Building Surveys & Inspections in Porto & Portugal

Q: Do you work outside Porto?

Yes. We are based in Porto but inspect and build across Portugal — including Lisbon, Braga, Aveiro, Coimbra, the Silver Coast and the Algarve. Travel beyond the Porto area is arranged when you book.

Q: Is a building survey required by law in Portugal?

No. A survey is not a legal requirement in Portugal, which is exactly why most buyers sign with no independent information at all. An independent builder's survey tells you what is wrong, what it will cost to fix, and whether to proceed before you commit.

What We Do

Building inspections, surveys & construction across Portugal.

From the first survey before you sign, through to new builds, restorations and renovations — one point of contact, always working for you. Based in Porto, we work across Portugal.

Pre-Purchase Inspections & Surveys

From €490 + IVA · Report within 24 hours

You've found a property. We go through it properly — not a checklist, a proper builder's survey. We tell you what's wrong, what it will cost to fix, and whether to proceed, renegotiate, or walk away. Report in your inbox within 24 hours, in plain English.

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New-Build Handover Inspection

From €590 + IVA · Before you sign the escritura

Buying a new-build? We inspect the finished unit before you sign — every system tested under load, a thermal survey for what the eye can't see, and a bilingual snag list your lawyer can use. Independent: no agents, no developers, no commissions.

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Property Advisory

€2,200 · Includes 3 inspections + cost comparison

Not sure which property to buy? We inspect your top three options, compare renovation costs side by side, and give you a straight recommendation — buy this one, not that one, and here's why. The full picture, before you commit.

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Project Management & Construction

Contact for scope & pricing

You've bought. Now it needs work. We manage the renovation from first quote to final handover — sourcing the right tradespeople, keeping things on budget, and making sure the work is done properly. One point of contact. No surprises.

Renovations →

New Architectural Builds

Contact for scope & pricing

Building from the ground up. We take on new architectural builds — working with your architect, or helping you find the right one — and manage the project from foundations to handover. Proper trades, realistic budgets, and quality workmanship throughout.

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Restorations

Contact for scope & pricing

Portugal is full of buildings worth saving. We restore older properties properly — stonework, timber structures, roofing, and original features — using methods suited to how these buildings were built, not quick cosmetic fixes that fail within a few years.

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Where We Work

Porto · Lisbon · Nationwide

Based in Porto, we travel for inspections and projects across Portugal — Braga, Guimarães, Aveiro, Coimbra, the Silver Coast, Lisbon and the Algarve. If you've found a property anywhere in the country, talk to us before you sign.

Get in touch →

What We Find

Most renovations here are cosmetic. We go deeper.

Property across Portugal is old and regularly renovated to selling standard only. The problems that cost real money — damp, structural movement, failing roofs — are invisible in listing photos and rarely disclosed by vendors.

Rising damp
Roof failures
Outdated electrics
Structural cracking
Waterproofing failures
Thermal bridging
Drainage problems
Hidden timber rot

"A €490 inspection has saved our clients hundreds of thousands in bad decisions."

Bradley Cahill · Antipodean Building

A €490 + IVA inspection on a €400,000 purchase costs around 0.15% of the price. The problems we uncover regularly cost fifty times that to put right. See what a survey costs → · See a sample report →

Why Antipodean

No agents. No conflicts. No guesswork.

Most buyers in Portugal make six-figure decisions with almost no independent information. We change that.

Reports available in

English Portuguese French German Spanish

Strictly independent
We work for you — not the agent, the developer, or the bank. We take no commissions and have no stake in whether you buy.
Plain English, always
You'll understand every finding and every cost. No jargon, no vague qualifiers — just clear, honest information.
24-hour turnaround
Report in your inbox within 24 hours of inspection — faster than anyone else in Portugal.
We're builders, not just inspectors
25 years of hands-on construction means we don't just find problems — we know exactly what it takes and costs to fix them. That's a different level of assessment.
One point of contact
From inspection through to final renovation handover, the link between decisions, details, and execution stays intact.

Bradley Cahill — builder, carpenter and inspector, Antipodean Porto

Mafalda — site manager, designer and consultant, Antipodean Porto

Who You'll Work With

You'll work with a builder, not a checklist.

