How do I know if my home has been built properly?
At the front of mind for the majority of homeowners entering into any building project, is the question of how to know whether the works they have started have been built with care, are within specifications and comply with the rules and regulations and have ultimately been built properly.
It is important to understand the process, stages, checks and requirements each build goes through and we’ve put together some information to help explain the process and the different stakeholders involved and their key role in your build;
These can be broken down as follows:
- Principal Certifying Authority (PCA);
- Engineer;
- Builder;
- Quality Assurance Program;
- Certificates;
- Defect Period.
- Statutory Warranty Period
Principal Certifying Authority (PCA)
A Principal Certifier is engaged to carry out mandatory inspections associated with a build during the construction process. They are there to ensure the structure is completed in accordance with the approved consent (DA/CC or CDC), as well as to check compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements
Generally for a second storey addition, the mandatory inspections that the Certifier will undertake during the build may look like this:
– After excavation for and prior to the placement of any footings
– Prior to pouring any in-situ reinforced concrete building element
– Prior to covering of the framework for any floor, wall, roof, or other building element
– Prior to covering waterproofing in any wet areas
– Prior to covering any stormwater drainage connections
– After the building work has been completed & prior to any Occupation Certificate being issued in relation to the building
Upon completion of mandatory inspections, completion of all works associated with the approval and final documents/certificates provided, an Occupation Certificate will be issued.
Engineer
A structural design plan is generally prepared by registered professional engineers, and, are based on information provided by the architectural drawings. They provide details for how a building or other structure will be built.
It is not uncommon for engineering revisions to occur during the build following onsite inspections by the engineer and consultation with the project manager. The engineer is there to confirm that the structure has been built in accordance with his plans and certifies the overall structural adequacy of the build. This certificate is provided to the Certifier.
Inspections undertaken by engineers may look like this;
– Prior to pouring any in-situ reinforced concrete building element
– Prior to covering of the framework for any floor, wall, roof, or other building element
– Prior to covering any stormwater drainage connections (if required – based upon the hydraulic design)
Builder
The role of the builder is to interpret the architectural drawings, structural drawings, surveys plan and all approved documentation and construct the building in accordance with these. The builder will then coordinate, schedule and oversee the multiple skilled trades to undertake each component of the build and then liaise and coordinate the inspections with the engineer and certifier during the build at critical stages to confirm compliance with the BCA and that the build is structurally sound.
There are multiple trades, suppliers and deliveries to be managed by your builder during a build. To name a few of the trades that would work on your home; carpenters, plasterers, concreters, brick layers, plumbers, welders, electricians, waterproofers, roofers, tilers, labourers, cabinet makers, showerscreen installers, glaziers, staircase installers, painters, flooring installers, insulation installers, asbestos removalists, air conditioning installers, renderers.
Your builder should be able to provide you with a copy of the timeline of your build but don’t be alarmed if dates change during your build with certain items – this is normal, given the multiple trades and deliveries happening! As long as your builder is within your contract period, you only need to focus on your finish date and ensuring that any materials you have to supply are onsite by the date communicated to you. Should you have any concerns with your finish date being on track, just reach out to your builder and their team for clarification. They are there to help.
Quality Assurance Program
As you can see the roles of the builder, engineer and Certifier do a lot to ensure your build is completed in compliance with the BCA and the approved plans, sometimes, it can be easy to overlook the minor items during the build and this is where our quality assurance program steps in. As an additional check across all of our builds, we arrange for an independent building inspector to complete a progress inspection at the Lock up and Rough in stage and a final inspection pre-handover.
This is an added layer of reassurance for us and our clients to ensure you are receiving the highest quality build.
Certificates
Following Practical Completion, certificates are provided to the certifier.
These are from the individual trades to certify their work has been completed in compliance with the Australian Standards.
Certificates required but not limited to:
– Engineering structural adequacy certificate
– Waterproofing certificate for each wet area
– Insulation certificate
– Glazing certificate
– Electricians CCEW certificate
– Smoke alarm certificate
– Plumbing certificate of compliance
Defect Period
Upon completion of your build and reaching Practical Completion, you will have a 13 week minor maintenance period. This is for the builder to attend to minor defects that would have been listed during your Practical Completion walkthrough but don’t prevent you from moving into your new space.
What happens when your defect period ends?
There are statutory warranties on your build.
This means that should any issue arise with the works on your home, you may reach out to your builder and make a claim; within six years for major defects and within two years for other defects from the date of completion.
