How it works
Six steps, and you can see all of them from here
Most renovation stress comes from not knowing what happens next or what it will cost. So here is the whole thing, including the parts where your money is at risk and what protects it.
- 0160 seconds
See a number first
The estimator asks a handful of questions and shows you a range with a breakdown of what drives it. No email wall — you see the number before we know who you are. If it is not in reach, you have lost a minute instead of a fortnight.
- 02usually within a week
Free site visit
Kusal comes out, measures, gets into the roof space or under the floor where it matters, and tells you what we would actually do. If we think you are better off spending the money differently — or not at all — you will hear that too.
- 03within 3 business days
Fixed price, in writing
Itemised, with a scope document that lists exclusions as explicitly as inclusions, stated allowances for anything you have not chosen yet, and a contingency shown openly rather than hidden. This is the number we are bound to.
- 041–6 weeks
Contract and permits
A compliant domestic building contract, deposit within the legal limit, and the relevant domestic building insurance on any job over $16,000. We lodge engineering, building permits and planning permits and deal with council directly.
- 05per the schedule
We build it
One named contact for the whole job. Photo updates at every stage — including the parts that get covered up, like waterproofing membranes and structural fixings. Progress payments tied to completed stages, never to the calendar.
- 06before final payment
Defects and handover
We walk through with you and write down every small thing. Those get fixed before you release the final payment, not after. You keep the certificates for waterproofing, plumbing, electrical and structural work.
What protects you
- A capped deposit. Victorian law limits deposits to 10% under $20,000 and 5% at $20,000 or more. Anyone asking for 30% up front is asking you to carry their cash flow risk.
- Domestic building insurance. Required on work over $16,000 — now Home Warranty for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026. It covers you if the builder cannot finish, and covers defects afterwards.
- Staged payments. You pay for work after it is done, at defined milestones. A stage that is not complete is not payable.
- Retention on the final payment. Held until the defects list is closed. It is the leverage that gets small things fixed properly.
What we will not do
- Quote low to win the job. The cheapest quote is usually the most expensive outcome, because the gap comes back as variations once you are committed and the house is half demolished.
- Do a variation without asking. Every change is quoted in writing and approved by you before the work happens. No verbal agreements.
- Hide what we find. Rot, failed waterproofing, old non-compliant wiring — you hear about it the day we find it, with photos and options.
- Skip a permit because it is quicker. Unpermitted structural work becomes your problem during a conveyancing search years later.
Start at step one
A minute of questions and you will know whether this is worth a conversation.
Get my estimate