Who is providing the contract? If the other party provides it, then you should get your own review. This is true for every contract not just building. The problem may be that your builder may not accept any other contract.

We're not quite at the contract stage yet but just want to be prepared and get an idea of how it all works...will ask the builder what he usually does?

Most builders will use a standard contract from the HIA or MBA, which are both industry associations. As they are written by industry associations, for their industry members they do tend to favour the builder rather than the customer. Most builders would be reluctant to have a third party (your lawyer) redraft the contract, and would want to look at any proposed changes very carefully. Building lawyers are expensive so any engagement by you is going to cost big dollars.

I would suggest that you do get advice from a building lawyer to explain the building contract so that you are fully aware of your rights, and what can happen if things go wrong. this is especially true if you are doing a renovation as there is a lot that is not known about the existing building when the contract is signed.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits

More important is the builder. When checking references check the company name used and ABN on each contract. Run away quickly if they are in different names. Do a business name check and see how long it has been operating. There may be amendments to the contract in Annexures . Get these checked if you are unsure of anything.

Always

Renovations are always time-consuming, the actual joining of the new build to the existing can't be estimated accurately, until after work has commenced.

SPECIFICATIONS of CONTRACT

Quality versus Cost.. Completed work 20 + years OR 7 years ( warranty period )

Many times, a reputable tradesman, builder, after submitting a quote, using timber sizes, LVLs concrete MPA he would use in his own home...etc ( with around 27% profit margin ) is confronted with " I will go with Joe Blogs, he is cheaper ", the reputable person knows the cheaper quote will use timber, to minimum sizes, min MPA concrete, minimum standards, longer finish ( cheap has many jobs on at once )

It really depends on whether the homeowners.

1)

Check ABN or ACN

2

Check Department of Fair Trading Licence Number, ( if this is not on any correspondence between you and builder, run )

Surely this`s a naive assumption. Take care of this in advance. In order to defend your position and argue it in accordance with law, you need special knowledge, which is exactly what a legal professional has. He must advise you on which 'flash points' you need to pay attention to. Of course in the 1st place the contract protects the builder, so if you have any trouble, at least you can count on good luck on your side. I can recommend a firm where I turned myself bsmlaw.com.au. I had some disagreement with the executors, so I had to resort to legal assistance. Without it, I couldn't have coped on my own.

Due to the absence or improper drafting of a construction contract between the customer and the contractor, problems arise that can only be solved in court. In a construction contract, it is necessary to specify the entire list of construction work to be performed when repairing an apartment or house, as well as the volume, quantity, units, etc. Working as a lawyer, I often faced such conflicts between the contractor and the customer. But soon I got tired of it, and I began to take training from military lawyers https://ucmjdefense.com/military-sexual-assault-defenses-mistake-of-fact-explained-by-a-military-defense-lawyer.html, in order to then change my qualifications. Do you ask if you need a lawyer? Yes, absolutely.

Yes. Get a lawyer, for anything you dont understand that could potentially catch you out, he will make sure you understand. Sometimes when there is disputes is because of assumptions, Builder assumes you understand everything and you assume he understood your vision and put that in the contract.

I would recommend searching for a good lawyer through recommendations from friends and relatives.

Engage in any kind of renovation. You will eventually have to deal with the nightmare of the building contract. It is a long, tedious process involving way too many people and many documents being faxed back and forth. The problem is that it is a legal document, and you will be held to everything written in it, to the letter. So I can recommend contacting a lawyer from Erase The Case. They specialize in expunging, but they helped me sign a building contract and explained all the terms and facts I would encounter.

Sapthiro, I found our building contract to be fair for both parties. It was not a “tedious process” it was straight forward because both us and the builder were totally aware of what we wanted. We were organised, informed and had a clear vision which we had communicated to our builder and was then reflected in our house drawings and contract. No surprises....And we used email for correspondence. We stopped using a fax machine 15 years ago.

While HIA contracts offer some protection, they might not cover every scenario. A few flash points to focus on in the contract include project timelines, payment schedules tied to milestones, detailed scope of work, materials quality, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Also, considering someone's bad experience, it's smart to be extra cautious. One aspect to remember is whistleblower protection laws, especially in the healthcare sector. They safeguard individuals who report misconduct. Speaking up about subpar work or unethical practices could fall under these protections. Websites like https://federal-lawyer.com/whistleblower-lawyers/healthcare-whistleblower-protection-act/ can give insights if you ever need to navigate this aspect.