If you've started ringing builders for a price, you've probably noticed something. Some will throw a number at you over the phone after a five-minute chat. Others will quietly say "that's going to take a few weeks of work — let's sit down properly." There's a reason for that, and it's worth understanding before you start comparing numbers.
A quick, free, ballpark estimate is exactly what it sounds like. It's a builder's gut feel based on the size of the job and similar work they've done before. It's useful for a sanity check — am I in the right postcode of cost or am I dreaming? — but it's not something you should ever sign a contract on. The number can move ten or twenty percent once anyone actually does the maths.
A proper quote is a different beast. It's built off what's called a Bill of Quantities, a line-by-line list of every material, every fixing, every cubic metre of concrete and metre of cabling that's going into the home. It takes time and care to put together, which is why some builders charge for it. Worth every cent, in my view.
Here's the thing most homeowners don't realise. If you're getting three quotes from three different builders, and each one has done their own informal estimate off the same plans, you can't actually compare those numbers. One builder has assumed a different oven, another has guessed at the earthworks, another has missed the driveway entirely. You're not comparing apples with apples. You're comparing three different fruit salads.
Best practice is to get a proper Bill of Quantities prepared and ask each builder to price the same scope, the same inclusions, the same finishes. Then the numbers actually mean something. Cheapest isn't necessarily best, but at least you can see what you're getting for the difference.
A custom new home is a once-or-twice-in-a-lifetime spend. The few weeks you put into getting the quote process right pays back many times over.
Want a hand thinking it through for your block in or around Young? Head to inh.com.au/Young and we'll have a yarn.
