DIY FAQ
What will my new home, renovation or extension cost?
When building or renovating a home costs fall into the following three categories:
These are each explained below.
What wil design and drafting cost?
To have a profesional design a standard custom home (in Australia), and submit the plans to council, usually costs less than $10,000, but that does not include council fees and costs associated with getting the plans approved by council.
The more complex your requirements, the higher your design costs will be. Also: depending on who you use the price can vary considerably. Well known popular architects cost the most. Draftspeople usually cost the least.
Design fees are usually charged using one of the following three methods:
- A flat hourly rate, billed periodically or after various design stages are completed
- A percentage of the estimated or actual construction cost
- A fixed price, with conditions such a progress payments, limits to the number of changes that can be made at various design stages, etc.
What will council fees cost?
Different councils charge different amounts for the same things and some councils have more "red tape" than others. However to give a rough idea of what you may be up for here is what Gosford Council in NSW was charging in December 2006:
| Development application | $1,255.00 |
| Planning and reform | $256.00 |
| Compliance levy | $550.00 |
| Advertising | $30.00 |
| Building Construction Certificate | $907.50 |
| Inspection fees | $687.00 |
| Long Service Levy | $1,400.00 |
| Sewer inspection fees | $178.00 |
What will construction cost?
See our construction cost estimation calculator.
Why not build a project home? Isn't it a a lot less expensive?
Project homes are usually cheaper to build than custom designed homes. However a project home will often not cater to your specific requirements nor will it be site specific. A good architect or building designer will create a home that is visually appealing, customised to your requirements, and have a higher resale value.
To get a rough idea of what it costs to build a custom home try our construction cost estimator and consult two or three local builders.