By providing photos and videos to the builder, they can then investigate and determine whether it relates to the builder/contractor’s workmanship and attend to the defect for you. Industry guidance materials like the Fair Trading Standards and Tolerances guide can assist in determining a defect.
Dispute Resolution
Open communication with your builder goes a long way to easily resolving defects without the need to take legal action. Generally, if a builder and/or the owner are concerned with defects at the home, the builder may arrange an independent inspection with an engineer or building inspector, this then allows an impartial view and you can then discuss any concerns with your builder to work with you on. Alternatively, if there is a communication breakdown, either you or the Builder can formally request for Fair Trading to assist in dispute resolution and in most cases the Inspector will arrange to meet with you and the builder on-site to inspect the work under dispute and act as a mediator and issue an order of rectification if it’s required. If your builder is no longer operating, then you can submit a claim through your Home Warranty.
32 Degrees Building Quality Assurance Program
32 Degrees Building cares about the quality and finish of your build. Our Quality Assurance Program ensures that throughout and at the end of the build a clear picture of the quality and completeness of the construction is achieved.
Our Quality Assurance Program includes a progress inspection and a final inspection which is undertaken by an independent building inspector. The inspections we conduct are as follows:
Progress Inspection: The building consultant will thoroughly inspect frames & trusses, cavity drainage and flashings, brickwork & thresholds at the lock-up and rough-in stage ahead of the plasterboard being installed.
Final Inspection: The building consultant will undertake a comprehensive inspection of all new internal and external areas ahead of handover and before the signoff of practical completion is reached.
These reports will highlight defects (if any) that require us to attend to and upon finalisation of the Progress Inspection and Final Inspection, a Certificate is issued confirming that all Quality Assurance requirements have been met.
The abovementioned inspections are conducted in addition to the principal certifying authority (PCA) inspections and engineering inspections and will as a whole ensure that the highest quality build has been provided to you at handover.
Why you need to move out for 2 weeks during the build
When building a Second Storey/First Floor Addition or Ground Floor Extension with 32 Degrees Building you must vacate the premises for a minimum period of two weeks.
Why do you need to vacate?
- We require you to vacate your home for the safety and comfort of your family. We want to ensure that your family are safe, comfortable and have the best possible experience during the build. With this in mind, we require that you vacate the premises for at least two weeks so that we can complete important tasks such as demolition, electrical work and preparation for the build. We want you to be able to avoid the noise, dust and disruption associated with this stage of the build.
- Another reason you are required to vacate is for the safety of our team. When building an addition or an extension we are working with an existing dwelling with existing electrical and structural aspects we need to take into consideration. With these aspects of the build to keep in mind, it is important for us to disconnect the power to the entire home for a two week period. This will minimise any safety issues or risks associated with this stage of the build and also keep our team and your family as safe and happy as possible.
We strive to make building an addition or extension a safe, seamless and as enjoyable a process as possible. With our extensive experience building additions and extensions, we know what works and what doesn’t work. With the safety and comfort of your family of the utmost importance to us, we structure our builds and our process around ensuring that you will have the best possible experience as your addition or extension is added to your home.
What we are doing to combat the state of the construction industry landscape
Alongside a house price boom, Australia is in the midst of a homebuilding boom with the Housing Industry of Australia expecting that a near-record number of new homes will be built over the next 12 months.
But for many in the residential construction sector, it’s a profitless boom – and several major players have recently gone bust, with the assumption that more will follow.
Why are construction companies folding?
A perfect storm of factors has been brewing for the better part of 2021, and now the rainy season has arrived.
Supply chain issues, with a shortage of building materials worldwide resulting from COVID-19 disruptions, coupled with natural disasters from freak storms and flooding to bushfires, have provided significant pressure on builders.
Those shortages have led to prices rising exponentially, particularly for timber and steel.
On top of that, a labour shortage is making it difficult to find tradespeople, giving workers the power to command huge wages.
So, the overall cost of construction has been pushed up significantly.
Adding to this is the lengthy delays in actually getting the materials, which has led to some homes taking more than 12 months to be built, further adding to building companies’ costs.
With the majority of builders signing fixed-price contracts with buyers, and the margin for escalating costs being inadequate, many are losing money on every single project.
It’s a big problem in exceptional circumstances like we’re seeing at the moment, said Russ Stephens, co-founder of the Association of Professional Builders.
“The average cost of a contract for a builder has gone up between 15% to 20% over the past six or seven months alone – and up to as much as 50% in some areas,” Mr Stephens said.
What we are doing to combat the state of the construction industry landscape
32 Degrees Building has been operating for over 11+ years and we know and understand how to manage our business in turbulent times.
