FAQs

Honestly, it depends, and anyone who gives you a firm number before seeing your site and plans is guessing. The four things that drive cost are size, complexity, materials and finishes, and site conditions. Complexity is where most people get caught out. Two builds the same size can be very different prices.

What we can do is come out, look at what you’re planning and give you a realistic range early, so you’re not designing something you can’t afford.

Yes, once your plans are properly developed. Before then, any number is an estimate and it can move. A fixed price only means something when the scope is clear, so we don’t rush to one.

Once we agree a fixed price, that’s what you pay. That’s part of our Built Right Promise.

It happens, especially in renovations where we open up a wall and find something nobody could have seen. If anything needs to change, we’ll talk it through with you first, price it clearly and get your approval before any work goes ahead. If we ever do work you didn’t approve, you don’t pay for it.

It depends on the job, but here’s roughly how it runs:

• Initial meeting and site visit: 1 to 2 weeks
• Design and planning: 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the project
• Pricing and agreement: 1 to 3 weeks
• Pre-build setup: 1 to 2 weeks
• Construction: varies by project
• Completion and handover: about 1 week

Before we start on site, you’ll get a clear start and completion timeframe. We won’t give you an unrealistic deadline just to win the job.

A lot of work does, including most extensions, new bathrooms, structural changes and all new homes. Our designers prepare the plans and we submit them to council for you where consent is required. Council has 20 working days to process a consent, but that clock stops if they ask for more information, which is why we make sure the plans are right before they go in.

Often, yes. It depends on what we’re doing and which parts of the house are affected. We’ll talk about it at the start and plan the work around your household as much as we can, keeping the site clean and safe.

You’ll have direct access to your site manager, plus site walkthroughs at times we agree together, so you always know when your next update is coming. If you’d like, you can also see progress in real time through our project management system. And if you get in touch, we respond promptly. You won’t be left chasing us.

We don’t disappear after handover. Before sign-off, we walk through the whole job with you and fix anything that needs attention. If something comes up after you’ve moved in and it’s on us, we make it right. If it’s a product or subtrade issue, we’ll work with you to get it sorted quickly.

As members of New Zealand Certified Builders, we also offer the Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee on eligible projects.