What to Ask a Builder Before You Sign
Before you sign, check the builder's QBCC licence and insurance, understand exactly what the quote and contract include, keep prime cost items and provisional sums to a minimum, and speak to past clients. Most of all, make sure you and your builder are aligned on the design, the budget and how you'll work together. In our experience, alignment is the one thing that makes the difference.
1. Licence and insurance
Check the builder's QBCC licence yourself on the QBCC register. Hampton Homes holds a QBCC Builder – Open licence, number 1 259 278.
Your home must be covered by the QBCC Home Warranty Scheme. It protects you for 6 years 6 months for structural defects and 12 months for non-structural defects from completion.
Ask for certificates of currency for contract works insurance and public liability. Hampton Homes holds $20 million public liability and contract works insurance. Your bank may ask for copies too.
2. The quote
A meaningful quote takes time. Builders who quote for free often apply a square-metre rate or price low and make it up through variations.
Hampton Homes charges a fee for a detailed quote — from $2,200 for an estimate to $4,400 or more, depending on size and complexity. With full drawings, engineering, a soil test and a finishes schedule, expect about a week; with incomplete documents, up to four weeks.
On projects over about $800,000, a quantity surveyor's bill of quantities is common. Builders' quotes can differ from it because of workload, trade quality, market conditions and how each builder assesses risk.
3. Prime cost items and provisional sums
Prime cost (PC) items are allowances for supply only — taps, baths, light fittings — not yet selected.
Provisional sums (PS) are allowances for supply and install — rock removal, landscaping, joinery — that can't be finalised yet.
Both adjust the contract price up or down. The fewer you have, the more certain your price.
4. The contract
In Queensland, work over $20,000 needs a written regulated contract, and you have a five-business-day cooling-off period.
The deposit is capped at 5% for work over $20,000.
Check the payment schedule: base, frame, lock-up, fixing, practical completion.
Check how variations are priced and approved.
Read every page. Get legal advice if you're unsure.
5. References and past work
Ask to see completed homes like yours, and a current site.
Ask past clients: Did it finish on time? Were price changes agreed in writing first? Were progress claims made only when stages were complete? Was the communication clear?
Who supervises your build day to day?
6. Alignment — the one that matters most
Before clients sign, we tell them the same thing: the difference is alignment. Your builder, your designer and you need to share the same picture of the home, the budget and the standard of finish. When that alignment is there, the process stays professional and positive, and the outcome is always amazing.
Come prepared to your first meeting
Bring your budget, inspiration photos, plans or concept designs, and any surveys, soil, energy, bushfire (BAL) or flood reports you already have.
Ready to talk? Hampton Homes has been building on the Gold Coast since 1987 (QBCC licence 1 259 278). Call (07) 5525 0722 or see our FAQ page.
