Choosing A Builder

To find a builder in your area, click through to one of the organisations' links to the right - You'll find information on the organisation and a list of those builders who are registered with them.

• This is a critical stage of the whole process – finding a builder you can trust and you feel comfortable with is very important.

• You will be having a very close relationship with this person, especially if you’re living on site during any of the process and you end up sharing the bathroom!

• Choose more than one to tender for the job – this way you can see if the costs being presented are fair and realistic.

• Give a good brief – make sure they understand all aspects of the job and what your expectations are.

• Price is, of course, important, but don’t take the cheapest simply because it is the lowest. Get the higher bidders to justify their prices and find out if anything may have been missed or left out by the first builder.

• Check your chosen builders' work by visiting other jobs they have done or are doing.

  New processes in gaining a building consent and in the inspections through construction can be found here. It's important to read this page, as it contains information directly affecting any homeowner undertaking building work.

• Speak with friends to see who they may have used and would recommend.

• Visit the Registered Master Builders and Certified Builders listings here on our website or on the organisations' own pages to find a builder near you.

• Look at what awards they may have won - note there are many excellent builders who do not bother entering awards.

• Create a shortlist and then take time to visit sites they are currently working on.

• While every builder will have to be Licensed by March 2012, check to see if they are part of the Certified Builders of NZ or Registered Master Builders organisations. All Restricted Building Work as defined by the Department of Building & Housing must be carried out by Licensed Building Practioners. Please note that there are excellent builders who are not members of either organisation

• What guarantees, if any, are offered with the job and are they prepared to make time to come back to do any work that is unsatisfactory.

• Builders, especially good ones, may be booked well in advance, so ensure you start looking early in the planning process.

• Group House companies are a reliable and convenient option for many people. All provide standard designs and some will do custom designed homes as well. They will take care of the whole project for you from start to finish, including the project management.

• You may choose to have your architect or designer stay on as full project manager or you may have an arrangement where your builder is the project manager and the designer takes on an overview role. Make sure the arrangement is fully spelt out in the building contract

• There are specialist project management companies and, while this maybe a bit more expensive, this can take many of the hassles out of the whole building process and will help ensure you have a quality job.

• BRANZ (the Building Research Association of New Zealand) has a list of Accredited Advisors who can also manage a building project, or even specific elements within the overall job.

• You may wish to be the project manager yourself. Ensure you have the time – it requires a lot – and, ideally, the expertise.

• The Building Code is a complex and exacting rule book and the technical aspects of many components of the building process are important to get right

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