Get Your Builder Involved Before the Drawings Are Locked
Most budget blowouts start at the drawing board. A design is finished, sent to tender, and comes back hundreds of thousands over budget. Then come the redesign fees, lost months and compromises on the home you actually wanted.
Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) fixes that. We work alongside you and your architect or designer from the early design stages, pricing the design as it develops and flagging cost and buildability issues while they're still cheap to change.
What ECI covers
- Cost planning at each design stage. Real numbers and open-book trade pricing from a builder who prices jobs every week, not estimates made in isolation.
- Buildability review. Spotting details that look great on paper but are expensive or risky to build, with alternatives that keep the design intent.
- Value engineering. Structure, materials, finishes and services reviewed for where money is best spent and where it's being wasted.
- Joinery design input. Our sister company, ARKO Joinery, reviews kitchens, wardrobes and built-ins early. Joinery is one of the biggest cost levers in a premium home.
- Program and staging advice. Realistic timeframes, lead times and sequencing before you commit.
- Finance lined up early. We work closely with BettyLee Finance, a mortgage and finance brokerage specialising in construction, land, bridging and knockdown-rebuild lending, so your finance is lined up alongside your budget, not chased after the contract is signed.
- Contract recommendation. Fixed-price or cost-plus, explained plainly, so you choose the right one for your project.
How it works
- Initial meeting with you and your architect or designer
- ECI agreement, a paid pre-construction service
- Cost planning and design input through each design stage
- Final construction price, with no tender surprises
- Your ECI fee is credited back in full against your build and joinery contract when you sign with Build One
Is ECI right for you?
ECI suits clients planning a new home, knockdown rebuild, or major extension or renovation who:
- have an architect or designer engaged, or are about to engage one
- have a firm budget and want the design to respect it
- want certainty before spending heavily on documentation
Frequently asked questions
When should I get a builder involved? Ideally at concept or early design stage, before the drawings are detailed. The earlier we're involved, the more cost we can save without compromising the design.
Do I need an architect first? No. We can start working with you before a designer is engaged, or join a design team that's already in place.
Does ECI cost anything? Yes. It's a paid pre-construction service, and the fee is credited back in full against your build and joinery contract when you sign with us. It's a deposit on your project, not a consulting bill.
How is ECI different from getting a quote? A quote prices a finished design. ECI shapes the design so the price meets your budget before the drawings are finished.
Why Build One
- Our own carpenters. Your home is framed and finished by tradespeople we employ, not subcontractors we met last week.
- In-house joinery. Kitchens, wardrobes and built-ins come from our sister company, ARKO Joinery, keeping quality and timing under one roof.
- Fixed-price or cost-plus — your choice. We'll walk you through both and recommend the contract that suits your project, your budget certainty and how involved you want to be in selections.
- Proven track record. Builders on The Block (3 awards) and Dream Home.
Where we build
Toorak, Brighton, South Yarra, Malvern, Armadale, Kew, Hawthorn, Camberwell, Balwyn, Canterbury, Surrey Hills, Glen Iris, Caulfield, Elsternwick, Elwood, St Kilda, Sandringham, Black Rock, Red Hill, Portsea and the Mornington Peninsula.