03 — The Construction Preparation Guide
Stage 3: Prepare
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This guide helps you prepare the information, team, price and decisions needed before building begins.
From an approved design to a confident construction start
The goal is a coordinated, clearly documented and properly priced project—not simply the fastest quote.
1. Review the approval and conditions
Start by reviewing every condition attached to the planning approval.
Identify:
- Information required before a Construction Certificate
- Design amendments or deferred matters
- Engineering or authority approvals
- Contributions and fees
- Tree, landscape or environmental requirements
- Requirements before work starts
- Inspections or evidence required during construction
2. Develop construction documentation
Construction documents explain how the approved design is to be built and priced.
The scope may include:
- Dimensioned plans, elevations and sections
- Detailed wall, roof, floor and waterproofing information
- Door and window schedules
- Interior elevations and joinery details
- Fixtures, finishes and materials schedules
- Electrical and reflected-ceiling information
- Structural and civil engineering
- Energy and approval requirements
- Coordination of consultant documentation
Remember
More complete documentation helps builders price the same scope, exposes decisions earlier and reduces reliance on assumptions.
3. Finalise selections before pricing
Unresolved selections often become allowances, exclusions or variations.
Confirm as much as practical:
- External cladding, roofing and masonry
- Windows, doors, glazing and hardware
- Flooring and wall finishes
- Kitchen appliances and joinery
- Bathroom fixtures and fittings
- Lighting and electrical requirements
- Heating, cooling and ventilation
- Landscaping, fencing and external works
Selection tracker
Item | Selected | Allowance | Decision due |
Windows and doors | |||
External materials | |||
Kitchen and appliances | |||
Bathrooms | |||
Lighting |
4. Choose the right builder
Look beyond the lowest number.
Consider:
- Relevant experience and comparable projects
- Quality of completed work
- Communication and reporting systems
- Current workload and proposed site team
- References from recent clients
- Financial and licence checks
- Approach to variations and programme changes
- Understanding of the documents
- Ability to deliver the intended level of finish
Builder interview prompts
- Who will manage the site each day?
- What similar homes have you completed?
- What is excluded from your price?
- Which items are provisional sums or prime-cost allowances?
- How are variations priced and approved?
- How often will we receive programme and cost updates?
- What information do you still need?
- When could construction realistically start?
5. Compare quotations properly
Ask shortlisted builders to price the same issue of documents and the same requested scope.
Review item | Builder A | Builder B | Builder C |
Base price | |||
Provisional sums | |||
Prime-cost items | |||
Major exclusions | |||
Construction period | |||
Proposed start |
Common trap
A lower base price can become more expensive when major items are excluded or represented by unrealistic allowances.
6. Complete a scope-gap review
Before signing, clarify who is responsible for:
- Demolition and hazardous-material investigations
- Site establishment and temporary services
- Authority fees and service upgrades
- Rock excavation and difficult ground
- Stormwater and drainage
- Driveways, retaining walls and landscaping
- Window coverings, appliances and loose furniture
- Specialist systems
- Certification, inspections and handover documents
7. Review the building contract
Obtain appropriate legal and professional advice before signing.
Check:
- Contract drawings and schedules
- Price and adjustment mechanisms
- Allowances and exclusions
- Deposit and progress payments
- Construction period and extensions of time
- Variation process
- Insurance requirements
- Liquidated damages, if applicable
- Defects process
- Dispute-resolution provisions
This guide is general project-planning information and is not legal, financial or building-contract advice.
8. Prepare for construction
Before work begins:
Pre-start meeting agenda
- Contract documents and latest drawing issue
- Site access and working hours
- Programme and key milestones
- Communication and meeting frequency
- Samples, selections and decision deadlines
- Requests for information
- Variations and approvals
- Inspections and certificates
- Neighbour and site-management matters
- First two weeks of work
Continue the guide series
Next step
When your project is ready to move onto site, use 
04 — The Construction & Handover Workbook to stay organised through construction, site meetings, variations, inspections, defects and handover.