We have been working with our team and talking directly to our suppliers to manage and understand any upcoming supply challenges and supply chain issues. We have been working with our timber suppliers closely to understand their difficulties in obtaining overseas supply and then managing, monitoring and forecasting for our current and future builds. Skills shortage for us isn’t an issue, we have worked very hard to set our business apart from the rest. Our team are employed with us and this enables us to closely manage and develop their practical skills with us over the course of their apprenticeship and retain them into tradespeople and leadership roles – we now employ over 40 team members and continue to grow. By employing our team members, we manage our labour costs.This strategic approach we have applied to our business has allowed us to manage our costs and your build providing you with the security and confidence that we are here to stay.
Our business is always looking forward and planning for the future, we forecast 6 months, 12 months and 18 months ahead to ensure we can stay one step ahead of any market issues and trends.
With the above in mind we have a strong business model and capable management team in place to ensure that the best outcomes for our clients and the business are always achieved.
What you can do to prepare your home for a severe weather event?
Australia has recently experienced some severe weather conditions including high winds and heavy rainfall. These weather events and other similar events that have occurred in recent years, can at times be so severe that they exceed the Building Code of Australia (BCA) design benchmarks for homes constructed within Australia.
In such extreme weather conditions rainwater can be forced through closed windows and sprayed up rooves in a manner which homes aren’t designed for and therefore water may enter some homes. The resulting water ingress may cause damage to your home, often this damage may only be of a minor nature, but can still cause considerable stress to you as the homeowner.
What can you do to prepare your home for a severe weather event?
As part of your ongoing home maintenance we recommend the following check measures are undertaken to avoid any water ingress to your home;
- Check all gutters and downpipes are clear of debris, leaves etc…
- Regularly check your roof for signs of slipped roof tiles, cracks and possible water ingress entry points – especially if you have recently had a contractor attend your property eg. Foxtel or solar panel installer
- Check your stormwater drains for blockages
- Check your window and door seals aren’t displaying signs of cracks and ageing
- Check for other possible entry points and seal if required
If during a severe weather event you do get water ingress – who do you call?
- If it is an emergency please call the SES for immediate assistance
- In most other cases, do what you can to stop/reduce the incoming water and then contact your home insurer as the first step to understanding what you can do
When these severe weather events happen most owners contact the builder of the home to request an inspection or even rectification of the damaged parts however if this issue hasn’t occurred until now then it is likely it is due to the severe weather event and these items will be claimable under your owner’s home insurance or alternatively are maintenance issues as the homeowner for you to attend to.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Hot tips to help you survive your renovation
Tips for homeowners living through a renovation, extension or addition
How to Decide Whether to Move Out or Live Through a First Floor Addition, Ground Floor Extension or Renovation?
Whether you are building a First Floor Addition, Ground Floor Extension or Renovation, the one question that our clients always ask us is can they stay in the home and live through construction or should they consider temporarily moving out? This is a big decision to make — with a lot of factors to consider other than your budget when entering into significant construction works to your home.
We have outlined below some of the factors to take into account when looking to stay or move.
Factor # 1 – Scope of works
What comes first? Plans or Quote?
We often get asked: “What should I do first? Should I get a quote for my home extension/addition or should I get plans drawn up?”
These are our top 5 tips on why you should get a quote from a builder BEFORE getting plans for your project when building an addition or extension.
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- Obtaining a detailed written quote or proposal for your addition or extension comes with many benefits. In your quote the builder should provide you with an indication of the size of the build (how much room is going to be added to your home), the number of rooms being added and what materials and inclusions are being used so you know what is included and if you can afford what you are planning to build.
- A builder can arrange to assist you in drafting plans inhouse or have relationships with draftspeople or architects that specialise in the type of build you are after. This can make the whole process smoother and faster saving you time and money.
- When you work with your builder they can review your plans with you and the draftsperson to ensure you are staying on track with costs and may pick up on items that may be of concern from a construction viewpoint. This input is important in ensuring that you achieve what you set out for in your build while staying within your budget and avoiding issues that could arise during the build if not picked up during this critical planning stage.
- A builder can help and advise you on the true costs for different material options before you commit to plans and approvals. This can in turn ensure that you get the right materials, resulting in the right look for your build at the right cost.
- A builder can consult and guide you with on how to achieve what you want while managing what you can afford. This is best done prior to plans being drawn up due to the builders expertise in the type of build you are looking at. This can reduce the amount of plan revisions and save you time and money in the short term and long term.
