The Planning and Design Module is here to guide you through the process of appointing a builder – quickly and painlessly.

We start off by providing you with the tools you need to ask the right questions about your own property; you can think of them as checklists that will help you understand your property’s existing features, limitations and potential use.

Once you’ve worked through these, then comes the fun part – appointing a designer. In your pack, you’ll find forms to appoint and manage consultants. These tools will help you identify what consultants may be needed, how to create a consultant budget and how you can set each consultant’s timeline.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though, we know. Utilising a consultant can be an expensive and stressful process. This is why our forms are so handy! They’ll help you take control of the consultant relationship, helping you keep consultants on track, on budget and accountable for their work.

So, what do you do when things don’t go quite according to plan? We’ve got you covered. For example, our forms will give you guidance on how to deal with one of the most common problems you can encounter, known as the ‘Drawing’s Nightmare’. This happens when there is an error in the drawings and the builder then asks for a variation due to the drawings being incorrect. Our forms will help you navigate this issue, enabling you to identify errors before they become your Drawing’s Nightmare and cost.

This module helps you understand the requirements around Authority Works, which are those done by councils, other utility providers, and government entities. Think electrical, sewer, water, gas, communication, etc.

Important and often overlooked, these costs have a sneaky way of creeping up on you during a project. Our Forms will then help you ask the right questions to identify potential costs from Authorities during your project. Cost over-runs? No, thank you.

This module exists to manage your costs and budget accordingly. With the help of our Budget Forms, learn all the right questions to ask so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into $$$-wise.

Have preliminary costs been included in your builder’s estimate (site sheds, toilets, foremen etc.)? Has the builder factored in making the site suitable for work after a big rain overnight or will they charge you for this labour? Do you know what a Headwork cost is? We run through all of these questions and more to make sure you’re well-informed, to minimise the risk of forgotten items and to keep hidden costs at bay.

Our Budget Forms will not only help you ensure that all relevant costs have been factored in but will also help you create budgets that you can use to compare with the builder’s, giving you the power to obtain the best price.

Working with an architect or designer? These Budget Forms go hand-in-hand and allow you greater control over managing your builder’s costs by putting you in a position to decide what stays and what goes in the specs.

You turn up on-site and realise the ensuite is not as big as it should’ve been or the hotplate isn’t in the right spot…the trades have built to the wrong version of the plans. We’ve all been there. And it’s never fun.

With this unit, our Pre-Build Forms will help you obtain document version control for each consultant to minimise the risk of the wrong drawings being used.

They feature a ‘required items’ checklist for a building permit that are your responsibility to secure. They’ll help you identify what you need and how to determine a budget for these items.

These forms will also help you manage the commercial risks of contracting with a builder using questions you could ask the potential builder, including:

• Can the builder provide references for 3 completed projects similar to yours?
• Can the builder have their accountant confirm they are financially capable of doing the project?
• Can the builder provide ATO portals to confirm they have no tax?

Our Pre-Build Forms also contain Yes/No checklists to answer the various questions regarding consultants’ scopes. These checklists will also make it clear what the consultants have been contracted for; have building permit items been resolved before a permit is issued? You need to know.

Project management can be very time-consuming. Our Project Management Module comprises a bundle of forms to help you manage your project more efficiently.

The 30 forms included in this package will help you:

• Be clear on and plan how the builder will claim their monthly costs and understand what their drawdown schedule is.
• Understand what the builder’s trades are costing them for every part of the project.
• Be clear on variations and what these will cost; you might want that other wall in polished plaster but do you have the budget?
• These forms are directed at owners managing their own projects, with over 30 forms to manage the process and builder.

These forms include:

• Forms for tender comparisons – to make sure you’re comparing each builder correctly before moving forward.
• Forms focused on the builder nominating their team for your project and your key points of contact.
• Forms that help you manage the program of the project.
• Forms that help you prevent cost escalation if there are changes in the project.
• These forms will help you project manage the day-to-day works of the builder, authorities and consultants.

Our Project Administration Forms will provide you with tools to ask the right building-related questions when entering into your agreements.

When starting a new project, good project administration is key to ensure that all paperwork is in order, which is why this unit includes:

• Forms with questions to ask your builder before a contract is signed, such as:
  • What projects they have completed?
  • Are they capable of undertaking the project?
• Forms and checklists around tender questions, such as:
  • Has the builder made assumptions – what they are and how do they affect your project?
  • Has the builder provided alternative products (say timber floor boards) – what are they and are they different to what is specified?
• Forms to ask the builder if they have carried out any of their own Value management – to save money – if so how has that affected your project and the specification?

We always recommend the use of a lawyer to ensure you’re properly protected in any agreement you sign.

Your home is your biggest investment. And the last thing anyone doing building works on their home wants is a sub-par project.

Our Project Quality Forms will assist you on a day-to-day basis throughout construction to make sure the work is being done as per plans and to the standard you expect because quality control is a must throughout the project, and not just at the end.

Our Project Quality Module provides you with the tools you need at each stage of the project to help you identify whether the quality is where you want it to be at each stage before you progress to the next one.

This module includes forms to help you navigate mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, plumbing, carpentry, tiling, waterproofing, stone works, joinery works, plaster works, timber floorboards and so on. For example:

• Electrical quality – you will have a list of questions to ask such as:
  • Have all the points been put in the right location?
  • Has the builder gone through your plans and marked off each point and confirmed items like whether each light works, if dimmers are in the right spots, whether each LED is inserted, if switch locations are correct and fan exhausts work as intended?
• Forms for the pre-plaster stage:
  • Before the builder is allowed to plaster, they should sign multiple forms to ensure works are correct and in line with the plans. This is to protect you, the owner, if you miss something; a series of LED lights, taps in the wrong spot, kitchen appliances not aligned etc.

Sample sign-off forms ensure you approve the exact materials used in your home. For example, if you’ve chosen a specific tile, you’ll review a sample and sign off on it.

These forms are also used when the builder suggests an alternative product, such as a different type of flooring. The sample will include details like color, thickness, shade, quality, and durability, so you can make an informed decision.

The builder must provide a physical sample of each product for comparison. This way, when the final material is installed—such as stone in your kitchen—you can check that it matches the approved sample.

If the installed product differs from what you signed off on (e.g., you approved white stone, but a grey one was used), you can refer to the signed form and request a correction.

These forms eliminate confusion and ensure you and the builder agree on all materials before installation.

Defect forms guide you through inspecting your property and identifying potential issues. More than just a checklist, they help you understand what to look for and why it matters.

This module provides tools to help you conduct a thorough walkthrough and spot defects—both visible and hidden. Since some issues aren’t immediately obvious, the forms include key questions to ensure you catch as many problems as possible during the warranty period.