Frame stage | Chalkline

Frame stage is the build phase after the timber frame is complete but before any sheeting or lining is fixed. Walls are framed, plates and noggings are in, lintels and bracing are installed, trusses or roof framing are up, but plasterboard, fibre cement, cladding, and wet-area substrates have not yet started. Frame stage is simultaneously a critical inspection point (the certifier can see every connector) and a major progress-payment milestone under most residential building contracts.

What’s complete at frame stage:

Element	At frame stage
Slab and base	Complete and inspected
External walls	Studs, top + bottom plates, noggings, lintels, bracing complete
Internal walls	Studs, top + bottom plates, noggings, lintels, bracing complete
Roof framing	Trusses or rafters + ceiling joists + bracing complete
Tie-down	All hold-down connectors, hurricane ties, uplift restraints in
Services rough-in	Variable: some chippies prefer post-frame inspection, some prefer pre
Sheeting (internal)	Not yet started
Cladding (external)	Not yet started
Roof cover	Variable: some go on at frame stage; some wait

Why frame stage is the critical inspection moment:

The certifier visit at frame stage (the framing inspection) is when:

Every structural connector, brace, lintel, and tie-down is visible.
Once sheeting goes on, the frame is hidden and any defect requires opening up walls.
The certifier compares the frame to the engineering drawings and AS 1684 before allowing the lining trades to start.

Frame stage as a progress payment trigger.

Most Australian residential building contracts use a stage-payment schedule. Frame stage is one of the major milestones. Typical residential contract distribution:

Stage	Approximate % of contract
Deposit	5%
Base (slab + footings)	15-20%
Frame	15-20%
Lockup (sheeting + windows + external doors + roof cover)	15-20%
Fixing (internal lining, joinery, fit-off)	25-30%
Practical completion (handover)	10-15%

State-specific contract regimes (HIA, Master Builders, BSA NSW, Vic) define what triggers the frame-stage payment. Generally: frame complete AND framing inspection passed triggers the payment claim.

See progress claims for the SOPA / state-specific mechanics.

Common builder issues at frame stage:

Calling the certifier too early: frame is “mostly done” but bracing or noggings missing. Wastes a certifier visit.
Sheeting before sign-off: sheets go up the same day; certifier visits next day and fails the inspection because frame is hidden.
Frame-stage payment claim served before inspection passed: payment claim is technically defective; client can refuse pending sign-off.
Engineer-specified items overlooked: chippy works to AS 1684 defaults but engineer required a specific lintel size or tie-down at one location.

The frame-stage program (typical residential):

Activity	Typical duration
Frame stand-up (single-storey 200 m²)	5-10 working days
Roof framing / trusses	3-5 working days
Tie-down and bracing final	2-3 working days
Pre-inspection walk-through	0.5 day
Certifier visit	1 day
Re-inspection if held	1-2 days
Total	2-3 weeks typical

A two-storey build typically doubles the stand-up time.

For builders:

Walk the frame with the chippy the day before the certifier visit. Tape every connector, check every bracing unit, count noggings.
Have the engineering drawings, AS 1684 span tables, and truss design on site for the inspection.
Serve the frame-stage payment claim AFTER the framing inspection passes, with a copy of the sign-off attached. Avoids a payment-schedule dispute.
Don’t start sheeting until certifier signs off. The single most expensive trap at this stage is opening up sheeted walls to fix a missed connector.

Also known as: framing stage, pre-lining stage, frame-up.

Category: Construction phases / inspections / payments.

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