For anyone building a new home or renovating
A home is built on trust.
What is that trust built on?
36 recurring problems in new construction
From planning application to finished home · problems, measures and sources
36 types of problems that VIBS could help prevent, identify earlier or make easier to manage. The overview draws on professional articles, official guidance, inspection reports and documented criminal cases.
of building applications in 2024 were incomplete, according to Norway's Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
Source: Ministry of Local Government and Regional Developmentof building damage is likely to be moisture-related, according to SINTEF's assessment in 2026.
Source: SINTEFThese figures concern building applications and building damage generally, not only new homes. The list follows the construction process and is not ranked by frequency.
The sources document the problems and risk factors. The proposed VIBS measures describe potential uses and further development of the platform. Their effect depends on the features being available, used and followed up with appropriate professional checks.
Applications and design
Incomplete building application
Missing information leads to additional review rounds, delays and extra work.
Source: Ministry of Local Government and Regional DevelopmentHow VIBS could help
Bring together application documents, highlight missing attachments and assign responsibility for each document before submission.
The building is changed without updating the permit
Differences between the approved and built solution can delay the completion certificate and require remedial work.
Source: DiBKHow VIBS could help
Send change requests to the responsible applicant to assess whether an amended application is needed before work proceeds.
A building permit is mistaken for a technical quality check
The responsible companies remain accountable for meeting technical requirements, even when the municipality has granted a permit.
Source: Ministry of Local Government and Regional DevelopmentHow VIBS could help
Show separate statuses for the municipal permit, design, construction checks and documented non-conformities.
Construction begins before the design is complete
This can lead to improvised solutions and costly rework. SINTEF describes it as a recurring challenge.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Link the start of work activities to approved drawings and resolved technical details.
Responsibilities fall between trades
Interfaces between structures, products and trades are not sufficiently coordinated.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Assign a responsible company to each deliverable and require clarification between affected trades before work continues.
Different drawing revisions are used on site
Shared access to up-to-date drawings is a documented measure for reducing errors.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Maintain one current drawing revision, keep the revision history and notify those affected by changes.
Quotes, contracts and costs
The homeowner and contractor expect different specifications
Vague descriptions make it difficult to establish what was actually ordered.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Link specific products, specifications and room schedules to the approved quote.
The total price and exclusions are unclear
The homeowner lacks an overview of what is included and which costs will be added.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Show the contract sum, qualifications, optional extras and excluded items together.
Additional work is ordered without an agreed price
Verbal agreements can result in disputes about the order, scope and payment.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Document the scope and price of each change, with identifiable approval before work begins.
The completion date and time implications of changes are unclear
Disputes arise over delays and who caused them.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Link agreed deadlines, notices and time implications to the project schedule.
The homeowner's own work is poorly defined
Unclear responsibilities and timing can cause waiting time and conflict with the contractor's work.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Describe the homeowner's work, its deadline and dependencies on other trades.
The contractor's guarantee is not checked
Missing financial security increases the homeowner's risk, particularly in the event of insolvency.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Record guarantee documentation, amounts and validity as a checkpoint before payment.
Payments run ahead of documented progress
The homeowner may pay for value that has not yet been added to the project.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Link the payment schedule and bank report to checked milestones and documented deliveries.
Construction products and product documentation
Products or specifications differ from what was agreed
Departures from the agreement can lead to defects and disputes over remedial work or price reductions.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Compare quotes, approved product substitutions, invoices and delivery checks.
Construction products have incomplete or inaccurate documentation
DiBK has identified incorrect declarations and documentation gaps for timber cladding, among other products. The errors were corrected following inspections.
Source: DiBKHow VIBS could help
Link the correct product identity to its declaration of performance, instructions and documented checks before use.
CE marking is treated as proof that a product is suitable everywhere
Documented properties and certificates must be assessed against the intended use.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Require a professional assessment of the product's suitability for the relevant building element.
