Typical price per sqm - or this too crude of an instrument?

1st floor - staircase space, scaffolding, waterproofing both during construction and permanent , materials need more handling

rates - depends entirely on the quality at the end of the job, which maybe why you are choosing the builder. High quality well designed house with someone who has expectations of flat walls, well finished details, scribed fit, no bounce in floors is probably 3x the cost as std project home build, throw it up as fast as possible. For a comparison for joinery, sons kitchen company - install for project home - team of 3 one day, possibly a second fit visit -any @@@@ups by other trades are the builders problem. For non project home, team of 2, 4 days install - minimum of one revisit, usually 2 to realign hinges - thorough check after its been in use for a few weeks - zero blemishes allowed, minimal to no filler. cost to client is around 50% higher for an identical kitchen (well close enough identical)

...a quick internet search (some included below) indicate those figures are on the "high end" build. obviously so many build variations that would affect the final per sqm price potentially including including cost of materials since COVID etc.

Not sure how accurate the prices indicated are in terms of real world costs.

https://www.realestate.com.au/advice...build-a-house/
https://hipages.com.au/article/how_m..._build_a_house

so my initial understanding was that given the sqm numbers:

a single level extension of say 30 sqm => 30 x $4k = $120k
a ground and first floor with the same 30sqm footprint would be the ground floor price plus the first floor price? => (30 x $4k) + (30 x $5.5k) = $285K

or does the "first floor price" apply to ground and first floor, therefore becoming just 30 x $5.5k = $165k?

Thanks for the details pharmaboy. Appreciate the difference if my initial understanding in comment #4 was correct, i was just surprised if the first floor price was in addition to the $4k/sqm ground floor price as well

Thanks also Bart. I had read some of these docs and was wondering whether anyone had first hand recent experience and whether my adding up made sense

Originally Posted by MeasureTwice

so my initial understanding was that given the sqm numbers:

a single level extension of say 30 sqm => 30 x $4k = $120k
a ground and first floor with the same 30sqm footprint would be the ground floor price plus the first floor price? => (30 x $4k) + (30 x $5.5k) = $285K

or does the "first floor price" apply to ground and first floor, therefore becoming just 30 x $5.5k = $165k?

The building company confirmed that a two storey extension is in fact $4k/sqm for ground + $5.5k/sqm for first floor

Wow! That would make a 200sqm house with 100sqm footprint (100sqm ground +100sqm first) a whopping $950k!!!!!

Rates for extensions are higher than for a complete build.

Originally Posted by joynz

Rates for extensions are higher than for a complete build.

I would understand/expect this to be the case, but based on most articles quoting SIGNIFICANTLY less than that I am surprised by how much. like the article Bart referenced: https://www.realestate.com.au/advice...build-a-house/


"Wolf Architects director Taras Wolf, on the other hand, said the cost of building an architecturally designed house starts at a minimum $3000 per sqm, right up to $5382 per sqm or $50,000 per Australian house square (9.29sqm)."

Originally Posted by pharmaboy2

rates - depends entirely on the quality at the end of the job, which maybe why you are choosing the builder. High quality well designed house with someone who has expectations of flat walls, well finished details, scribed fit, no bounce in floors is probably 3x the cost as std project home build, throw it up as fast as possible. For a comparison for joinery, sons kitchen company - install for project home - team of 3 one day, possibly a second fit visit -any @@@@ups by other trades are the builders problem. For non project home, team of 2, 4 days install - minimum of one revisit, usually 2 to realign hinges - thorough check after its been in use for a few weeks - zero blemishes allowed, minimal to no filler. cost to client is around 50% higher for an identical kitchen (well close enough identical)

I second @pharmaboy2. It's truth. Understated even.

We bought a project home by a brand name developer, built in a few months, costs a fraction of traditional builds. And you get what you pay for, truly. Quality is low (budget, economical). Everything is the cheapest possible material and labour option, flimsy, breakable, chippable, squeaky, creaky, poor movements, unreplaceable. Any corner that can be cut will be cut. Will frustrate anyone used to decent buildings: offices, universities, libraries, etc.

Whereas projects at work are typically $10-30m residential projects/developments (joinery packages $100-300k), for exclusive clientele, months of planning. Some lasting years. Coordination of trades is one challenge, getting a dream team. When carpentry, flooring, ceiling, etc is square and perfect, that helps to make premium cabinets look and function immaculately. Everything flows seemlessly, like an bespoke car. However, warped floors, wavy ceilings, dodgy plumbing behind walls, and anything uneven or out of plumb, will be noticed. Also causing delays, frustrating and demoralising workers. You want the best you can afford, highly skilled and passionate workers, not miserable grunts, not slave-labourers. Happy workers do better work. Proud workers do work worth boasting/sharing about. Everyone on their A-game. The best builders are notoriously difficult book, usually working on their own projects, or doing favours for old friends.