Choose a builder who is both trained in and committed to delivering sustainable outcomes. Sourcing certified environmentally preferred materials (see Materials) at competitive rates and supervising tradespeople to ensure materials are correctly installed requires a builder who is prepared to ‘go the extra step’. To avoid problems later, ensure each builder is made aware of your commitment to a sustainable home when they are invited to tender. Sustainable outcomes often require the use of innovative materials and practices. This role includes supervising and coordinating each trade sourcing, quantifying and coordinating delivery of materials and, most importantly, quality-assuring the entire process.īuilders and tradespeople are understandably risk-averse and tend to manage risk by using tried and proven materials and practices. The principal role of a builder is to coordinate the building works as project manager. Your choice of builder is almost as critical as your choice of designer.

Advertised open tenders deliver variable outcomes and often exclude smaller specialist builders who do not have time to tender for multiple projects. In either case, note in your tender documents that you are ‘not obliged to accept the lowest or any tender’.Ī designer generally helps choose builders to tender for a project, based on recommendations and past experience.

call open or selective tenders from a range of builders and choose on the basis of price.Įach method delivers a builder and a quotation but one emphasises best price and the other, preferred builder.

choose a preferred builder and invite them to prepare a quotation or ‘tender’ (and seek an alternative quotation to ensure competitive pricing).

Step 1: Choosing a builderīefore you get to the stage of choosing a builder, your research and design process will have yielded finished design documents to put out for tender by builders (see Preliminary research The design process). The Renovations and additions and Buying a home off the plan articles include more information on the construction process specific to those situations. But each time a sustainable house is built, the process follows typical steps, and the principles are similar for smaller scale projects like renovations. Every construction process is unique and depends on the scope and complexity of the project.

Building construction process