Pool & Spa Safety Inspection
The full barrier check against the VBA standard — same-day Form 23 where your Leopold pool or spa is compliant.
$250 flat
Pool Re-Inspections · Leopold
Pool Failed Its Inspection in
Leopold?
Which part of Leopold you're in decides the usual fail — new infill trips on a gate never re-tested after the landscapers finished, older 80s-90s stock trips on planting that's grown into the non-climbable zone. Clear the Non-Conformance Report items and Ryan Gaw, VBA-registered (IN-PS 100055), comes back free of charge. 0402 860 499 — a pass means your Form 23 is issued that same day, ready for you to lodge.
- Re-inspection
- Free once listed items are fixed
- Turnaround
- Same-day Form 23 once your barrier passes
- Inspector
- Ryan Gaw · VBA-registered · Licence IN-PS 100055
Rated 5.0★ · Google reviews
In Short: Leopold's age gap decides what fails. Newer infill builds usually trip on a gate that was never re-tested once the landscapers finished; the older 80s-90s stock usually trips on planting that's crept into the non-climbable zone over the years. Deal with the item on your Non-Conformance Report and ring for the free re-check — get a pass and you'll have your Form 23 that afternoon, ready to lodge with council.
Leopold · City of Greater Geelong
What Happens After a Pool Fails Inspection in Leopold?
A failed first inspection isn't a penalty and it isn't recorded anywhere public — it's a to-do list. Here's what happens next:
- You receive a Non-Conformance Report naming each item that failed and the clause it breached
- You arrange the fix — often a quick gate adjustment on newer builds, sometimes a plant to move on older properties
- You call 0402 860 499 and we book the free re-inspection
- Where everything on the list now passes, the Form 23 is signed the same day — you then lodge it with City of Greater Geelong yourself
Most Leopold properties clear their Non-Conformance Report within a week, and gate-hardware fixes on new infill are often same-day. If you're weighing a fresh full pool inspection against a re-inspection — if we already issued a Non-Conformance Report on this barrier, always come back for the free re-inspection rather than book a new inspection. Planning changes to the yard or a new pool first? A Leopold compliance consultation is the better starting point than a re-inspection.
Local knowledge
Why Leopold's Two Housing Eras Fail Barriers Differently
Leopold is growth-corridor infill built alongside an older core of 80s-90s stock, and the split shows clearly in the Non-Conformance Reports we write here:
- Builder-handover barriers altered during landscaping, on new infill. A gate installed correctly by the builder often gets its spring tension knocked out of adjustment once the landscaper starts work, and nobody re-tests it from a cracked-open position before the first inspection.
- Climbable objects or vegetation inside the non-climbable zone, on older 80s-90s stock. Established gardens on Leopold's older properties have often grown into the 900mm (or 1200mm) clearance the standard requires, the same way they have in older suburbs across Geelong.
Both are quick fixes — a gate adjustment or a plant relocation, not structural work. Compare Lara, where the gate-hardware issue is the same but the older-stock counterpart is a gap-under-barrier problem instead of vegetation, or Corio, where the older stock fails on fencing material rather than NCZ encroachment.
Deadlines
How Long Do I Have to Fix a Failed Leopold Inspection?
There's no statutory countdown on a Non-Conformance Report — the re-inspection is free whenever you're ready, and most Leopold properties are back on the books within a few days. Two real deadlines are still worth keeping in mind:
- Selling the property: a Form 23 has to be issued inside a 90-day window before settlement. If your failed inspection lands close to a sale date, get the fix moving straight away.
- An existing Form 23 close to its four-year expiry: don't let repairs drag past that date and leave you briefly without a current certificate.
Outside those two situations, there's no cost penalty for taking the time to get the fix done properly.
City of Greater Geelong
Who Lodges the Form 23 After a Leopold Re-Inspection?
Nothing is lodged with the City of Greater Geelong after a failed first inspection — council only receives paperwork once the barrier passes. Once the re-inspection confirms every listed item is fixed:
- The Form 23 is completed and signed on-site the same day
- You then lodge it with council within the statutory 30-day window (most owners do this the same day or next business day once the certificate is in hand)
- The council adds your barrier to its Pool and Spa Register and the stamped copy comes back within three to five business days
If your certificate was for a property sale, flag that when you call to book the re-inspection so the lodgement clears comfortably inside your settlement window. For the full registration and lodgement process, see the Form 23 certificate guide or the City of Greater Geelong compliance guide. Just west in Geelong proper, the same lodgement steps apply, though the older established suburbs there bring their own mix of typical fails.
Services in Leopold
Pool Compliance Services in Leopold
Flat $250 — same-day Form 23 where compliant, free re-inspections, no hidden fees.
Compliance Consultation
Planning a new pool on growth-corridor infill? Get the barrier right before you build it.
$250 flat
FAQ
Leopold Re-Inspection FAQs
Our new-build Leopold pool failed on the gate — how is that possible on a brand-new barrier?
The structure is usually fine — it's the gate spring that trips new Leopold builds up. It's set by the fencer for adult use at handover and rarely tested from a cracked-open position, which is the standard's actual test. A quick adjustment usually clears it.
Does the re-inspection cost anything in Leopold?
No. Your $250 Leopold inspection fee already covers this visit. You'd only be billed again for a separate full inspection later, such as when your four-year certificate is due.
What exactly gets rechecked on a Leopold re-inspection?
Only what's named on your Non-Conformance Report. On a newer infill property that's often a gate hardware item; on an older 80s-90s Leopold pool it's more often a plant or object inside the non-climbable zone — either way, only the listed items get rechecked.
Our older Leopold pool failed on a plant inside the non-climbable zone — is that expensive to fix?
Usually not. Moving or pruning back an established shrub or small tree that's grown into the clearance zone is typically a same-week job, and the re-inspection afterwards is free.
Why does landscaping sometimes cause a new-build barrier to fail in Leopold?
Landscapers working around a newly-built barrier can knock gate hardware out of adjustment, add garden beds or retaining features close to the fence line, or shift ground level slightly. Any of those can turn a barrier that passed at handover into a Non-Conformance item before it's ever inspected.
Is there a deadline to fix a failed Leopold inspection?
There's no built-in expiry on the fee. Selling changes the picture, though — your Form 23 needs to be issued within 90 days of settlement, so keep that window in mind if you're working to a tight timeline.
Nearby
Re-Inspections in Nearby Suburbs
Same flat $250 across our entire service area.