Working with us
Where do we start?
Reach out and we’ll set up an introduction call with our Director. We’ll talk through your project, understand what you’re looking for, and advise on next steps. It’s a no-pressure conversation, just about making sure we’re the right fit before anything moves forward.
What information do I need to provide to get an accurate quote?
The more detail the better: ideally architectural plans, engineering reports, council approvals, and a list of your desired finishes. If you’re not at that stage yet, don’t worry. We can guide you through what’s needed and help where we can.
What areas do you service?
We work across Greater Sydney, with a strong focus on the Hills District and North Shore. If you’re outside these areas, get in touch and we’ll let you know if we can help.
How do you differ from a project home builder?
Project home builders work from fixed plans and fixed finishes. We don’t. Every project is designed around you: your site, your brief, your preferences. You work directly with our Director from start to finish, and we handle everything under one contract, whether that’s just the home or the full package including pool and landscaping.
What should I check before hiring any builder?
Three things, and any good builder will volunteer them. Check the licence on the Service NSW website. Ask for the Home Building Compensation Fund insurance certificate, which must be given to you before any deposit is paid on work over $20,000. And check the payment schedule: deposits are capped at 10% under the Home Building Act, and progress payments should be tied to completed stages of work, never to calendar dates. We provide all of this up front, and we’d encourage you to ask every builder you speak to for the same.
How do progress payments work?
You pay for work as it’s completed, in stages set out clearly in the contract before you sign: typically deposit, slab, frame, lockup, fixing and completion. Each claim corresponds to finished work you can walk through and see. No payments in advance of the build, no surprises.
What happens after handover?
Your home is covered by the statutory warranties under the NSW Home Building Act: six years for major defects and two years for other work. Beyond the legal minimums, we stay reachable. Many of our clients tell us in their reviews that we still answer their questions years after completion, and that’s how we like it.
Building your home
What does it cost to build a custom home?
Custom home builds with us generally start from $1 million, with pools and landscaping scoped as part of the same project. For context, quality custom construction in Sydney currently runs from roughly $3,500 to $6,000+ per square metre depending on the site, the design and the level of finish. The honest answer is that your block and your selections drive the number more than floor area does, which is why we quote in detail from real plans rather than advertising a teaser rate that grows later.
How long does a custom home take?
A custom home typically takes 12–18 months from contract to handover, not including the design and approval phase. Timelines depend on size and complexity, and we’ll give you a clear timeline during the quoting process, then keep you updated against it throughout the build.
Should I knockdown and rebuild, or renovate?
A useful rule of thumb: once a major structural renovation approaches 60% of the cost of building new, rebuilding usually wins. Renovations of older homes also carry hidden risks that new builds don’t: asbestos, termite damage, failing plumbing and non-compliant wiring that only reveal themselves after demolition starts. We’re happy to look at your existing home and give you an honest view either way.
What approvals do I need, and who handles them?
Most new homes proceed through either a Development Application with your local council or a faster Complying Development Certificate through a private certifier, depending on your block and design. We manage the approval pathway as part of the project, and we’ve worked with councils and certifiers across Sydney, including projects where home and pool approvals had to work together.
Can you build on a sloping or difficult block?
Yes, and some of our best homes exist because of a difficult block, not despite it. Our Westleigh project sits on more than five metres of fall: we stepped the home across three split levels and turned the slope into four metre ceilings. Steep sites reward builders who design for them.
What do you build?
We manage the full scope: custom homes, pools, and landscaping all under one contract. From site preparation through to final landscaping, everything is coordinated by our team so you’re not juggling multiple builders, pool contractors, and landscapers.
Do you work with architects?
Yes. If you already have an architect or are part way through design, we’re happy to work alongside them. We also build from completed plans and can help connect you with design professionals if you’re starting from scratch.
Can I make changes during the build?
Yes. Changes are documented and priced as variations before any work proceeds, so you always know the cost and the timeline impact before deciding. What we won’t do is surprise you with the bill afterwards.
Pools, done properly
How much does a concrete pool cost in Sydney?
A quality concrete pool in Sydney starts from around $100,000 once coping, surrounds, fencing and equipment are included. Tight access, sloping sites and premium finishes like fully tiled interiors take budgets beyond that, and every project is priced on its own merits. We quote the whole finished result, not a shell price with the real costs waiting in the fine print.
How long does a pool take to build?
Construction itself typically takes 8–12 weeks for a concrete pool, subject to weather and access. Add time up front for design and approval: as a whole, allow roughly three to six months from first conversation to swimming.
