The pre-construction process for residential builders.
Pre-construction is everything a builder does between the first enquiry and the building contract: the questions, the site meeting, and the drawings, soil test and costings that make a fixed price possible. Done properly, that work is paid for under a preliminary agreement before the detailed quote, not given away.
For custom homes, knockdown rebuilds, renovations and extensions.
Before the contract: get paid for the work that wins it.
A detailed quote on a custom home or a major renovation can take days of work. For builders who want to charge for it, we set up the whole pre-construction process: the questions up front, an explanation the homeowner reads before the meeting, a written preliminary agreement and online payment.
This is where PreBuild started.
Before the meeting
- Do they own the land?
- Do they have drawings or a designer yet?
- What is their budget range?
- Is finance arranged or being arranged?
01
The questions, up front.
Asked before you give up an evening to it.
How our preliminary work runs
Book the meeting02
The explanation.
A page the homeowner reads before the meeting, so nobody is surprised by a fee.
In your calendar
Thu8:00Site meeting
Priya R., Wavell Heights03
The meeting.
Booked by the homeowner, with a reminder the day before.
Preliminary agreement Sample
- Client
- Priya R.
- Project
- Knockdown rebuild, four bedrooms
- Fee
- Set by you
Paid online04
The agreement.
In writing, signed and paid online before the detailed work starts.
Detailed quote
Knockdown rebuild, four bedrooms
Your drawings and price05
Then you quote.
Properly, for someone who has put money down.
Guide: charging for preliminary work Guide: how much to charge How we follow up every quote
Who it suits.
Charging for preliminary work makes sense when the quote itself is real work.
Worth it for
- Custom and new home builders, knockdown rebuilds included
- Renovation and extension builders
- Jobs where a proper quote takes days: drawings, a soil test, engineering, council questions
- Builders who would rather quote fewer people properly
Not worth it for
- Small, fixed-price jobs you can price in an hour
- Work that comes through other builders, not homeowners
Custom and new home builders Renovation and extension builders
Free quote, or paid preliminary agreement.
The same first meeting, two ways to run what comes after it.
| Free detailed quote | Paid preliminary agreement | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays for drawings and a soil test | You, whether or not they build with you | The homeowner, under a written agreement |
| What the homeowner commits | Nothing. A quote costs them nothing to ask for | A fee, in writing, before the detailed work starts |
| How firm the price can be | As firm as the investigation you can afford to do for free | Based on the drawings, site and soil information the fee paid for |
| If they walk away | You've lost the days it took | You've been paid for the work you did |
Free quotes vs paid preliminaries, in full How to qualify an enquiry before you quote
Check the rules in your state.
Each state treats preliminary agreements differently. These points are from the regulators' own pages, checked 13 November 2026.
This is a short summary, not legal advice. Read the page for your state and get advice for your situation.
- Queensland
The QBCC says preliminary work can include having designs drawn up, specifications, and soil tests and contour surveys, and that the contractor can take full payment up front for arranging it. It also warns that fees or penalties for not going ahead with the building contract may be illegal.
QBCC: contracts and agreement types- Victoria
Consumer Affairs Victoria says a pre-construction contract that covers more than a soil report, such as design, specifications or permits, is a building contract, and one that includes domestic building work over $10,000 is a major domestic building contract. Victoria passed changes to its domestic building contract laws in September 2025, so check the current position.
Consumer Affairs Victoria: pre-construction contracts- New South Wales
A written contract is needed for residential building work over $5,000 including GST, and a builder cannot ask for a deposit of more than 10 percent.
NSW Government: providing home building contracts
Other states, and more on each, in the guide to charging for preliminary work.
Common questions
What is a pre-construction agreement?
A written agreement, signed before the building contract, that pays the builder for the early work a fixed price depends on, such as drawings, specifications, soil tests and surveys. It goes by several names, including preliminary agreement and pre-construction contract, and the rules differ by state.
Can builders charge for quotes?
In Queensland, the regulator says a contractor can take full payment up front for preliminary work such as designs and soil tests. Other states have their own rules, so check yours before you set one up.
What does a preliminary agreement cover?
The work needed to price the build properly. The Queensland regulator lists having designs drawn up, writing the specifications, and soil tests and contour surveys.
How much should a builder charge for a preliminary agreement?
Work it out from your own costs: the hours your team will spend and what you pay others, such as the designer, soil tester and surveyor. A number that covers real work is easier to explain than one that looks like a fee for nothing.
Won't charging put homeowners off?
It will put some off. A homeowner who will not pay for the work behind a price may not have been ready to build. Explaining what the fee pays for, before the meeting, means nobody is surprised by it.
Does PreBuild set this up for builders?
Yes. For builders who want to charge for preliminary work, we set up the questions up front, a page the homeowner reads before the meeting, a written preliminary agreement and online payment. The fee and the terms are yours to set.
Guides on preliminary work and quotes
- GuideCharging for preliminary work
- GuideFree quotes vs paid preliminaries
- GuideHow much to charge for a preliminary agreement
- GuideHow to qualify a building enquiry
- GuideWhy quotes go quiet
- GuideHow fast to respond to an enquiry
- PreBuildQuote follow-up and paid preliminaries
- PreBuildHow we find and check homeowners
- PreBuildApply and get your price in writing
Want to stop quoting for free?
Tell us your trade and where you build. We'll ring you to talk through your pre-construction process and give you a price in writing. If it's not a fit, we'll say so.
No retainer, no lock-in, nothing monthly.
Thanks. We've got your application.
We'll call you to talk it through: your trade, where you work and how many homeowners you could take on. If it's a fit, you get your price in writing.