Products are installed incorrectly or combined into undocumented solutions
Modifications to proven systems can undermine their performance.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Make installation instructions available and refer departures from the design to the designer for assessment.
Construction and quality control
Damp materials are enclosed
Insufficient drying can cause moisture problems and require completed structures to be opened up.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Record moisture measurements and approval before walls, roofs and floors are closed up.
Water enters from the ground, windows or terraces
SINTEF identifies these as recurring causes of building damage.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Include checks of drainage, seals and interfaces while the work remains accessible.
Bathrooms develop leaks or inadequate drainage
Defects can require extensive work in a completed wet room.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Document checks of floor gradients, drain connections and waterproofing before finishing surfaces.
Air leakage reduces comfort and energy performance
Airtightness also affects moisture safety and indoor air quality.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Follow up airtightness tests, deviations and remedial work, and link the results to energy documentation.
Fire compartmentation and penetrations are installed incorrectly
SINTEF describes inadequate fire stopping as a recurring problem.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Link each penetration to the fire safety drawings, selected solution, installer and inspection before enclosure.
Sound insulation between homes is inadequate
Insufficient design and unsuitable connections between structures can cause noise problems.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Document acoustic requirements, construction details, checkpoints and necessary measurements.
Ventilation is handed over without proper balancing
This can result in noise, draughts and uneven airflow.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Require a ventilation balancing report and documented follow-up of deviations before handover.
Critical work is concealed before being checked
Sealing and penetrations are among the issues DiBK highlights for inspections.
Source: DiBKHow VIBS could help
Include checks before enclosure, with photos, measurements, location and the responsible inspector.
Completion and handover
Management, operation and maintenance documentation is incomplete or hard to find
Inadequate transfer of information to building operations is a documented challenge.
Source: SINTEFHow VIBS could help
Collect management, operation and maintenance documentation (FDV) continuously for each product and building element, and identify missing deliverables.
The final documentation describes an earlier design
Documentation should reflect the building as actually constructed.
Source: DiBKHow VIBS could help
Let approved changes update the product list, drawings and handover documentation.
Completion or occupancy permission is unresolved when moving in
Unresolved issues can delay lawful occupation.
Source: DiBKHow VIBS could help
Show missing declarations, checks and regulatory clarifications in a consolidated completion overview.
Defects at handover are not clearly recorded and followed up
Disagreement about what was reported makes remedial work harder.
Source: Norwegian Consumer CouncilHow VIBS could help
Use a handover record with photos, responsible companies, deadlines and confirmed resolution.
Working environment, responsible business and social responsibility
The points below describe documented risks. They do not imply that crime occurs in most building projects.
Lack of an overview of workers and subcontractors
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority found many missing HSE cards during inspections in 2025.
Source: Norwegian Labour Inspection AuthorityHow VIBS could help
Link people to their employer, trade and project, with checked documentation and an up-to-date overview.
Work is carried out without sufficient training and competence
This is among the accident factors highlighted by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.
Source: Norwegian Labour Inspection AuthorityHow VIBS could help
Link tasks to competence requirements and record completed training before assignment.
Risk assessments are generic or not followed
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has also found cases where a safe job analysis was completed but not followed.
Source: Norwegian Labour Inspection AuthorityHow VIBS could help
Link risk assessments and measures to the specific job, with an assigned person and on-site follow-up.
Breaches of pay and working conditions are hidden in the supply chain
Inspections have identified breaches involving employment contracts, working hours and overtime pay.
Source: Norwegian Labour Inspection AuthorityHow VIBS could help
Support supplier follow-up with review deadlines and documented checks, with access restricted to appropriate people.
Fictitious invoices and payment for work not performed
Økokrim has documented organised networks involving fictitious invoicing in construction and other industries.
Source: ØkokrimHow VIBS could help
Link invoices to orders, contractors, received deliveries and approval. Refer unexplained differences for review.
Corruption and undisclosed conflicts of interest in procurement
DFØ highlights internal controls, transparency and verifiability as preventive measures.
