Geelong
Extension Builders

Where here to help you every step of the way.

 
 

GEELONG AND BELLARINE EXTENSION SPECIALISTS.

We have been Geelong and Bellarine extension builders for over 10 years. We can work with your existing plans or we have a building process that has been developed from years of listening and working with clients who don’t know where to start.

 

Our process is intended to avoid wasting valuable time and money heading down the wrong track.

Geelong Extension Builders

We have been Geelong extension builders for over 10 years. We can guide you through every step of the process, if you have plans already we take the time to consult with your building designer, and can assist with budget management and offering a builders perspective. We welcome you uploading your plans via our contact page. In most cases you will be able to live in your home while we extend or renovate, and we make every reasonable effort to minimise disruption to suit your living arrangements.
Elliott Building Group engage and work alongside a select group of licenced, insured and highly skilled professional sub-contractors.
From plasterers, tilers, plumbers and electricians we take employing only the best trades very seriously to bring your dream renovation or extension to life. 

We believe that a home extension or renovation is a major investment for families and all members of our team work hard in their respective areas to provide workmanship and service that is of high quality.

Custom Homes Bellarine

Don’t be part of the 75% who DON’T get their project completed!

Talk to a builder before your hire a Architect or building designer, As Geelong extension builders for over 10 years, we’ve seen a lot. Everyday we quantity estimate plans.
As builders we are in the best position to know how much a project costs. Don’t waste potential years of your life untill you speak to us. We know the process from the inside out, from Plans, dealing with council, surveyors, engineers, budgets, materials, we know the best way to use your money.

The process can be overwhelming.
Were here to guide you every step of the way.

Our Process

Consult

We initially meet with you on site to discuss your renovation design requirements as well as giving an assessment on existing building structures. We will offer our professional advice to suit your current building structure and tailor it specifically to your requirements.

Following this consultation, we will provide a assessment of expected budget and preliminary costings.
These preliminary costings include the following fees

Building Designer
Building Surveyor
Engineer Drawings and computations
Energy Rater fees
Soil Test
Land Surveyor

Design

During this step of the process, we will engage our team of trusted specialists to work with you to finalise construction drawings, product selections and engineering to prepare the formal fixed price building contract.
We are with you every step of the way offering constant budget management.

This way you know you have developed a overall project that is within your budget. Being in the industry for over 20 years we have seen alot and with extensions and renovations there are always surprise’s awaiting.

We help minimise these risks offering advice on potential problems that can cause variations during the build right at the very beginning.
Preliminary paperwork can sometimes be the most draining part of the build process and we work very hard to make this process smooth as possible.

Preliminaries

Who does what?
Who are all these people?
Why do i need these people?
These are questions many people have asked and will continue to ask so here we go!
Building Designers/Draftsmen – draft plans so the builder has something to build to
Building Surveyors- inspect all documentation to make sure they comply with building requlations and carry out building inspections to make sure the building is being built to plan and code.
Land Surveyors- Plot your land to provide land contours, survey pegs for datum points and your actual fence lines.
Engineers- look at your plans and computate structual members and processes to build the structual elements of your home
Soil engineer- takes bore hole readings of your land to provide a assessment to the engineer as to the depths needed to structually build to
Energy rater- Inspect plans and computates the energy rating on your house. It is mandatory for all homes to meet a 6 start requirement

Once all documentation has been accepted by the building surveyor a building contract is usually the last peice of the puzzle.
This contract must be signed with a registered builder who holds a appropriate licence and building insurance.
From then on a permit to build is issued

Custom Home and Kitchen Belmont
Geelong Extension Builders
Geelong Extension Builders

Construction

What happens after the contract is signed and a building permit is issued?
Construction!
In a custom home/ extension contract there are typically mandatory inspections from the building surveyor linked with the building contract progress payments.
Deposit- Deposit means the initial sum paid from the owner to the builder to begin works.
Base- Either the slab is poured or the concrete stumps are in.
Frame- When the frame of the home is completed and approved by a building surveyor
Lockup- When the homes wall cladding and windows and doors are installed and roof is completed
Fixing- The internal wall cladding, architraves, skirtings, doors, baths, basins, cabinets are all installed
Final- Upon completion of works and a certificate of final is issued by the building surveyor the final monies are owed.

FAQ'S

Will we initially meet with a sales person or the builder ?

Our Principal Builder, Tommy Elliott, meets every prospective customer and oversees each stage of the project, from appraisal through to final construction. You will always deal directly with Tommy.

How long does it take to approve plans ?

This depends on the plans submitted & the scale of the project, normally approvals are obtained within 4 – 5 weeks once everything is in place.

Will we have to engage a Architect or draftsman to prepare plans

No, we have a draftsman who prepares your working drawings for approval. We are also open to you sending through your pre prepared plans

How much does a home Extension cost?

Ground floor extensions vary in cost depending upon the size of the extension, construction of the existing house and general scope of works. As a general rule, extensions vary between $2056m2 – $3875m2. The difference is in the type of construction and the quality of the inclusions. For more information give Elliott Building Group a call.

What is a provisional sum and a prime cost item ?

Prime Cost Items and Provisional Allowances are the estimated price of providing the work (Provisional Sum) or item (Prime Cost Item). Provisional allowances typically apply to trades such as asbestos removal, excavation, electrical and painting for which a fixed price cannot be provided subject to unknown conditions onsite. A Prime Cost Item is a specified allowance for an individual item such as a toilet suite, tap, vanity, kitchen cabinetry etc, that is subject to the client’s selection. Both Provisional sums and Prime Cost items are specified in both the quotation and carried into the fixed price contract, a credit or debit will be applied to the approved work or the selected item upon completion of works.

Do planning restrictions apply to my property ?

As part of the concept stage we obtain a council report on the land, including zoning and relevant planning overlays. This report outlines the:

  • Zoning of your property
  • If your house is in a character area or heritage listed.
  • If the property is affected by flood and/or overland flow
  • If there is any protected vegetation on or around the property
  • If your property is affected by road traffic noise or adjacent to a noise corridor
  • General site contours

With this report we then ascertain and decipher the relevant planning codes and overlays specific to your property and the proposed extension. These codes and overlays provide the requirements and planning restrictions such as:

  • Building Envelope (Front, side & rear setbacks and overall height limitations)
  • Number of stories
  • Site coverage restrictions, for lots greater than 450mwe can cover a maximum 50% of the lot.
  • Design requirements such as demolition control, traditional building character design elements, visual privacy requirements, car parking requirements etc.
  • Where affected by flooding, establish the minimum habitable floor level and design requirements to limit the impact of flooding and overland flow upon the property.
  • The type of works, relevant code and overlays also determines the level of assessment required, i.e. Relaxation Application, Development Application and Building Applications.
Will we have to submit the plans to council or certifier ourselves?

No, we submit your plans for you and also organise and pay the relevant insurances, statutory body charges, Engineer Specifications, Certifier fees and Council fees.