Custom Builder vs Project Builder Comparison
Here’s a really useful builder comparison table between a custom built home with Custom Home Designs and your typical Australian project builder.
If you haven’t built before or don’t know the difference, this will quickly give you a snapshot of the pros and cons.
At the very end of this list is a summary so you can make an informed decision on which way you should proceed.
| Description | Custom HomeDesigns | Project Builders |
|---|---|---|
| Provide a genuine cost indication of final house price |  |  |
| Building on sloping block of greater than 2 metres of cross-fall | | |
| Building on sloping block of greater than 3 metres of cross-fall | | |
| Building on sloping block of greater than 4 metres of cross-fall | |  |
| Meet you on site | | |
| Have meetings at your existing home | | |
| Fanatical customer service | | |
| Provide pre-plan concept drawings | | |
| Let you retain full copyright on plans | | |
| Make minor changes to the plan | | |
| Customise the façade | | |
| Heavily customise the plan | | |
| Create a unique, one-off home | | |
| Provide slab, brick and tile home | | |
| Provide suspended floor options | | |
| Provide external wall material options | | |
| Provide materials for fire resistant homes | | |
| Personalised one-on-one service | | |
| Use HIA Builders Contract | | |
| Use MBA Builders Contract | | |
| Refuse to use customised Builders Contract | | |
| Use “fair for both parties” builders contract | | |
| Number of builder’s quotes provided to you |  |  |
| Option of full interior design by qualified designer | | |
| Option of full landscape design by qualified designer | | |
| Option of full pool design | | |
| Fully support you from start to finish | | |
| Member of GreenSmart HIA | | |
| Pole home design and build | | |
| Split level and sloping block design and build | | |
| Narrow lot design and build | | |
| Battleaxe lot design and build | | |
| Process and manage all council town planning issues | | |
| Process and manage demolition/knock-down | | |
| Process and manage VPOs and tree clearing | | |
| Process and manage bushfire reports | | |
| Source required documentation (survey plan, Geotech report & engineering, etc) | | |
| You own the plans | | |
| Guaranteed start time | | |
| Regular access to site under construction | | |
| Make changes during construction | | |
| Deal direct with designer or draftsperson | | |
| = yes, included as part of the service offering |
| = warning, most builders don’t offer this |
| = no, not included |
- PLEASE NOTE; In engaging ‘Custom Home Designs’ to draw your plans, you are NOT OBLIGED in any way to use our suggested builder for your construction work, however, we are happy to recommend local pre-qualified builders from our panel if requested. Most of our clients prefer to be put in touch with tried and tested local builders.
Note: This comparison is general in nature but fairly represents the majority of Australian project builders. We have tried to be as accurate as possible with our information but please bear in mind that companies can change how they operate from time to time.
Summary
Although we can’t speak for all custom builders, there are major benefits that Custom Home Designs offers over other project builders.
- You retain full copyright on all designs and plans that Custom Home Designs create for you. With a project builder, they retain full copyright so you can’t take the plan to another builder to construct, without breaking copyright law. (Note: Big name builders take copyright of their plans very seriously indeed and will pursue you to the full extent of the law.)
- You get a minimum of three quotes for the construction of the home with Custom Home Designs. With a project builder (and almost all other custom builders), you get one costing only. We do the hard work of liaising with three carefully screened and selected builders in your region and then present these to you.
- Create unique, one-off homes with Custom Home Designs. With a project builder, you’re getting a rubber stamped home that will be similar to tens if not hundreds of other homes. With us, you’re able to make minor, major and complete overhauls as you see fit. You can even make changes during construction.
- Custom Home Designs offers one-on-one personalised service including helping you choose the right block of land, meeting you on site to understand your dreams, meeting you in your existing home to go through designs and plans, hand holding you during construction and fanatical customer service throughout.
- Custom Home Designs will support you through the whole project from start to finish including demolition (if needed), town planning, council issues, submission of plans for building approval, construction, interior decoration, landscaping, fencing and pools.
Have questions? Need some help?
If you want to explore building a customised home, then click on the ‘Get started today’ button below to start the process.
