Design and build process.
At Allen Brothers Construction, our focus is not just on building homes. We’re here to build lasting relationships. With over 50 years of combined experience, we’re proud to deliver honest, high-quality construction services across Brisbane and surrounding areas.
Our design-and-build process is tailored for clients who have yet to engage an architect or designer. We’ll guide you through each step, from selecting the right designer to refining your plans and bringing them to life on site.
We understand that no two projects are the same. That’s why we take a personalised approach, working closely with you and your chosen designer to ensure your home is completed on time, on budget, and with uncompromising craftsmanship.
-
You’ve reached out and received our project questionnaire. Once completed, we’ll arrange a meeting (either onsite or at our office) to dive deeper into your vision.
We’ll discuss buildability, answer your questions, and explore what matters most to you. For renovations, we’ll also inspect the property and gather key details.
-
Based on our initial conversation, we’ll connect you with a shortlist of architects and designers we regularly collaborate with and highly-recommend. While each offers similar services, they each possess a unique design style. We believe it’s valuable for you to meet with them to determine who best aligns with your vision.
We also want to emphasise the importance of establishing a strong connection with your chosen designer. A collaborative partnership between the client, builder, and designer is crucial for the project’s success moving forward.
-
Once you’ve chosen your designer and entered into an agreement, the concept design phase begins.
During this stage, the designer may introduce consultants they regularly work with, and you’ll engage any additional professionals required for your project.
We recommend obtaining a preliminary engineering design at this point—it helps us prepare a more accurate early estimate.
After the concept is approved, the designer will refine the plans to a level that allows us to provide your project’s preliminary estimate. -
Using data from past projects, we create a tailored opinion of probable cost for your build. This high‑level figure helps assess whether the project aligns with your budget before detailed pricing begins. This step can also happen at the concept stage of your plans with no engineering; however, we recommend having at least a preliminary set of engineering documents to ensure accuracy and minimise rework. We charge a small fee of $880(GST inc) for this service.
At this point, plans aren't shared, and trades or suppliers aren’t yet involved.
We’ll also review a preliminary agreement to move forward with a formal tender.
To progress to this next stage, the following fee applies:Project value $1.2M–$2M — $4,000
Project value over $2M — 0.2% of the estimated project value
-
After we’ve provided the preliminary estimate, we’ll discuss your feedback to either move ahead with full documentation or make adjustments to suit your budget.
Once the designer and all consultants have completed the full set of working drawings, we will move into the next phase of pricing.
-
With all documentation in hand, we begin preparing your detailed Works Proposal. This stage involves a full breakdown of the project using our in‑house estimating software, combined with tenders from our trusted subcontractors and suppliers. The proposal itself typically takes 4–6 weeks, depending on project complexity and industry conditions.
Our fee for this stage includes a comprehensive value management process, where we work closely with you, your designer, and your engineer to refine the scope, explore cost‑saving opportunities, and incorporate any final additions or adjustments before moving to contract.
From our experience, this collaborative refinement period generally takes up to 3 months. It’s one of the most important stages of the project, and we prefer not to rush it—ensuring the design, documentation, and pricing are fully aligned before contracts are issued
-
We’ll present the Works Proposal for review and discuss whether to proceed as quoted or explore value management options to reduce costs.
A draft contract will then be issued, using either a fixed-price (RBC-L2) or cost-plus (CPC-L2) Master Builders contract, depending on what suits the project best.
-
Once the contract is signed, a 5% deposit invoice will be issued. Upon payment, we’ll lodge the QBCC Home Warranty Insurance and the QLeave Portable Long Service Leave Levy, then provide proof to the certifier to release building approvals.
If a certifier hasn’t already been appointed through your designer, we can assist with this step.
-
Construction begins. With our comprehensive job management system and client portal, you’ll have full visibility and confidence throughout the build.
We’ll guide you through how it all works so you know exactly what to expect at every stage.
