There's a moment in every build where the contract lands in front of you, and there's a strong temptation to skim, sign and get on with it. Don't. The contract is the rulebook for the whole job. Every promise the builder made, every number you discussed, only counts if it's written down. If it isn't, it doesn't exist.
A proper sit-down on the contract should take a couple of hours, not twenty minutes. If your builder rushes you through it, that's a flag. You should be using one of the standard contracts — the HIA or Master Builders Australia residential agreements — because they've been written carefully, they're kept up to date, and they cover the bases that matter. Be wary of a custom contract a builder has drafted themselves; those are usually weighted in their favour, not yours.
Here's what I'd specifically check. Are your name, contact details, and the build address correct? Is the price right, and does it match the most recent estimate you agreed on, not an older one? Is the inclusions schedule attached and initialled on every page, or just referenced? If it's only referenced, what's stopping it from being swapped later? Make sure the plans, specifications and inclusions are all part of the contract, not floating documents.
Then look at how variations are handled, what happens if approvals take longer than expected, and whether the price actually stays fixed if there's a delay before construction starts. "Fixed price" is a lovely phrase, but the moment you've got prime costs and provisional sums in there, the final number can shift. That's not necessarily a problem — it just means you need to understand which line items are truly locked and which are estimates.
A good home builder will walk you through every clause and answer every question. If anything doesn't sit right, get it changed before you sign, because asking later does you no good at all.
If you want a builder who'll happily sit with you for two hours on the contract, that's how we work.
