Building / renovation quote template (Australia)

Building quotes for extensions, decks, garages, granny flats and full renovations are the highest-stakes quotes most Australian homeowners ever sign — and the ones most likely to end in a tribunal if the paperwork is thin. Use this template to make sure your written quote includes the builder's licence, the right insurance, council approvals, provisional sums, progress payments and a workable variations process before you sign a contract.

What is a building quote template?

A building / renovation quote template is the structure a complete residential building quote should follow — builder's licence and insurance, scope of work tied to drawings and specifications, council and certifier requirements, provisional sums and PC items, total contract price, progress-payment schedule, workmanship warranty and a clear variations process.

When to use this template

Use this template for any residential building work above your state's threshold for licensed work (commonly $5,000–$10,000, but the figure varies by state). That includes extensions, deck builds, garages, granny flats, structural alterations, and full renovations involving multiple trades.

Before you request quotes — get these details ready

The more concrete the detail you can give a builder up front, the faster and more accurate the quotes you receive. Aim to have these details ready before you post the job:

• Council-stamped drawings if you have them, or concept sketches if you do not.
• Block details — width, length, slope, easements and any restrictive covenants you know about.
• Soil report or any geotechnical information from previous works.
• Your shortlist of materials and finishes — exterior cladding, roof, internal lining, flooring.
• Budget range you are working to, and your absolute ceiling.
• Timeline — when you want to start, any hard deadlines (lease ending, family event), and whether you will be living on-site.

What your building quote should include

A complete written building quote from a reputable Australian builder should contain every one of the line items below. If any are missing, ask for the detail in writing before comparing against another quote:

• Builder's full name, business name, ABN, state-issued builder's licence number and current Home Building Compensation / Domestic Building Insurance reference for the contract value.
• Scope of work cross-referenced to drawings and specifications, not just a paragraph of prose.
• Council approvals — DA, CDC or Complying Development pathway named — and the certifier if known.
• Provisional sums and PC items — clearly listed with the allowance and the scope of each.
• Total contract price excluding and including GST, with a clear distinction between provisional and fixed components.
• Progress-payment schedule tied to recognisable milestones (slab, frame, lock-up, fix-out, completion) and within state-set deposit caps.
• Workmanship warranty length and structural warranty references from the state's home-building compensation scheme.
• Variations process — written notice, separate sign-off, separate invoice — and how excluded items are handled.
• Insurance — public liability and any builder's all-risk cover, with policy references and currency.

How to compare building quotes fairly

Two building quotes that differ materially almost always differ on PC sums, provisional allowances and how variations are priced. Line up the PC and provisional sums in detail — a quote with a $12,000 kitchen PC and one with a $25,000 kitchen PC are not actually quoting the same house. Use the headline contract price only as a starting point, never as the deciding factor. Use the builder cost guide for typical Australian pricing ranges, then line up the quotes against this checklist row-by-row before deciding on price.

Common quote mistakes to avoid

• Signing a residential building contract before checking the builder's licence number on the state registrar.
• Not confirming the builder's Home Building Compensation / Domestic Building Insurance cover for the contract value before paying any deposit.
• Treating provisional sums and PC items as fixed prices.
• Accepting verbal variations on site rather than written, signed-off variation notices.
• Paying outside the legal progress-payment schedule for your state.

Red flags before you sign

Any one of the warning signs below is a reason to slow down and seek another quote. Two or more is a reason to walk away — there is always another builder.

• No builder's licence number on the quote, or one that does not match the registrar.
• Deposit requests above the legal cap (commonly 5% or 10% depending on state and contract type).
• Refusal to use a state-issued residential building contract for work above the threshold.
• Vague provisional sums with no described scope — "PC $30,000 kitchen" without a brand, layout or appliance list.
• No mention of Home Building Compensation / Domestic Building Insurance for the contract value.

Questions to ask before choosing a provider

The questions below tend to surface a thoughtful, experienced builder from someone who is winging it. There are no wrong answers, but the willingness to answer them clearly in writing is itself the signal:

• What is your builder's licence number and which state issued it?
• Do you carry Home Building Compensation / Domestic Building Insurance for the contract value, and can I see the certificate?
• How are PC items and provisional sums set, and how is the difference billed?
• What is the progress-payment schedule, and is it within the state legal cap?
• How are variations issued, priced and signed off during the job?
• What is the workmanship warranty length and the structural warranty under the state scheme?

How TaskerAsker helps you get better building quotes

TaskerAsker is a free Australian marketplace for home services. Post your building job once and receive up to three written quotes from local builders. Every provider has their ABN verified before they can quote, their trade licence is surfaced on the profile where the trade is licensed, and reviews are tied to completed jobs only. Post your job free or browse verified builders first, or read the builder cost guide for typical pricing.

Final checklist before you post

Tick each item off before you send a builder job out to quote:

• State-issued residential building contract signed before any payment.
• Builder's licence verified on the state registrar.
• Home Building Compensation / Domestic Building Insurance certificate sighted.
• PC sums and provisional items clearly itemised.
• Progress payments within the legal cap, tied to milestones.
• Variations process in writing and signed off line-by-line.

Frequently asked questions

What is Home Building Compensation or Domestic Building Insurance?

It is a state-mandated insurance scheme that protects homeowners on residential building work over the state threshold — typically covering incomplete or defective work if the builder cannot finish or rectify. The certificate must be in your name before you pay the deposit, and your builder should provide it before any work starts.

What is the legal deposit cap on Australian building work?

It varies by state and contract type — commonly 5% or 10% of the contract price for residential building work above the state threshold. Always check your state's residential building contracts authority before paying any deposit, and never pay more than the legal cap regardless of what the contract asks for.

What is a provisional sum and how is it different from a PC item?

A provisional sum is an allowance for work the builder cannot price exactly when quoting (often groundworks, excavation, or unseen rectification). A PC (Prime Cost) item is an allowance for a fixture or finish you will choose later (kitchen, bathroom, joinery). Both reconcile against actuals — overspend is a variation you pay, underspend credits back to you.

How long is the workmanship warranty on a new build or major renovation?

Workmanship warranties are typically two years in most Australian states; structural warranties run six or seven years and are backed by the state Home Building Compensation / Domestic Building Insurance scheme. The exact lengths and what each covers vary by state — the contract should state them explicitly.

What is a fair progress-payment schedule for a residential build?

A typical schedule for a major renovation or extension is: deposit (within the legal cap), slab / footings, frame, enclosed (lock-up), fix-out (linings and joinery), completion. Each payment should only be released after the relevant stage is signed off, and the final payment should always be held until you have done a defect walk-through.

Ready to compare quotes? Post your building job free and receive up to three written quotes from verified Australian builders. You can also browse the builders hub, read the builder cost guide, or browse all quote templates.

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