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What to prepare before you speak with a builder

A useful first conversation starts with a clear picture of the site, the work and the decisions still to be made. This guide is preparation guidance, not a quotation, approval or guarantee that a builder can take the project on.

Build your brief

For each area, mark what you know and what needs checking. These choices stay in this browser page; nothing is submitted to PBC.

1. Location and land

Record the suburb and council area, whether the land is owned or under contract, access arrangements and any known site constraints. Keep your street address in your own notes until you choose whom to share it with.

2. Scope

Describe whether this is a new home, extension or renovation. Note the spaces, size, priorities and features that matter most, and what may still change.

3. Plans and approvals

List current drawings, reports and approvals. Separate approved decisions from applications and questions that still need a council or professional answer.

4. Budget

Note a realistic construction allowance, what it includes and which items still need pricing. Keep personal banking documents out of an initial brief.

5. Timing

State your preferred start, dependencies such as approvals or funding decisions, and where your schedule is flexible.

6. Builder fit

Think about relevant project experience, the builder’s service area, current capacity and how you want decisions and changes communicated.

Compare the same information

If you speak with more than one builder, share the same version of your brief and drawings. Ask what each response includes, excludes and assumes, what still needs investigation, and what could affect timing. A lower total is not a complete comparison when the scope differs.

Questions for the first conversation

  • What similar projects have you completed, and can I discuss relevant references?
  • Does your licence cover the proposed work and the contracting business?
  • Who would supervise the project and be my day-to-day contact?
  • What information is needed before a meaningful price or timing indication?
  • Which assumptions, exclusions and unresolved site conditions should I understand?
  • How will changes and decisions be documented?

Check official information yourself

Use Service NSW’s contractor licence check before engaging a NSW builder. The NSW Government building-contract checklist is a further starting point before signing; check which current rules apply to your work. PBC’s guide does not replace a licence check, contract review or project-specific professional advice.

Read the Northern Rivers preparation guide or submit your project enquiry to PBC. The service is free for homeowners. PBC reviews your project brief and suitability, then confirms your permission before a named builder introduction.