Insights
How to Choose the Right Builder for Your Project
Choosing a builder is one of the bigger decisions you'll make, and getting it right saves a lot of stress and money. Here's what to look for and what to avoid.
Start with the licence. Any structural or weathertightness work on your home, known as restricted building work, has to be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. You can check a builder's LBP status on the public register, and you should. An LBP licence isn't a guarantee of a perfect job, but it tells you the builder has been assessed as competent and is accountable to a national standard. A builder who can't show you a current licence for restricted work is a hard no.
Next, look at relevant experience. A builder who's done ten homes like yours is a safer bet for your build than one who mostly does light commercial fit-outs, even if both are skilled. Ask to see work they've done that's similar to your project, and if you can, talk to those past clients. Ask the owners whether it came in on budget, finished on time, and how the builder handled problems, because problems always come up and the response is what matters.
Get everything in writing. For any job over $30,000 including GST, you're legally entitled to a written contract, and you want one anyway. The contract should spell out the scope, the price or pricing method, the payment schedule, the timeline and how variations are handled. Be cautious of a builder who wants to work on a handshake or a one-line quote, because that's where disputes start. A clear contract protects both sides.
Understand how they price. A fixed-price contract gives you certainty but needs a locked-in scope. Cost-plus suits uncertain or changing jobs but leaves the final figure open. Neither is wrong, but the builder should explain which they're using and why, and the cheapest quote isn't automatically the best. A suspiciously low price often means corners cut, items left out of the scope, or a pile of variations coming once the job starts.
Watch the warning signs. Be wary of anyone who pushes for a large deposit up front, can't give you references, is vague about consents and inspections, or pressures you to skip the paperwork to save time or money. Good builders are busy, so a long lead time is normal and often a good sign. A builder who can start tomorrow and wants cash up front should make you pause.
Finally, trust how the relationship feels. You'll be dealing with this person for months, often during stressful moments. A builder who communicates clearly, answers your questions straight and seems organised on the first meeting will almost always run a better job than one who's hard to pin down. Take your time on this decision. The right builder is worth waiting for, and the wrong one is expensive in every sense.