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Pre-construction

Guides on pre-construction for Australian residential builders.

Pre-construction

  1. 01Deposit limits on building contracts: what the regulators say, state by stateWhat NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia say a builder may ask for as a deposit, with the regulator's page for each. Read 13 November 2026; Victoria changes by 1 December 2026.
  2. 02Complying development certificate in NSW: what a builder should check before quotingA CDC can replace a council development application on some NSW jobs. Here is what it covers and what to confirm before you price.
  3. 03Construction estimating for small builders: a step-by-step method you can repeatA repeatable order for estimating a residential job: scope, quantities, labour, allowances, overheads, then a check against your last similar job.
  4. 04Cost plus or fixed price: which kind of building contract suits which jobHow cost plus and fixed price building contracts differ, who carries the risk in each, and what Australian regulators say.
  5. 05Design and construct or traditional: how the two ways of building a house differDesign and construct puts design and building under one builder. Here is how it differs from the traditional route, and who each one suits.
  6. 06Early contractor involvement on a house or renovation: how a two-stage job worksEarly contractor involvement started on big projects. On a house it is a paid first stage for design and costing, then a building contract. Here is how to run it and when to skip it.
  7. 07Feature and contour surveys: what to order before you price a buildA feature or contour survey shows the levels, trees, fences and services on a block. Here is what it adds to a quote, who orders it, and where it fits before the contract.
  8. 08Geotechnical report and soil test: when to order one before you price a buildA geotechnical report gives a block its site class, and the class sets the footings. What the report says, who orders it and why it belongs before a fixed price.
  9. 09Granny flat approvals: what a builder should confirm before quotingWhich approval path the site can use, what the site and services do to the price, and what to confirm before you quote. New South Wales rules, from the state pages.
  10. 10How to quote a job: a sequence that stops you underpricingAsk before you visit, measure and photograph on site, write the scope before the price, then follow up the next day. Here is the sequence in order.
  11. 11How to quote painting jobs: measuring, prep, coats and the questions that change the pricePainting is priced on prep, not paint. What to ask, what to measure and how to write a quote that holds up.
  12. 12Markup versus margin: how builders and tradies price a job without losing moneyA 20 per cent markup is not a 20 per cent margin. Here is the one line of arithmetic that fixes it, with an example to rerun on your own numbers.
  13. 13Pre-construction services for a house build: what a builder can offer before the contractThe work between a client's first idea and a signed build contract: site checks, design input, cost checks and selections. Here is what each covers and why builders charge for it.
  14. 14Provisional sums and prime cost items: what they are and how to explain them before the price shocks the clientWhat provisional sums and prime cost items are, how they adjust, and the words to use with a client before the first claim.
  15. 15A quote template for builders and tradies: what to put on it and whyWhat a clear job quote contains, field by field, and the point where a quote becomes a contract in your state.
  16. 16Quote or estimate: what you promise when you use each wordA quote is a price you commit to. An estimate is a best guess. Here is what regulators say about each, and wording that keeps the client clear on which one they hold.
  17. 17Renovate or rebuild: how a builder talks it through before quoting eitherRenovate or rebuild is settled by a short list of questions and some site work. Here is the order a builder asks them in, and why neither price is reliable until the site is checked.
  18. 18What goes in a preliminary agreement: scope, fee, deliverables and what happens nextSeven headings cover a preliminary agreement. What to write under each, and where state rules can catch you.

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