DC Build

Our dedicated in-house designer makes a significant difference in the speed we can process design work and also means we are cost effective. Another advantage is that our designers know the systems and methods that are most efficient for our construction teams to use. This is very important in maximizing value to clients, having our design team which are trade qualified carpenters working on your drawings is we see “build-ability” issues before they arise which eliminates any budget blow outs due to variations throughout the project.

Typical Process for any Design Build Project

Discuss Project Brief – Mel will meet you onsite for this one hour consultation. This meeting allows us to survey the site on which the build is to take place. With years of building experience you will be able to discuss plans, budgets, time frames, design functionality, and Mel will go over any council requirements you may need to help you create the dream home that you deserve. Time frames: when to start, how long will it take, any possible hold ups and how we can avoid them. Council: what consents you might need, how to apply to get them and how the council process works. Pricing: what sort of costs can you expect and what type of contract will best suit you and your project. Project management: who does what, when, where and why? Materials: Understanding claddings, fittings and fixtures, paint, interior designers, and the many choices you’ll need to make as your project becomes a reality. 

Preliminary Design – Once we get a feel for what you would like to achieve we can then get started on concept drawings, concept drawings enable us to provide you with 3D concept images of your project as well as provide us enough information to provide build costings. 

Building Quote / Acceptance – We will provide you with a fixed price to the code of compliance. Once you have accepted our fixed-price quote in writing, you will receive an invoice for us to carry out the detailed design drawings and the process begins. 

Detailed Design – Before we can submit the drawings to council we produce a full set of working drawings which we then lodge on your behalf with the council. Council time for processing is typically 20 working days but we often recommend allowing just over 1 month for processing times. 

Construction Starts – Consents are granted from the council and construction commences during the course of your build there will be weekly timetabling, site meetings and budget reviews, allowing you to make confident and informed decisions. By having 24 hour access online to your project’s scheduling and budgeting information, you can easily to keep up to date at your convenience 

Project Completion – Your build is complete and ready for you to sign off! Once the final council inspection has been obtained, we will go through our QA system check list to ensure every box has been ticked. Once you’re fully satisfied with the results, we will provide you with the guarantees, certifications and information relating to your job.

We are the proven specialist building company that can efficiently manage and execute your new building, development, renovation or remodelling project from concept to completion, on-brief, on-budget and on-time. We are members of Certified Builders and are Licensed Building Practitioners. We employ a team of highly skilled builders and we make certain that all projects are completed to the highest quality within the specified time frame. We have strong relationships with a broad network of well-regarded subcontractors so whatever the job ,we'll work closely with you to define your ideas and dreams. We specialise in taking it from Concept stage to completion.

Design

Our dedicated in-house designer makes a significant difference in the speed we can process design work and also means we are cost effective. Another advantage is that our designers know the systems and methods that are most efficient for our construction teams to use.

New Build

We can provide our design services to you or if you already have your own architect or have plans drawn up we are happy to work with them and build off your plans with various contract options available.

Renovate

We understand that renovating your home, no matter how large or small the project, is a very important decision for you. Therefore, we want you to be excited by the building journey and enjoy a positive experience.

Reclad

In New Zealand many homes built in the past 20 years suffer from watertight issues and cladding failures. DC Builders have a re-cladding division specialising solely on re-cladding water damaged homes.

DC Build is a business run by two brothers - Mel & Justin who both decided to leave their current positions as Site Supervisors with New Zealand's largest commercial contractors and come back to their roots in the residential construction and design market. We pride ourselves in delivering high quality projects, expertise and reliability. It has always been our aim to establish and operate a company that is based on core values that revolve around these principles.

From the design to the construction they handle the entire process with a huge focus on making the process enjoyable for each client and stress free. DC Build are registered Certified Builders giving our customers the added comfort that all work completed is backed by a 10 Year Certified Builders Guarantee. We also carry the Watertight Seal of Approval for all re-clad work which makes us stand out to clients knowing they have the best in the business in undertaking their re-clad project.

