20 Questions to Ask a Builder Before You Sign (Australia 2026)

Price and contract questions

1. What is the total fixed price for my lot, including every allowance? Get the itemised site-cost assessment for your actual block, not a standard allowance. 2. What is excluded from the base price? Ask for the exclusions list in writing — driveways, fencing, landscaping, floor coverings and air conditioning are the classic omissions. 3. How do your provisional sums compare to actual costs in this estate? Ask what the last five builds on comparable lots cost versus allowance. 4. What are your variation margins and administration fees? Builders typically charge cost-plus-margin on variations; the margin matters. 5. Which contract do you use, and may my solicitor review it before exchange? A confident builder says yes without hesitation.

Delivery and after-sales questions

6. What is your current build time in this estate, from site start to handover — for your last five completions here? Not the advertised figure: the actual one. 7. How many homes are you building concurrently, and who is my site supervisor? Ratio reveals attention. 8. Can I speak to two clients who built with you in the last year? Then actually call them. 9. How are progress inspections and drawdown certificates handled? You want a documented process, not improvisation. 10. What is your defect-rectification process after handover, and what are the statutory warranty periods in this state? Then ask how many warranty claims they carry per completed home.

11. What deposit and progress payments do you require, and are they insurer-backed? Payment security matters if a builder fails mid-build. 12. Who holds my selections, and what happens if an item is discontinued? 13. Do you use subcontractors for each trade, and how long have they been with you? 14. What insurance covers the build, and may I have the certificate of currency? 15. What happens if my build runs over time — is there any compensation mechanism? Honest builders explain their float rather than promise what they cannot control.

Design and fit questions

16. Which of your standard designs suits my lot's orientation, and what does rotating or mirroring cost? Orientation is free money in energy terms. 17. What is the difference between this display home and the base version of the same plan? The upgrade list, itemised. 18. Can I see the full inclusions schedule, not the summary? Brands and model numbers, in writing. 19. What are your most common post-handover defects, and what have you changed as a result? The most revealing question on this page. 20. If I sign today versus in 60 days, what changes? Any answer involving dramatic discount urgency deserves a second opinion.

Frequently asked questions

How many builders should I compare?

At least three, on the same lot, in writing. The spread in total price on identical scope routinely reaches $30,000–$60,000 — far more than any single negotiation win.

Should I use a broker or go straight to the builder's preferred lender?

Use your own broker for the loan and your own solicitor for the contract. The builder's partners are convenient and sometimes genuinely competitive, but independent advice on the two biggest documents of the purchase is worth the modest cost.

What are the biggest red flags in a builder's answers?

Refusal to itemise site costs, pressure to sign before solicitor review, allowance figures that cannot be reconciled with recent estate completions, and evasiveness about concurrent build numbers or warranty claims.

Do builder reviews and ratings matter?

Yes, but as pattern evidence rather than verdicts. Look for recurring themes across many reviews — communication, defects, after-sales — and weight recent reviews in your estate heavily. Our builder review pages profile major volume builders in detail.

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