Process & Investment
Our process,
and what it costs.
Every Geelong Projects home follows the same six-stage process — refined over fifteen years of custom builds across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast. Below: how we build, followed by how we cost. Both, in the open.
Discovery
2 — 3 weeks
A private conversation at our Geelong studio. We listen first — how you live, how light moves through your day, what your land is asking for. We share honest feedback on feasibility, budget bands and timelines before any drawings begin.
- —Studio consultation
- —Site walk-through
- —Preliminary budget guidance
Design
6 — 12 weeks
Our architects translate the brief into spaces that feel inevitable — never imposed. Concept plans evolve through three collaborative reviews, tested against orientation, cost and how you actually intend to live in each room.
- —Concept floor plans
- —3D massing studies
- —Material and finishes direction
Documentation
8 — 10 weeks
Working drawings, structural engineering, energy rating, soil testing and every specification tied down. Nothing is left to interpretation on site — which is how we hold a fixed price without variations later.
- —Council-ready construction drawings
- —7-star NatHERS assessment
- —Full specification schedule
Contract & permits
4 — 6 weeks
A fixed-price HIA contract, transparently costed line by line. We manage the town planning submission, building permit and any bushfire (BAL) or overlay approvals on your behalf.
- —Fixed-price contract
- —Town planning & building permits
- —Payment schedule tied to milestones
Build
9 — 14 months
A single dedicated site supervisor. Fortnightly site walk-throughs. A live client portal with photo updates, RFIs and the running schedule. Every trade is one we've worked with for years — no revolving door on your site.
- —Weekly progress photography
- —Fortnightly client walk-throughs
- —Live schedule & budget portal
Handover & aftercare
Ongoing
Handover isn't an ending. Your home is covered by domestic building insurance and the statutory warranties under the Victorian Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995, and we return at 12 months for a full maintenance visit to adjust, ease and refine anything that has settled with the seasons.
- —Full handover walk-through
- —12-month maintenance visit
- —Statutory warranty & aftercare
What we promise
One team. One price.
One long relationship.
Transparent, fixed-price contracts
Transparent contracts with clearly identified inclusions and allowances. Any client-requested variation is priced and approved before work proceeds.
A single supervisor
The same person walks your site every week for the life of the build.
Transparent scheduling
A live portal with your schedule, photos, RFIs and payment milestones — always current.
Investment
Honest numbers,
from the first meeting.
A custom home is one of the largest investments most people will ever make. We treat that with the seriousness it deserves — beginning with realistic budget guidance long before you're asked to commit to anything.
Indicative bands
Where projects typically sit.
A guide, not a quote. Every home is priced from its own drawings and specification — but these bands help you place your project in context before we design a thing.
01 · Considered
From $3,800/m²
A refined single-storey custom home on a straightforward site. Architect-drawn, energy-rated to 7 stars, with a curated palette of long-life materials.
02 · Signature
From $4,800/m²
Two-storey coastal or hinterland homes with structural glazing, natural stone, joinery-grade cabinetry and integrated landscaping.
03 · Heirloom
From $6,500/m²
Fully bespoke residences with imported stone, specialty joinery, off-form concrete, wine cellars, pools and integrated technology.
Rates are indicative for turn-key builds in 2026. Site works, planning overlays, BAL ratings and specialist finishes may move the final number.
Four principles
How we cost.
Not a pricing strategy — a set of promises. They're the same four rules we've held to since 2009, and the reason our clients don't dread opening their inbox mid-build.
Priced before we sign
Every fixture, finish and fitting is specified and priced before contract, with clearly identified inclusions and allowances.
Transparent inclusions & allowances
Where an item isn't finalised, it's shown as a documented allowance — never hidden in the fine print.
Variations quoted first, worked second
Any client-requested variation is priced and approved before work proceeds — never after.
Milestone payments, never in arrears
You pay against completed, inspected stages. We carry the working capital between them — that's our job, not yours.
Included as standard
Everything that should be included.
Volume builders unbundle these to advertise a lower headline. We include them because a fixed price without them isn't a fixed price at all.
- —Architectural design & documentation
- —Structural engineering & soil testing
- —7-star NatHERS energy assessment
- —Town planning & building permits
- —Fixed-price HIA contract
- —Dedicated site supervisor
- —Full specification schedule
- —Client portal with live schedule & photos
- —Statutory structural warranty (Victorian Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995)
- —12-month maintenance visit
Ready when you are
Begin at stage one.
A 60-minute studio consultation is the only way to know if we're the right team for your home. No obligation, no template questions.
