent any defects, errors, or non-compliances that could compromise the safety, performance, or durability of property, as well as helping to reduce disputes between property owners and our clients.

Building, Engineering & Plumbing Consulting

At EBCA, we can provide specialist advice and general assistance with technical enquiries on causation, repairs and compliance with the Building Code of Australia, the National Construction Code, and the Australian Standards.

Forensic Engineering

Our team of engineers provides independent, expert advice on a wide range of building issues by utilising their years of industry experience to provide sound, practical recommendations on how they can best be rectified.

Disaster Response

By leveraging our network of highly skilled consultants, EBCA can respond rapidly to natural disasters and commence inspections in a timely manner. We can rapidly scale up to handle an increase in volume of work and our team is happy to travel as required to service our clients.

Project Management

Our experienced team can project manage the construction of a variety of different residential, commercial, and industrial property.

Dispute Resolution

EBCA can attend compulsory conferences, mediations, and dispute resolution services to provide an impartial expert opinion on the cause of identified damage. We work with all parties in a calm and professional manner to help facilitate the resolution of disputes.

Make Safe Engineering

We offer an emergency service where we provide on-site advice and reporting on structural damage following events such as storms, fire, and impact.

Coordination of External Consultants

At EBCA, we offer a complete service to our clients. We can arrange for external consultants such as geotechnical engineers, plumbing experts, architects, quantity surveyors and building surveyors to assist during the insurance restoration process.

Expert Witness Technical Reporting

EBCA can provide expert witness services to our clients by leveraging our network of expert consultants, each of which has extensive knowledge of the building and construction industry and a thorough understanding of the Building Code of Australia, the National Construction Code, and the Australian Standards.

Engineering Design

Our team of licensed and qualified engineers can prepare engineering drawings and computations for reinstatement works following insurable events. We can provide documentation for costing purposes and for the purposes of obtaining building permits.

Desktop Audits & Reviews

We can conduct desktop audits and reviews of pricing of works, vetting of invoices, analysis of incomplete works, and analysis of works in dispute.

Hazard Mitigation & Pre-Risk Analysis

Our team can conduct regular inspections of a variety of properties and report on their condition. We can also complete dilapidation reports prior to building and construction works taking place, to mitigate disputes with neighbours and property owners in relation to damage that was allegedly caused during remediation works. Our team can also work with our clients to formulate hazard mitigation plans to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to property from hazard events.

Leak Detection

Our team of specialists can conduct leak detection assessments, using thermal imaging cameras, fluorescent tracer dyes, CCTV cameras, moisture meters, and other specialty equipment to determine the existence, location, cause, and extent of a variety of different types of leaks.

Floor Level Surveys

We use specialist equipment to complete detailed floor level surveys. Our team will then superimpose recorded levels onto floorplans provided by our clients, or we can prepare floorplans using specialist equipment and software. We then report on the proximate cause and effect of any deviations in recorded floor levels.

Drone Inspections

Our team can employ the use of drones to analyse property in hard to reach or unsafe places, such as steep roofs, fire damaged buildings, and large or complex structures. All drone operators are duly trained and certified.

Other Assignments

We work with our clients to understand their specific needs and we are more than happy to undertake other assignments as required to provide a tailored and individualised service.

Our Team of Experts
EBCA is headed by Matthew Bowles, whose expansive skillset is informed by numerous industry qualifications and almost 20 years of experience working in the residential and commercial building and construction sector as a qualified carpenter, site manager, and builder (design and construct). His experience, technical knowledge and rigorous attention to detail naturally led him to become a building consultant. Matt has experience in numerous facets of building and construction, including but not limited to marketing, tendering, sales, design, planning, estimating, scheduling, ordering, budgeting, project management, site management, and building consulting.

Matt holds the following qualifications and licenses:
- Domestic Builder Unlimited (DB-U 41951)
- Advanced Diploma in Building Surveying (studying)
- Diploma in Building & Construction
- Certificate IV in Building & Construction
- Certificate III in General Construction
- Qualified Carpenter
- Certificate II in General Construction

During his time working in the building and construction industry, Matt forged strong relationships with highly experienced professionals and specialists, many of whom have now partnered with EBCA in its mission to provide exceptional service to the insurance industry. Our team of suitably qualified and licensed experts consists of building consultants, engineers, quantity surveyors, plumbers, architects, building surveyors, and various other industry specialists.

Master Builders Association of Victoria

Building Dispute Practitioners' Society

Australian Society of Building Consultants

Concrete Institute of Australia

We have put in place various quality assurance processes and safeguards to ensure that our clients are provided with a high level of quality and consistency in their dealings with EBCA

Insurances

- $5M Professional Indemnity Policy - $20M Public Liability Policy - Workers Compensation Policy as required by Law

Sub-Contractor Management

Our Partners are appointed after a rigorous selection process. Each partner company is headed by experts in their specific field who are suitably qualified and registered. All Partners are required to sign sub-contractor Agreements and each has their own insurance policies. Jobs are allocated to a Partner based on fit for purpose and geographical location to ensure that our clients receive the highest standard of quality, while keeping costs to a minimum. KPIs that are imposed on EBCA by our clients are subsequently imposed on our Partners, which we manage via our cloud-based project management system. All Partners are inducted and trained to meet the expectations of our clients. By leveraging our partner companies, EBCA can effortlessly scale as demand for our services changes, without affecting our core business operations or cash flow in any material way.

Occupational Health & Safety

We have developed a comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety Plan that provides those engaged by EBCA with an outline of our safety requirements and promotes the establishment of a healthy and safe working environment for all.

Modern Slavery Policy

We have developed a Modern Slavery Code of Conduct that provides the standards of practice that our company expects, in respect of business standards and operations, to effectively address the risks of modern slavery occurring in our operations.

Environmental, Social & Governance Policy

We have developed an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Policy that demonstrates our commitment to ESG practices and communicates this commitment to all staff, sub-contractors, clients, and suppliers.

Business Continuity Plan

We have developed a Business Continuity Plan that outlines how we will prepare our business for an emergency or disruption such as a major flood or fire event. Our continuity plan identifies essential areas of our business and how we will keep them running in an emergency situation.

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

To submit a job request, complete the Contact Us form. Alternatively, you can contact our office via email or phone.