If you are thinking of planning or building an addition or extension contact us on (02) 4647 2324 or fill out the form below to get things started.
Save yourself over $100,000 by building an addition vs. buying a new property
Often a difficult choice for families looking to increase their living space is whether to purchase a new home or build an addition on their current home. The costs associated with both decisions can vary but there are many hidden and overlooked costs related to purchasing a home which are not applicable when building an addition. We have outlined costs below for you to keep in mind if this is a decision that you are currently looking to make;
Costs related to purchasing a home
Loan fees – This is the fee charged by a bank or other lending institution when you apply for or take out a loan. Approximate cost: $Nil – $800 There may be additional costs preparing and registering a mortgage.
Mortgage discharge fee – If you have a mortgage, you can expect to close your mortgage loan for approximately $1,000, but this cost can vary depending on your bank. This is essentially a fee for the paperwork involved. Approximate cost: $1,000-$2,500
Conveyancing fee – A conveyancer is required for the process of transferring the property from the seller to the buyer. Approximate cost: $700-$2,500
Disbursements – Your solicitor/conveyancer will charge for some of these expenses paid on your behalf during the conveyancing process. Approximate cost: $100-$350
Stamp duty – You must pay contract stamp duty on the purchase price of the property. Approximate cost based on a house valued at $1.1 million: $45,990
Inspection fees -Building Inspection – A building inspection checks structural soundness and lists any visible defects and necessary repairs. Approximate cost: $300-$700 & Pest Inspection – A pest inspection checks for any signs of past or present pest infestation. Approximate cost: $250 – $300
Real estate agent commission – The cost of selling will depend on the amount of commission charged by your real estate agent. The national average commission rate in Australia sits at around 2 per cent, but commission rates vary from agent to agent. Approximate cost based on a house valued at $1.1 million: $22,000
Auctioneer fees – If you’re holding an auction, you’ll often have to pay an auctioneer’s fee. Approximate cost: $6,000
Moving costs – The cost of moving generally depends on the distance you’re travelling, the amount of furniture you’re moving and whether you’ll hire a full-service removalist or pack the truck yourself. You’ll also need to purchase storage boxes if you haven’t got them already. Approximate cost: $400 – $3,000
Property repairs and renovations –When buying a new home spending money on repairs and renovations is very common. Common repairs include painting, flooring, lighting repairs, kitchen repairs and maintenance, bathroom repairs, electrical repairs as well as giving the exterior a touch up to give your new home that personal touch. Approximate cost: $1,500 – $20,000
Costs associated with moving: | |
Loan Fees | $Nil-$800 |
Mortgage Discharge | $1,000-$2,500 |
Stamp Duty Based on a home valued at $1.1 million | $45,990 |
Inspection Fees | $300-$1,100 |
Real Estate Commission Based on a home valued at $1.1 million at 2% Commission | $22,000 |
Auctioner Fees | $6,000 |
Moving Costs | $400 – $3,000 |
Property Repairs and Renovations | $20,000 |
Total Costs Estimate | $103,890 |
Additional inconveniences and disruptions related to purchasing a home:
- Relocation of services – When moving you will need to relocate your existing services to your new property. This can include transferring and updating your: Gas, Electricity, TV, Internet/Phone, Insurances, Licenses and addresses for your bills.
- Disruptions in relocating – When moving to a new home you face the uncertainty of not knowing who you are moving next to. You have to consider that your new neighbours may not be as accommodating as your previous neighbours which you have good relationships with.
- Other things to consider are the need to change – Schools, churches, social groups, gyms, childcare and the commute to your workplace.
Benefits of building an addition
One of the benefits of building an addition is that you can custom design your plans to tie in with your existing home and remove the need to move or purchase a new home. Building an addition is the perfect way to add significant value to your existing home whilst bypassing any of the issues related to moving.
We specialise in building second storey additions that seamlessly integrate with the existing structure of your home, giving you an aesthetically pleasing street frontage which will make you the envy of all of your neighbours.
Costs related to building an addition
Plans and drafting – $6,000
Council lodgement – $5,000
Council fees – $2,500-$15,000
The average cost of adding a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom and 1 living room addition to a home starts from $200,000.
If you are looking for an affordable solution and you are happy with your existing location, have a great relationship with your neighbours and would like to avoid the stresses of moving, then an addition is the perfect option for you to consider.
Give our team a call or complete our Pre-Quote Enquiry Form if you would like to discuss a potential addition to your home. We can conduct a pre-site assessment prior to the builder coming out to meet with you to ensure that building an addition is a viable option on your property for you.