Why this stage sets the tone for everything that follows
The single most expensive mistake in residential construction is committing to a design before understanding what the site and regulations will allow. Step 01 exists to prevent that. Before a single drawing is prepared, we invest time in understanding your land, your local authority requirements, and your realistic budget — so that every subsequent decision is grounded in fact rather than assumption.
A thorough brief and site assessment typically takes one to two weeks but can save months of redesign and thousands of dollars in abortive work. Clients who skip or rush this stage almost always encounter cost blow-outs or approval delays later that could have been foreseen and managed here.
Site assessment and due diligence
Our site assessment goes well beyond a casual walk-through. We review the current survey (or recommend one be commissioned if none exists), check the relevant planning scheme overlays and local government planning policies, and confirm frontage, setback, boundary and height parameters that will govern the design envelope.
For Queensland residential projects, common constraints we investigate include: flood and overland flow overlays, bushfire management areas, character and heritage designations, easements and encumbrances, slope and drainage fall, existing service locations, and any development approval conditions attached to the land title. Each of these has direct implications for what can be built, at what cost, and on what timeline — and all are better understood now than discovered mid-design.
Where soil conditions are a concern — steeply sloping blocks, reactive clay areas, or sites with a history of fill — we will recommend a preliminary geotechnical assessment. The cost of a site investigation report is modest relative to the savings achieved by designing an appropriate footing system from the outset rather than re-engineering mid-contract.
Developing the client brief
A well-formed brief is a precise document, not a wish list. We work through your functional requirements room by room: how you live in the home, which spaces you prioritise, where natural light and cross-ventilation matter most, how the house connects to the garden, and how your needs might change over the next ten to fifteen years. For clients renovating an existing home, we also document which elements are to be retained, which are to be demolished, and what the interface conditions are between old and new work.
Beyond the physical brief, we discuss lifestyle priorities — entertaining, working from home, accessibility for ageing-in-place — so that the design brief we hand to the architect or designer is complete and unambiguous. Vague briefs produce vague designs, and vague designs produce expensive variations.
Establishing a realistic budget framework
Budget conversations at this stage are honest and direct. We provide order-of-magnitude construction cost ranges based on project type, floor area, site access, and material specification level. These are not fixed-price quotations — they are informed reference points to help you determine whether your aspirations align with your financial parameters before engaging consultants for detailed design.
We also discuss contingency allowances. For a new build on a straightforward site, a contingency of 10–15% of construction cost is prudent. For a renovation or a site with known complications, 15–20% is more appropriate. Clients who build in adequate contingency from the start experience significantly less stress during construction than those who commit every available dollar to the base contract.
Where relevant, we outline the indicative costs of consultant fees (architect, engineer, energy assessor, building certifier), council application fees, and statutory levies — so that the total project cost picture is complete, not just the construction component.
Programme and procurement pathway
We map out a realistic project timeline from brief sign-off through to anticipated construction completion. For a standard new home in South East Queensland, the full timeline from brief to occupation certificate typically spans 14 to 22 months, depending on design complexity, approval pathway, and construction programme. Understanding this timeline early allows clients to plan around rental arrangements, school enrolments, and financial drawdown schedules.
We also advise on procurement pathway at this stage: whether the project is best delivered as a traditional design-then-tender contract, a design-and-construct arrangement, or a construction management model. Each has different risk profiles and cost certainty characteristics, and the right choice depends on the client's priorities and risk appetite.
Deliverables from Step 01
At the conclusion of this stage, you receive a written project brief record that captures: confirmed site constraints and opportunities, the agreed functional brief, budget reference ranges by scenario, indicative project programme, recommended consultant team, and a list of items requiring resolution before design can commence. This document becomes the foundation for all subsequent stages and is referenced at each design review to ensure the project remains aligned with its original intent.
Business is governed by written contract, drawings, and approval documentation; this page is informational only and does not constitute an offer or guarantee.