What will construction cost?
See our construction cost calculator.
What will design and drafting cost?
To have a professional design a standard custom home (in Australia), and submit the plans to council, usually costs less than $10,000, but that does not include council fees and costs associated with getting the plans approved by council.
The more complex your requirements, the higher your design costs will be. Also: depending on who you use the price can vary considerably. Well known popular architects cost the most. Drafts people usually cost the least.
Design fees are usually charged using one of the following three methods:
- A flat hourly rate, billed periodically or after various design stages are completed
- A percentage of the estimated or actual construction cost
- A fixed price, with conditions such as progress payments, limits to the number of changes that can be made at various design stages, etc.
What will council fees cost?
Different councils charge different amounts for the same things and some councils have more red tape than others. However to give a rough idea of what you may be up for here is what Gosford Council in NSW was charging in December 2006:
| Development application | $1,255.00 |
| Planning and reform | $256.00 |
| Compliance levy | $550.00 |
| Advertising | $30.00 |
| Building Construction Certificate | $907.50 |
| Inspection fees | $687.00 |
| Long Service Levy | $1,400.00 |
| Sewer inspection fees | $178.00 |
Can I produce a development application for my new home without help from a design professional?
Yes partly. The Development Application process is very time consuming and requires consultant input eg. designers and engineers. However the following article may help you get started: Council requirements and reports.
I am looking at becoming an owner builder and have not renovated before. I have no idea where to start. How can I get myself informed and organised?
Try reading some or all of these article or books:
- Becoming an owner builder
- An explanation of the complete building process
- Home design and renovation tips
- Home design and construction process
- Australian residential architecture styles
- Council requirements and reports.
- How to read plans
- How to read a quote
- Residential structures - the basics
I recently heard a horror story about a builder that turned out to "The spawn of Satin". How can I minimise the chances of selecting an incompetent builder?
The best way to choose a builder is to ask people you know well who they have used in the past and if they were happy with their job. Ideally if you ask enough people you will start hearing the same names - these are the builders worth meeting.
When is the best time to build a home?
- Generally winter is the best time to build as there are less delays due to rain
- Generally during a 'building slump' is the best time to build as labour and construction items
become more competitive
I would love to design my own home - properly. Are there any home design courses the average person can undertake? And if so what qualifications do the lectures have? And how much does it cost?
There is an article on this web site called How to design your own home and it describes the design process that is taught to architecture students at university. It is quite involved but provides a great insight into the structured design process - and its free! I don't know of any design classes available out of the formal education system - a web search may find something.
My partner and I are looking to renovate our home in Bondi but I don't know if we are making the right choice maybe we should 'knock-down and rebuild'. Is there anyone that can inform us of the choices we have so we can make a well informed decision? I feel like we have been floundering for months....
The Australian Home Design Directory site can match you with a Building Designer or Architect in your area. Click here to begin your search. Any of the professionals listed on this web site should be able to provide you with plenty of design ideas, information about council requirements as well as structural information.
After an initial consultation you should be prepared to tackle the process head-on.