From a distance, you only see what you are shown — unless the proof is tamper-proof. Here are the five most common structural-work defects, their signs visible in photos, and the PontBat reflex that stops each one from costing you dearly.
General information article: only a qualified professional can diagnose a defect on site.
Structural work weighs about 45% of the budget: it is where defects cost the most, and where they are easiest to fix when caught early. On our reference build, Villa Yasmine, each of the 8 milestones has its own control point.
When the soil study is skipped to “save time”, the ground takes its revenge later. Signs visible in photos: early cracks on the first walls, uneven settling around the base. The PontBat reflex: a timestamped, geolocated photo of every phase, and a control point written into the milestone before moving on.
Once the concrete is poured, the rebar becomes invisible — it is the easiest defect to hide. So the check must happen BEFORE the concrete: reinforcement in place, correctly positioned, matching the plans. The PontBat reflex: timestamped photos of the bare rebar, required at the milestone, before any pour is authorised.
Botched concrete betrays itself to the naked eye at formwork removal: visible honeycombing, crumbly surfaces that flake at the touch, hollow patches. The PontBat reflex: close-up, geolocated photos of the stripped surfaces, added to the milestone file for the inspector's review.
A leaning wall hides well in a flattering photo — but shows clearly in a straight-on shot, along the axis, with a vertical reference in frame. Missing tie beams can be spotted before they are covered up. The PontBat reflex: timestamped axis views, and verticality and tie beams checked at the milestone's control point.
This is the defect that reveals itself at the first winter, when the company is long gone. Visible signs: puddles persisting days after rain, upstands missing or peeling at the edges. The PontBat reflex: geolocated photos of the roof after rain, and a dedicated control point before approving the roofing milestone.
Spotting a defect is one thing. The person checking must also have no interest in looking the other way.
If quality is in doubt, the payment for that milestone stays in escrow — while the rest of the build carries on. An expert assessment is arranged within 72 hours: compliant, the payment goes out; non-compliant, the company fixes it first.
It covers the structural soundness of the building for ten years after handover. On the platform, it is verified at professional admission, during the 5-step vetting — not discovered after the damage.
Before releasing a payment, demand images that prove — not images that reassure.
A wide shot of the site, timestamped and geolocated, that places the real progress: you should recognise your own plot, not just any building site.
Close-ups of the reinforcement while it is still visible, taken before the concrete covers everything: it is the only window to verify.
Straight-on views along the walls' axis, with a vertical reference in frame, and images of the tie beams before they are covered.
The roof's critical points — edges, upstands, outlets — photographed up close, ideally after rain.
Timestamped photos, independent checks, payment frozen until compliant: everything this article describes is already built into the platform.