You'll work directly with Bradley — a qualified builder and carpenter with 25 years of construction, inspection, and project management experience across Australia, the UK and Portugal. He builds things for a living, which means he understands them from the ground up — how they go together, how they fail, and what it really costs to put them right.

Where projects require design input or on-site coordination, Bradley works alongside Mafalda — Portuguese, born and raised in Porto, and a designer and consultant with 12 years of experience managing sites in Australia and Portugal. Local knowledge on one side, outside standards on the other. Between them, the link between decisions, details, and execution stays intact — and you always know who's responsible for what.

Antipodean operates independently. No commissions. No referral arrangements. No conflicts.

Bradley CahillBuilder · Carpenter · Inspector

MafaldaSite Manager · Designer · Consultant

Antipodean Building Services, Lda · NIF 517 418 657 · Licensed builder — IMPIC Alvará n.º 109726-PAR · verify on the IMPIC public register

Client Reviews

What clients say.

★★★★★ 5.0 rating · 14 reviews on Google →

★★★★★

"Brad and Mafalda are absolute pros. Not only are they highly skilled and incredibly competent, but they are effective communicators, ensuring no stone is unturned. They have handled a plethora of things for me over the years and I could not be more content with their capabilities."

Kyle Hedrick

Google Review

★★★★★

"I can thoroughly recommend Bradley for his service. I have been following his work for some time, and we decided to use his expertise to give an overall inspection and a plan for repair and improvement of our property in Setúbal."

Qian Han

Google Review

★★★★★

"Brad and Mafalda are top-class professionals — skilled, reliable, and trustworthy. A rare combination these days. They delivered on time, on budget, and the quality was second to none."

Tim M.

Facebook Review

★★★★★

"Brad did a thorough inspection on very short notice and gave me huge peace of mind. He flagged problem areas, explained everything clearly, and delivered a detailed report with recommendations. If you're feeling overwhelmed about buying here, I couldn't recommend Bradley more."

Eugene Evgen

Porto Expats Group

★★★★★

"He's not just a building inspector — he's a builder himself and an expat, which made a huge difference. His pricing was fair, and the feedback on our potential purchase was exceptionally detailed and clear."

Shirley & Paul

Porto Expats Group

★★★★★

"Brad made time for us even after hours. He was thorough, incredibly helpful, and patient with all our questions as nervous first-home buyers. His advice gave us real confidence. Brad's hard to book for good reason — his work speaks for itself."

Katie Emma

Facebook Review

Read all 14 reviews on Google

Common Questions

Questions buyers ask.

How much does a building survey in Portugal cost?

Our pre-purchase building inspections and surveys start at €490 + IVA, with the report in your inbox within 24 hours. On a €400,000 purchase that's around 0.15% of the price — and the defects we find regularly cost fifty times that to put right. See a sample report.

Do you work outside Porto?

Yes. We're based in Porto but inspect and build across Portugal — Lisbon, Braga, Aveiro, Coimbra, the Silver Coast and the Algarve. Travel beyond the Porto area is arranged when you book.

Is a building survey required by law in Portugal?

No. A survey isn't a legal requirement in Portugal, which is exactly why most buyers sign with no independent information at all. An independent builder's survey tells you what's wrong, what it'll cost to fix, and whether to proceed before you commit.

How quickly do I get the report?

Within 24 hours of the inspection — in plain English, with a condition grade and costed recommendations you can use to renegotiate.

Know What You're Buying Before You Sign.

Building inspections, surveys & construction across Portugal.

Pre-Purchase Inspections & Surveys

New-Build Handover Inspection

Property Advisory

Project Management & Construction

New Architectural Builds

Restorations

Where We Work

Most renovations here are cosmetic. We go deeper.

No agents. No conflicts. No guesswork.

Strictly independent

Plain English, always

24-hour turnaround

We're builders, not just inspectors

One point of contact

You'll work with a builder, not a checklist.

On the tools.

What clients say.

Questions buyers ask.

How much does a building survey in Portugal cost?

Do you work outside Porto?

Is a building survey required by law in Portugal?

How quickly do I get the report?

Book an inspection or consultation.

Send an enquiry