Spot checks on building sites by government engineers will replace pre-arranged inspections in an effort to crack down on errant contractors and substandard work.
'Unpredictability is the centre of this new strategy. They will not know when we go and what we check,' the Director of Buildings, Leung Chin-man, said yesterday.
He said the aim was to achieve more effective on-site auditing to improve quality and safety standards. Piling work would be inspected during working hours instead of only at the beginning and the end of work as is the practice now.
Auditing staff would be rotated to 'minimise subjectivity' in the inspection of the same site.
Contractors and the department would save time and money fixing substandard work if it were found earlier, said Mr Leung.
A rating made after an initial site audit would determine the timing, frequency and focus of subsequent checks.