What to expect

Building a new home or undertaking a renovation, reclad or new build is one of the biggest things you’ll possibly do in life. We use our experience and knowledge combined with proven project management software to make is a less daunting, less unknown process. We’re big on communications here – you’ll hear from us every step of the process; from concept to contract, consent to construction, and through to completion.

INITIAL DISCUSSION

We will meet with you to discuss the project brief, and any other details you may have whether it be a reclad, renovation or new Build, this is where we need to hear what is important to you – your wants and your needs. No idea is a bad idea – well, some are but we can use our experience and knowledge to guide you away from those. It’s also important that we talk about your budget expectations, to ensure we’re all on the same page throughout the home building process. If you don’t have an idea on what all this is going to cost, then that’s fine and we can cover that in the project pricing package.

Hint: To get the most out of your briefing meeting, it’s helpful if you have the below. Don’t worry if you don’t; we can assist.

Digital copy of your property file from the council. (This is not the same as the LIM; the property file includes all the plans the council has of your property.) If you don’t have one we can order one for you.

If you do have any images or ideas on what you would like to achieve please feel free to have them at the 1st meeting, if you don’t a great place to start is Pinterest or Houzz. You can continue to add more ideas through the project using these great apps for inspiration or mood boards.

CONCEPT DESIGN

Once we have met onsite and taken all your great ideas we then send you a proposal for our Concept Design and upon acceptance the creative process begins.

This phase brings together the initial design brief and all the relevant information to creatively present an original, bespoke concept. With the aid of 3D images, plans and layouts, we will give you a clear visual depiction of the concept, showcasing your vision and our vision for the project. This is where your project comes to life. The concept design will be provided for review and discussion before moving onto the next stage. Being designers and builders, we flesh out any construction details at the beginning meaning when we move onto the pricing stage we are pricing what we will be building. Its important at this stage we have all the materials, cladding choices etc correct as this is what our QS will be using to produce his pricing from.

PROJECT PRICING

Once we signed off the concept design we then add more construction detail to the design and tidy it up to be sent to our QS (Quantity Surveyor). He goes through the plans and provides a thorough breakdown of all costs. See the example yourself here. We price everything in its entirety to give you a clear idea on build costs, we include any Geotech engineers, Structural engineers, Estimated Council Costs and any other consultants which may be needed. The software we use for our pricing comes directly from our 3D model, so you can be sure the quantities are accurate. We present all this on an easy to read report with an itemised breakdown. Transparency is everything to us, we offer two different types of pricing models, one is a cost-plus model and the other a fixed price model. Click here to see our Cost Plus vs Fixed Price Guide. We also provide an estimated timeline for your project, so you know how long the build will take from day 1, this is often then updated again before start construction onsite.

BUILDING CONSENT DRAWINGS
+ BUILDING CONTRACTS

Once we have established that we are working within your budget we then begin the detailed design drawings which is turning our concept drawings into a full set of drawings ready to submit to council. If any specialised consultants such as Geotech engineers, surveyors and structural engineers then we co-ordinate all this into a full complete drawing set to submit to Council.

We will be the initial point of contact with the Council for any queries they may have. We will respond to any requests for additional information in a timely fashion and work with the council to obtain the consent approval on your behalf. Just before we get the green light from Council we review our Certified Building Agreements with you and once accepted and a small deposit is paid we are ready to go! Example of Certified Fixed Price Agreement.pdf and Cost Plus Agreement.PDF here.

We also at this stage set you up to use our friendly to use cloud based software which gives you insight into your project every step of the way. Don’t worry if you not sure on how to use it, we give you a quick 5 min demonstration and you will be up and running in no time.

BUILD

We produce a full construction program showing exactly when the work will be carried out, we keep you informed along the way using our friendly to use cloud based software and our Project Managers and Site Foremen conduct weekly/fortnightly site meetings with you to ensure you are never in the dark. We’ll give you traditional craftsmanship and values with modern technologies and design ideas. You will honestly be amazed with our streamlined systems.

COMPLETION AND MOVE IN

Your build is now complete, we have gone through with our team to check everything is in order, Council have passed the final inspection and you are able to move back in.

We then provide all documents for the Code of Compliance Certificate, we hand over any manuals and maintenance plans.