You have received quotes from several custom home builders.
One price is lower than the others. It may look like the obvious choice.
But are you comparing the same home?
One quote may include detailed site costs, upgraded finishes and external works. Another may use low allowances or exclude work you will still need to pay for.
When you compare home builder quotes in Brisbane, look beyond the total price. Check the scope, specifications, allowances and exclusions behind it.
Why Builder Quotes Can Be Difficult to Compare
Custom home quotes do not always include the same work.
Each builder may:
- Allow for different fixtures and finishes
- Include different site works
- Use different product allowances
- Include or exclude professional fees
- Treat driveways and landscaping differently
- Base the price on plans at different stages
Before comparing prices, confirm that each builder received the same plans, surveys, reports and project brief.
A quote based on detailed documents will usually provide more certainty than one based on an early concept plan.
Compare the Scope Before the Price
Start by checking exactly what each builder has priced.
If a feature appears on the plans but not in the specification, ask whether it is included.
For example, a kitchen allowance may not explain:
- Cabinet finishes
- Benchtop material and thickness
- Appliance brands and models
- Soft-close hardware
- Splashback coverage
- Pantry fit-out
- Rangehood ducting
Descriptions such as “builder’s range” do not tell you enough. Ask to see the products included in that range.
Small differences across the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and joinery can create a large difference in the total price.
Why the Cheapest Quote May Cost More
A lower quote may reflect a genuine price difference.
It may also result from:
- Missing work
- Low product allowances
- Unconfirmed site costs
- Basic fixtures and finishes
- Several provisional sums
- External works being excluded
- Owner-supplied items
- Approval costs being left out
Ask yourself one question:
Could you move into the completed home for the quoted amount?
If not, calculate the cost of everything that still needs to be completed.
Check the Site Costs
Site costs cover the work required to prepare the block and support the home.
They may include:
- Site clearing
- Excavation
- Rock removal
- Removal of excess soil
- Cut and fill
- Retaining walls
- Piering and foundations
- Stormwater works
- Service connections
- Crane or concrete-pump access
These costs can vary widely between Brisbane properties.
A flat block with good access will have different requirements from a steep, narrow or flood-affected site.
Check whether the site costs are:
- Fixed
- Estimated
- Included as a provisional sum
- Excluded from the quote
A building site assessment in Brisbane can help identify these costs before the plans and price are finalised.
Understand Provisional Sums
A provisional sum is an allowance for work that cannot be accurately priced when the quote or contract is prepared.
It may apply to excavation, foundations, drainage, retaining walls or service connections.
For example, one builder may allow $20,000 for excavation. Another may allow $40,000 based on more detailed site information.
The first quote looks $20,000 cheaper. That does not mean the excavation will cost less.
Ask each builder:
- What does the allowance cover?
- How was it calculated?
- Which reports support it?
- What happens if the cost exceeds the allowance?
- Does the builder’s margin apply to the difference?
- Can further investigation provide a firmer price?
A quote with several low provisional sums leaves more room for the final cost to increase.
Understand Prime-Cost Items
A prime-cost item is an allowance for a product that has not yet been selected.
Common examples include:
- Appliances
- Tapware
- Toilets and basins
- Tiles
- Door hardware
- Light fittings
Check whether each allowance matches the quality you expect.
If the quote allows $40 per square metre for tiles but your preferred tiles cost $75, you will pay the difference. The installation cost may also rise if your selection requires more labour.
Ask to see the actual products covered by each allowance before signing.
Compare Fixtures and Finishes
Two homes with the same floor plan can have very different specifications.
Compare:
Kitchen and bathrooms
- Cabinet materials
- Benchtops
- Appliances
- Tapware
- Bathroom fixtures
- Shower screens
- Mirrors
- Tiling allowances
Internal finishes
- Flooring
- Paint systems
- Internal doors
- Door hardware
- Wardrobes
- Staircases and balustrades
External finishes
- Roofing
- Windows and glazing
- Brick or cladding selections
- Garage doors
- Screens
- External paintwork
If one quote includes engineered timber flooring and another includes entry-level laminate, the prices are not equivalent.
Check Engineering and Approval Costs
Your quote may also need to cover:
- Soil testing
- Contour and boundary surveys
- Structural engineering
- Energy assessments
- Building certification
- Town-planning advice
- Council application fees
- Plumbing approvals
- Flood or bushfire reports
Some builders include these costs. Others list them as owner expenses.
If the engineering has not been completed, ask whether the price could change once the final structural plans are available.
Check External Works
Some quotes cover the house but leave the surrounding property unfinished.
Confirm whether the price includes:
- Driveways and paths
- Patios or decks
- Retaining walls
- Stormwater drainage
- Landscaping and turf
- Fencing and gates
- External stairs
- Site clean-up
- Removal of excess soil
A quote excluding the driveway, retaining walls and landscaping may look cheaper while leaving you with large costs after construction.
Ask the builder to mark each item as included, allowed for, optional or excluded.
Read the Exclusions
The exclusion list shows what the builder has not priced.
Common exclusions may include:
- Rock excavation
- Contaminated soil
- Asbestos removal
- Service upgrades
- Retaining walls
- Air conditioning
- Landscaping
- Fencing
- Driveways
- Work outside the property boundary
An exclusion is not always unreasonable. Some work cannot be priced without further investigation.
You still need to understand:
- What the excluded work may cost
- Who will organise it
- When it needs to be completed
- Whether it affects other construction work
Understand Variations
A variation changes the work covered by the signed contract.
It may occur when:
- You change the design
- You upgrade a product
- Unexpected site conditions are found
- An approval authority requests a change
- A specified product becomes unavailable
Ask each builder:
- How are variations priced?
- What margin or administration fee applies?
- Will you receive the price before work begins?
- Could the change affect the construction period?
- Who needs to approve it?
Finalising your design and selections before signing can reduce owner-requested variations during construction.
Questions to Ask Each Builder
Ask every builder the same questions:
- Which plans and specifications did you use?
- Which site costs are confirmed?
- What provisional sums are included?
- How were those allowances calculated?
- Which prime-cost items are included?
- Can I see the products covered by the allowances?
- Are engineering and approval fees included?
- Are driveways and external works included?
- What must I arrange separately?
- Which items are excluded?
- Is GST included?
- How are variations priced and approved?
- Could any unfinished reports change the price?
- Who will supervise the construction?
Ask for unclear allowances and exclusions to be explained in writing.
Compare the Builder as Well as the Quote
You are also choosing the team responsible for building your home.
Check:
- The builder’s QBCC licence
- Experience with similar homes and sites
- Who will manage the project
- How often you will receive updates
- How selections and variations are documented
- References from recent clients
- Completed project quality
- Handover and defect procedures
A detailed quote matters, but so does the builder’s ability to explain it clearly.
Compare the Expected Final Cost
The lowest quote is not always the lowest final cost.
A useful comparison should show:
- What is included
- What is excluded
- Which costs may change
- The quality allowed for
- What you must arrange separately
- The likely total cost to complete the property
Jensen Constructions prepares custom home proposals around the design, building site and agreed finishes. Our build process starts with understanding your requirements and assessing the property.
If you are planning a new home in Brisbane or the surrounding suburbs, speak with our custom home builders.
Contact Jensen Constructions to discuss your plans and building site.
