Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a Licensed Contractor?

A licence is required by an individual or company who are signing the contract with you to carry out or organise building work valued at over $3300 (including labour & materials).

Check the contractor’s licence card.

Only licensed builders are able to have their works insured. Also check that your builder has “Public Liability” Insurance in case anyone hurts themselves on your property during construction.

Do we require approval?

Check with your Designer, Builder or a Private Certification Company.

What will my new home, renovation or extension cost?

When building or renovating a home, costs fall into the following categories;

1. Design and drafting fees
2. Council fees /approvals
3. Construction costs

To have a professional design a custom home and submit the plans to council, usually costs around $8,000 by a draftsperson and $15,000 upwards by an Architect, but that does not include council fees and costs associated with getting the plans approved. The more complex your requirements, the higher your design costs will be.

Council fees and other approval costs associated with your BA plans generally account to approximately $5000.

How do I choose my Builder?

The best way to choose a builder is to ask people you know well who they have used in the past and if they were happy with their job. Ideally if you ask enough people you will start hearing the same names – these are the builders worth meeting.

Don’t choose a builder based only on the lowest quotation.

Select a builder who you trust, who listens to your needs, one who communicates well, a builder you believe will deliver to the best of his ability and to your satisfaction.

How to read a Builder’s quotation

The only way to gain a comprehensive and easy to understand quotation is by providing as much information as possible and by asking lots of questions. This process can be stressful but if you ask all the right questions before and during the quotation process there will be fewer unpleasant surprises during the construction process.

Provide clear plans with notations and a detailed building specification. Also ensure you gain three quotes from different builders. Ensure all builders are all quoting on exactly the same thing and check that Provisional Costs & Sums are all comparative.

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