Do I need council approval for a pool?
Almost always, yes. Most Sydney pools are approved either through a Complying Development Certificate with a private certifier, which is faster, or a Development Application with council where the site needs it. Pool fencing must also comply with NSW safety regulations before the pool can be filled. We handle the approval process and compliance as part of every pool build.
Concrete or fibreglass?
We build concrete. It’s the only way to get a pool truly designed for your block: any shape, any depth, any finish, from beadcrete through to fully tiled interiors, and it’s the most durable option long term. If a fibreglass shell suits your project better, we’ll tell you honestly, but concrete is what we do best.
My block has tight access. Is a pool still possible?
Usually, yes. Difficult access is one of our specialties: our Balmain pool was built with rear access through the neighbouring Woolworths site, inside a tree protection zone. Access shapes the method and the budget, but it rarely rules a pool out.
We’re building a new home too. When should the pool go in?
Earlier than most people think. On tight blocks, machine access can disappear once the house goes up, so the smartest sequence is often excavation and the concrete shell first, with the finishing trades returning late in the home build. Our Pennant Hills project shows exactly how that works, with photos from each stage.
Can you build a pool on its own, or only with a home build?
Both. We build pools standalone or alongside your new home. Many of our pool clients come to us for the pool and landscape only. The one-team approach works at any scale.
When should we start planning a pool?
Earlier than you’d think. Design, council approval and engineering take time and can bring unforeseen challenges. Begin the conversation over winter, when builders are quieter, and your pool can be ready for summer.
Do you renovate existing pools?
Yes, and properly. Renovations often involve more than the cosmetic: shell and crack repairs, coping and bond beam work, updated equipment and plumbing, and fencing brought up to compliance. We’ll give you an honest assessment of what your pool actually needs.
Gardens and landscaping
How much does landscaping cost in Sydney?
Honestly, there is no meaningful number we could put here: no two gardens are alike, and the cost is driven almost entirely by your block. Levels and retaining, drainage, access, materials and the scale of planting all move the budget far more than the size of the yard does. What we can promise is a detailed, itemised quote once we have seen your site, so you know exactly where every dollar goes before anything starts.
Do retaining walls need approval?
Often, yes. In NSW, retaining walls above 600mm generally need approval, and walls retaining more than a metre almost always need a structural engineer’s design. It matters: an unapproved wall can be ordered removed at your expense and can surface as a problem when you sell. We design, engineer and certify retaining properly the first time.
When does a garden need structural work?
Whenever the land wants to move. Sloping blocks, terraced lawns and level changes all need engineered retaining rather than decorative edging, and the difference shows a decade later. Our Westleigh project turned five metres of fall into terraced, planted retaining that became one of the best features of the property.
How important is the fall on my block?
It shapes everything, and it is the thing we most often see handled badly. Because the home and the landscaping sit in one contract with us, the splits in the house and the retaining in the garden get resolved together against the fall of the land, instead of each being solved in isolation. Project home builders tender on the house alone, so they do whatever is cheapest for the build and leave the fall as your problem to retain and landscape later. Our Westleigh project shows the difference: five metres of fall became split levels, four metre ceilings and terraced gardens that belong to the block.
Do you take on landscaping on its own?
Yes. Many of our landscape clients come to us for the garden alone, others add a pool or outdoor structures. The one-team approach works at any scale, and complex problems are where we do our best work.
Can you work around established or protected trees?
Yes. Our Mosman project was designed and built under strict tree protection conditions, protecting established trees while still delivering the full design.
What can a landscape project include?
Driveways, excavation, engineered retaining walls, automated gates, irrigation, outdoor lighting, outdoor kitchens, privacy screening, sandstone features, pool surrounds, planting and drainage. Whatever the scope, it’s coordinated by one team under one contract.
Do you work with landscape architects?
Yes. We work closely with leading landscape architects and designers across Sydney, and we’re just as comfortable building from your designer’s plans as developing the design with you.
Can you fix drainage and stormwater problems?
Yes. Stormwater is where landscaping meets engineering, and it’s where we started as a company. From onsite detention systems to drainage design on difficult blocks, we’ve solved problems other trades walked away from, and our reviews tell that story better than we can.
Should landscaping be part of the home build?
It’s the difference between a house and a finished home. When one team designs the home, pool and gardens together, levels line up, drainage works, access is planned and nothing gets destroyed and rebuilt twice. Our Kellyville project was delivered exactly that way: home, pool and landscape as one complete project.