This is a copy of my post on Homeone forum:

Ownit: what can anyone tell me about the responsibility of the builder when there are visible ceiling and wall joins? they claim it’s within “tolerance” but in my opinion it’s visible to the naked eye under normal lighting and with daylight shining through the windows.

if that is within australian standard, australian standard is quite poor..

This is where I disagree with others in the industry and in particularly with BC that produced The Guide to Standards and Tolerances.

Many people mistakenly think that the guide is the standard,the law it’s not. All it is is “Tolerances For Dummies”.
The problem with the guide is that it attempts to “formalise” defects. Something looks like s**t but it’s OK because it is within tolerances. I have seen many items of work that were defective yet there was builder’s attempt to avoid rectification because it was “within tolerances”

I am a builder and yes I believe that every builder is entitled to tolerance but what is reasonable is always a question of fact and not what is written by BC. So how do we do it? Here we are guided by law in Victoria and in particular Domestic Building Contract Act 1995 S8
Implied warranties : (d)(1)The builder warrants that the work will be carried out with reasonable care and skill.

Builders are educated and trained for the precise reason so that they can produce building work that is not only functional but also pleasing to the eye. Pleasing to the eye means free from obvious defects. Free from evidence of lack of care and skill.

In my view a proper assessment of defect is to look at the workmanship in question and ask: Would a reasonable person expect better standard from a tradesperson ordinarily skilled in their art? If the answer is yes, then yes a defect is confirmed. That is the law, forget about the guide. My derivative on that is Mladichek Law No2 “If it looks wrong it is”

Ask yourself a question. Would managing directors of building company have the same display of workmanship in their house? There is your answer.

To answer Ownit problem: If you can see joints in normal daylight viewing conditions it’s a defect. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.