Compare granny flat quotes Canberra

Identity, licence and insurance

The quote names the legal builder, ABN, physical address and contact person, not just a trading name.
The builder gives an ACT construction occupation licence or registration number that matches the work.
You checked the licence status on the Access Canberra public register before paying a deposit.
The quote includes current public liability insurance and states who is responsible for site safety.

Scope and documents

All builders quoted from the same drawings, room sizes, ceiling heights and finish schedule.
The quote states whether it is for a studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, garage conversion or custom design.
The quote states whether the dwelling is intended to be a legal secondary residence under ACT planning requirements.
Kitchen, bathroom, flooring, glazing, insulation, heating, cooling and appliances are described by allowance or product level.
GST is stated clearly, so you know whether the final price is inclusive or exclusive.

Site costs and approvals

Soil test, survey, engineering, energy report and certifier fees are included or priced as named allowances.
Sewer, water, stormwater, electrical connection and trench reinstatement are priced, not described as by owner.
The quote states who prepares and lodges any EPSDD development application, lease variation or building approval documents.
Rock excavation, retaining walls, tree protection and driveway access are either included or excluded in writing.
NatHERS 7-star and Canberra cold-climate glazing assumptions are named, not left as minimum code.

Contract, deposit and variations

The deposit is stated as a dollar amount and percentage of the total contract price.
Any deposit above 10% is explained by specific ordered materials, custom work or another written reason.
Progress claims are tied to completed stages, not dates only.
Variations must be priced and approved in writing before the work proceeds.
Handover requires occupancy or final certification documents before the last payment.

Red flags - walk away if you see these

The builder says approval is not needed for a habitable secondary residence.
The quote is a single line and does not state what is excluded.
The business refuses to provide licence details or insurance certificates.
The price assumes single glazing or weak insulation for a new Canberra dwelling.
Large cash payments are requested before drawings, approvals or contract documents are complete.
The builder will not say who pays for rock, sewer depth, retaining walls or switchboard upgrades.

What a written quote should state

For a Canberra secondary residence, a proper quote reads like a build plan, not a brochure. It should identify the block, the intended dwelling type, the gross floor area, the drawings used, the approval responsibility, the payment schedule, GST treatment, exclusions, provisional sums and the builder details. The quote should also say whether it includes the boring but expensive work: survey, soil test, engineering, energy assessment, building approval, utility connections, stormwater, driveway protection and site clean-up.

Make sure you are comparing the same dwelling. A studio granny flat with one open room is not the same project as a one-bedroom granny flat. A two-bedroom granny flat can still be compact under ACT size rules, but the kitchen, bathroom, storage, glazing and acoustic requirements tend to be more demanding. If one quote is based on a concept sketch and another is based on measured drawings and engineering assumptions, the numbers are not comparable.

The biggest trap is the word allowance. An allowance is fine when the scope genuinely cannot be known yet, but it must be realistic. A $5,000 allowance for all sewer, water and stormwater work on a rear block in Tuggeranong is not realistic if trenching crosses paving and rock. A $12,000 kitchen allowance may be fine for a studio kitchenette and light for a long-let one-bedroom rental. Ask the builder to show the quantity or item behind every allowance.

What is usually excluded and charged later

Common exclusions are not automatically dishonest. The problem is when they are hidden. In Canberra, watch for sewer depth, stormwater detention, tree protection, asbestos in old garages, rock excavation, retaining walls, driveway or verge repairs, temporary fencing, traffic control, upgraded metering, switchboard capacity and changes requested by a certifier or EPSDD assessment. Each can be a fair variation if the builder could not inspect or price it earlier. Each becomes a trust problem if the risk was obvious and left out to win the job.

Approvals need the same treatment. A quote for a compliant secondary residence should say who handles the planning pathway, building approval, inspections and final paperwork. If you are on a complex lease, heritage-affected site, battleaxe access, steep block or a small Gungahlin lot, spend money on the approval check before you pay for full drawings. Our Canberra build process explains the order of decisions, and the energy rating guide explains why glazing and insulation cannot be an afterthought.

Deposits and licence checks in the ACT

ACT Government guidance says there is no limit on the initial deposit for building work in the ACT. That does not mean any deposit is sensible. Industry practice is usually up to 10% of the total contract price, so on a $180,000 granny flat a common deposit would be up to about $18,000. Larger deposits should be connected to a clear need, such as custom windows ordered early, and should sit inside a proper written contract.

Before paying, check the builder on the Access Canberra public registers. Confirm the licence status, licence class, business details and any displayed disciplinary action. Also ask for a certificate of currency for public liability insurance. If the person quoting cannot give you their full name, business address, ABN and licence details, stop. A granny flat is too expensive to treat like a small handyman job.

The cheapest quote can still be the right quote if the scope is tight, the site is simple and the builder has priced everything openly. The most expensive quote can still be poor value if it hides uncertainty behind premium language. The useful quote is the one you can audit line by line.

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Quote comparison questions

How many granny flat quotes should I get in Canberra?

Get 2 or 3 written quotes with the same scope, drawings and finish assumptions. If one quote is $40,000 lower than the others, compare the exclusions before treating it as a saving.

What should a compliant Canberra granny flat quote include?

It should state the builder details, ACT licence or registration details, ABN, site address, drawings relied on, inclusions, exclusions, GST, provisional sums, approval responsibilities, start assumptions and progress payment stages. For a $140,000 to $240,000 project, a one-page number is not enough.

Is there a legal deposit limit for ACT residential building work?

ACT Government guidance says there is no limit on the initial deposit for building work in the ACT. Industry practice is usually up to 10% of the total contract price, so a $180,000 job would commonly have a deposit up to about $18,000.

How do I check a Canberra builder licence?

Use the Access Canberra public registers and search the builder or business name before you sign. Confirm the licence status, the licence class, the business details and whether any disciplinary information is shown.

What exclusions cause the biggest granny flat variations?

The biggest variations are usually long sewer runs, rock excavation, retaining walls, switchboard upgrades, stormwater upgrades, tree protection, upgraded glazing and approval changes. Each can add $5,000 to $35,000 if it is not priced before contract.

Compare Canberra granny flat quotes by exclusions, not just price