Planning
What a builder needs before you ask for a quote
Imogen Vale · 24 October 2026 · 1 min read
Three drawings and a clear brief will get you a comparable price. A wish and a magazine page will get you a number nobody can stand behind.
The first thing most people do is ask three builders for a price. The first thing that should happen is a set of drawings detailed enough for those prices to mean something.
Drawings, not ideas
A quote is a measurement of a defined scope. Without plans, elevations and a schedule of what is being kept and what is being replaced, each builder prices a different project and the numbers cannot be compared. The cheapest figure usually reflects the smallest assumption, not the best value.
A decision on the finishes, early
Allowances for kitchens, tiles and joinery account for much of the variation between quotes. Deciding the level you are working to before the tender, even if the exact tile comes later, is what keeps a contract price from drifting.
Site information
Access, parking, existing services, and anything the site does not disclose are the usual sources of variation on a Sydney block. A survey and a geotechnical report are inexpensive relative to discovering a problem mid-build.
What this looks like in practice
By the time a studio issues a tender set, the brief is settled and the drawings are coordinated. That is the point at which three builders are quoting the same house, and the comparison becomes useful.