Choosing a builder means trusting someone with your home and a fair chunk of your money. Whether you’re planning a new home, renovation, extension or concrete swimming pool, you want to know how they’ll handle the job before you sign.
These are the six things I’d check before committing to anyone.
Choosing a Builder Is About More Than the Quote
Price matters, but the lowest quote doesn’t automatically mean the best value. Compare what’s included and who’s responsible for the work. Otherwise, you may not be comparing the same job at all.
1. Choose Experience That Matches Your Project
Start with the type of work you want completed.
A builder who mainly delivers standard new homes may not be the right fit for a major renovation. Renovations and extensions involve working with an existing structure, solving issues that may not be visible at the beginning and tying new work into the old home properly.
A custom home requires a builder who can work through your block, design, lifestyle and budget rather than simply repeat a standard plan.
A concrete swimming pool also brings its own engineering, excavation, access, drainage and finishing requirements.
Ask to see projects that are genuinely similar to yours.
- Have they completed work of a similar size and complexity?
- Do they understand the challenges that come with your type of project?
- Can they explain how they approached those challenges?
- Are the examples recent and actually completed by the builder you’re speaking with?
Relevant experience won’t guarantee that every day will be easy. It does mean the builder is more likely to understand what needs to be planned before work starts.
A builder’s experience should also show in the timeline they give you. Our guide to how long a home build takes explains the stages and the things that can move the finish date.
2. Know Who You’ll Actually Be Dealing With
The person who sells you the job isn’t always the person who manages it.
Before signing, ask who will be responsible for the project once construction begins.
- Who will supervise the site?
- Who approves workmanship?
- Who do you call when you have a question?
- Who explains changes, delays or additional costs?
With a larger project builder, you may move between sales staff, colour consultants, administrators, supervisors and warranty teams.
With a smaller family-owned builder, you may have more direct contact with the person whose name is on the business.
Neither model is automatically right or wrong. It comes down to the experience you want and how much personal involvement matters to you.
We’ve explained this in more detail in Project Builder vs Family-Owned Builder: What’s the Difference?.
At BHB, I’m involved from the early conversations through to the work on site. I want to know what’s happening, how the job is progressing and whether the finished work meets the standard we’re prepared to put our name to.
3. Check the Licence, Work History and References
Don’t rely on what a builder says about themselves. Check the basics properly.
In Queensland, use the QBCC licence search to confirm the licence belongs to the person or company you’re dealing with and covers the work you want completed.
Then look beyond the licence number.
- Review completed projects, not just concept drawings.
- Ask for references from clients with similar projects.
- Look for consistent feedback about communication and workmanship.
- Check how long the business has been operating.
- Ask how problems were handled when things didn’t go perfectly.
Every building project can have challenges. What matters is whether the builder is upfront, takes responsibility and works through the issue properly.
For a deeper checklist, read Can You Trust Your Builder? What to Check Before You Sign.
4. Make Sure the Quote Matches the Work You Expect
A clear quote should tell you what you’re paying for and what hasn’t been included.
Look closely at:
- The exact scope of work
- Fixtures, finishes and material selections
- Prime cost items and provisional sums
- Site preparation, access and demolition
- Engineering, approvals and certification
- Service connections, drainage and retaining
- How variations will be priced and approved
- The proposed payment stages
If one quote is much cheaper, find out why.
Sometimes the difference is efficiency. Sometimes it’s the level of finish. Sometimes important items simply haven’t been included.
We’d rather have an uncomfortable budget conversation early than pretend the numbers will somehow work themselves out later.
Our article on how to avoid budget blowouts and hidden costs explains what to compare before construction starts.
5. Understand How Communication and Decisions Will Work
Good communication means knowing who to contact, when you’ll receive updates and how decisions will be handled. You shouldn’t have to chase the builder to find out what’s happening.
Ask the builder:
- How often will I receive progress updates?
- Who will contact me if something changes?
- How are selections and approvals recorded?
- What happens if I request a variation?
- How quickly are questions normally answered?
Pay attention to communication before you sign.
If calls aren’t returned, questions receive vague answers or you’re already struggling to understand the process, don’t assume it will improve once the builder has your deposit.
A builder may need to check with an engineer, supplier or trade before answering. That’s normal. What matters is that they tell you what they’re checking and come back with a proper answer.
For a practical guide to what good updates look like, read How Often Should You Hear From Your Builder?.
6. Look for Care, Not Just a Good Sales Pitch
Quality workmanship often shows up in the details most people don’t notice in a glossy photo.
- Are lines straight and finishes neat?
- Do materials meet cleanly?
- Are waterproofing, framing and preparation treated as seriously as the visible finishes?
- Does the site look organised and properly managed?
- Can the builder explain how the work is done and how they check it?
Look at completed work, but also look at projects during construction.
A finished kitchen, bathroom or pool should look good. The work behind it needs to be right as well.
You don’t need to be a building expert. Ask the builder to walk you through a detail, such as how a shower is waterproofed or how an extension joins the existing home. Ask what gets checked, who checks it and when. They should be able to explain it in plain English.
For more detail on the standards and small details that matter, read What Does Quality Workmanship Actually Look Like in a New Home?.
Warning Signs Worth Taking Seriously
One warning sign doesn’t always mean you should walk away, but a pattern should make you stop and ask more questions.
- Pressure to sign quickly
- A quote with very little detail
- Allowances that don’t match the finishes you want
- No clear answer about who will supervise the project
- Reluctance to provide references or show completed work
- Big promises about price or timing before the project has been properly assessed
- Poor communication during the quoting stage
Building involves too much money and too many decisions to ignore concerns at the beginning.
The Right Builder Should Be the Right Fit
You should be able to ask direct questions and get clear answers before you commit. If something doesn’t add up, keep asking.
At BHB, we build custom homes, major renovations and extensions, and concrete swimming pools. I stay involved from the first conversation through to the work on site.
Got a project in mind?
Book a consultation with Brendan and let’s talk about what you want to build, what you can spend and where to start.
