An architect-designed home is only as good as the people who build it. The drawings set the intent; the builder decides whether the curved wall, the flush detail or the long-span opening comes out the way it was drawn. These are the questions worth asking before you sign.
1. Are they registered for this work?
In Victoria, any builder doing domestic work over $10,000 must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission in the right class. You can check any builder's registration on the BPC's Find a Practitioner search in a couple of minutes.
2. Have they built something this complex before?
Look past the photos to the details: junctions, joinery, how materials meet. Ask which architects they have worked with, and call one. Architects know quickly which builders respect the design and which ones look for shortcuts.
3. Who will run your site?
On many builds the person who wins the job is not the person on site. Ask who your day-to-day contact is, and how often the builder themselves is there. At Taylor Built, Taylor runs every project personally, from first site visit to handover.
4. How is the price built up?
Ask for a clear breakdown, and check how much of it is provisional sums and prime cost items. Those are allowances, not fixed prices, and a quote with large allowances can look cheaper than it will end up. A detailed quote from a builder who has read the drawings closely is worth more than a low number.
5. How will changes be handled?
Changes happen on every architectural build. Ask how variations are priced and approved, and make sure every one is agreed in writing before the work is done.
6. How will you be kept informed?
Ask how often you will get updates, in what form, and how quickly the builder replies. Good communication is the single biggest factor in how a build feels to live through.
7. Do they know the area?
A builder who knows the Peninsula knows its trades, its councils, its soils and its weather. That local knowledge saves time on approvals and avoids problems with coastal sites before they start.
8. When can they start, and how busy are they?
Ask about their current workload and realistic start date. A builder who is honest about timing now will be honest about it later.
Working with an architect on a new home?
Taylor Built works alongside architects and designers on custom homes across the Mornington Peninsula. Call Taylor on 0404 111 954 or send us your plans.