Source: DFØ / Anskaffelser.noHow VIBS could help
Document quotes, reasons for supplier selection, conflict-of-interest checks and approvals, retaining their history.
Waste disposal is paid for but carried out irresponsibly or illegally
Økokrim describes dumping and mixing waste as known methods.
Source: ØkokrimHow VIBS could help
Link waste deliveries to the carrier, receiving facility, quantities and receipts, and follow up discrepancies.
Agreements, deliveries and checks must be connected
VIBS has preventive potential when agreements, changes, deliveries, checks and payments can be followed together. This provides a basis for resolving disagreements before ordering, identifying errors before they are built in and checking the basis for payment before funds are released.
It is essential to distinguish between ordered, delivered, installed and checked. A product identifier or invoice alone does not document what has actually been installed. For technical errors and crime, the impact still depends on real checks and follow-up.
The sources support the need for these measures. They do not demonstrate that VIBS has already achieved a specific reduction in errors or costs. Sources reviewed on 4 October 2026.
Confidence from the first quote to your finished home.
VIBS gives you and your contractor a shared place for agreements, changes and documentation. Follow what you have agreed, what changes cost and what happens next.
From an idea to a clear agreement.
You have an idea or drawings and are ready to request quotes. What is included, which materials and specifications do you want, and how do your choices fit your budget?
Together with the contractor, you clarify the scope, price, schedule and responsibilities. Drawings and room specifications describe what will be delivered. This forms the basis of your agreement.
VIBS brings quotes, choices and clarifications together, giving you a shared starting point before work begins.
Follow progress and understand the impact of changes.
Several trades need to work together, and tasks must be carried out in the right order. You should be able to see what has been completed, what happens next and which decisions you need to make.
If you want a change, clarify the price and any additional construction time before the work is carried out. Agreed checkpoints and documentation are followed up along the way.
VIBS brings progress, changes and documentation together, so you and the contractor can follow the project and refer back to what you agreed.
Your home’s service record – all in one place.
Documentation from the entire construction project is stored in VIBS: drawings, agreements, changes, product information and manuals. You receive a maintenance plan that can be added to your calendar, reminding you of tasks before problems arise.
Think of it as a service record for your car. You can see what your home needs, when it should be done and what has been followed up.
You can search for manuals and ask questions about the documents and product information added to the project, including information from NOBB: How should the cladding be maintained? Which products were used? When should the ventilation filter be replaced?
Answers are based on the documentation available for your home. This makes the information useful in everyday life, when renovating and when selling your home later.
How it works
Your construction project.
Together in VIBS.
Choose a feature or use the mouse wheel over the phone to scroll up and down. The demo continues automatically at a gentle pace.
Banking
A clearer basis
for the bank.
Bring together agreements, costs and progress for discussions about your construction loan.
Insurance
Maintenance that
helps prevent damage.
VIBS creates a maintenance plan based on the home’s product documentation. Service and inspection reminders help reduce the risk of damage.
Valuation
A better basis
for property valuation.
Documents, deliveries, maintenance records and EPD data together provide a better basis for property valuation.
VIBS Verified
Research and development for the construction industry
Working towards a new standard in construction.
Alongside the VIBS platform, we are working on the VIBS Verified research project. The aim is to develop a new standard for traceable documentation of quality, energy and climate in construction projects.
We will investigate how documented qualities can provide a better basis for decisions in construction, banking and insurance.
Read about the research project at vibsverified.com
Collaboration
Collaboration is the key
to a good result.
When the trades, homeowner, bank and insurer work from a shared basis, it becomes easier to clarify expectations, make sound decisions and develop a shared sense of ownership of the project.
Ask about VIBS
Open the guide and get answers to your questions.
Next step
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in your building project?
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Ask your contractor about VIBS
Hello! I would like us to use VIBS for our building project, bringing together agreements, changes, progress and documentation. Could you set up the project and give me access?
