Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an architect before contacting you?

No. We work with clients at different stages of the journey. You may already have an architect or building designer, or you may still be working out how and where to begin.

Where required, we can help establish the right design and consultant team for the project. If you already have your own architect or designer, we work collaboratively with them through documentation, pricing and construction.

Do you provide design services?

AP Designer Homes is the builder and construction lead. We work collaboratively with architects, building designers and interior designers, and can coordinate the wider consultant team where required.

Design is undertaken by your appointed architect, building designer or interior designer, and we remain closely involved throughout so that design and construction stay aligned.

Can you work with our existing architect and consultants?

Yes. We regularly work alongside architects, building designers, interior designers, engineers and other consultants. Our role is to bring construction knowledge and delivery experience into the wider project team, so that what is drawn can be built as intended, for the budget you have in mind.

What does early builder involvement actually involve?

Reviewing the site and the developing design from a construction perspective: access, levels, services, structure, buildability and the cost implications of key choices, while there is still time to act on them. Pricing can be tested at concept stage as a guide, then refined as documentation and selections are resolved.

Where the design is still evolving, this work proceeds under a Preliminary Services Agreement, which gives you our input before a building contract exists. Read more about how we work alongside your design team.

Who is responsible for design and approvals?

Your architect or building designer is responsible for the design and the documentation, and typically lodges both planning consent and building consent. AP Designer Homes is responsible for construction. During documentation and pricing we review the drawings from a construction perspective, advise on the engineering, consultant reports and approvals the project will need, and coordinate our pricing and programme around them. Where responsibility for an approval is unclear, we confirm it with you and your design team before pricing, so nothing is assumed.

Approval timing sits with the council and the certifier, so we plan around it rather than promise it.

How do you approach pricing?

Our preference is to prepare a fixed-price construction proposal once the documentation, scope and key selections are sufficiently resolved. We price from the home our clients have actually chosen to build rather than relying heavily on allowances that may change later.

Where something genuinely cannot be finalised before contract, it is clearly identified, but our aim is to minimise provisional sums and provide meaningful cost clarity before construction begins.

Can you give an early indication of cost before the documentation is complete?

Yes, as a guide rather than a contract price. At concept stage we can test the design against the intended budget to confirm the project is heading in the right direction, then refine the figure as the documentation and selections are resolved. A figure given before the detail is known is easy to produce and hard to rely on, so we are careful to say which one you are looking at.

Do you offer fixed-price contracts?

Our preference is a fixed-price construction contract based on completed documentation, clearly defined scope and confirmed key selections.

We work to minimise provisional sums and allowances so clients have genuine cost clarity before construction begins.

What are allowances and provisional sums?

An allowance is a budgeted amount carried for an item you have not yet selected. A provisional sum is a budgeted amount for work that cannot be fully defined before contract, such as excavation in ground that has not been tested. Both are adjusted to the actual cost once resolved.

That is why we keep them to a minimum. We would rather price the home you have chosen than carry assumptions into the contract.

How are variations handled?

A variation is any change to the contracted scope, whether you request it or it arises from a condition that could not reasonably be identified beforehand. Changes are managed through a documented variation process: we explain the proposed work and its cost and timing implications, and seek written approval before proceeding, with each variation recorded in the client portal. Urgent safety issues or unforeseen site conditions are handled in accordance with the building contract, with any resulting variation documented and communicated promptly.

How long does a custom home or substantial renovation take?

Construction timeframes vary depending on the scale, complexity, site conditions and level of specification. We establish a project-specific programme once the design and documentation are sufficiently developed.

Before construction, the design, documentation and approvals stages take their own time, and that is usually where most of a project’s overall duration sits. Involving us early is the most reliable way to shorten it.

How soon can you start?

Anthony leads each project personally, which limits how many homes we can take on at any one time. We give scheduling priority to clients already working with us under a Preliminary Services Agreement, while considering how far their design, documentation and approvals have progressed.

For clients progressing through our PSA process, construction typically starts within four to six weeks of the construction deposit being paid, provided contracts, approvals and required documentation are complete. We discuss availability early and confirm the expected start date as your project progresses.

How are selections managed?

Key selections are confirmed before pricing, so the proposal reflects the home you have actually chosen. We coordinate the selections process with your architect or interior designer, identify what must be decided and by when, and record each decision in the client portal so nothing is left to memory.

How will we communicate during the build?

Directly with Anthony and the team, supported by a private client portal that holds your messages, documents and drawings, selections and variations, progress claims, the schedule and site photos. Site meetings and walkthroughs are scheduled at the milestones that matter. Read more about the client portal.

Who supervises the site, and how involved is Anthony?

Anthony Puccini leads every project personally, from the first conversation through pricing, construction and ongoing support after handover. Day-to-day site operations are overseen by Enzo Giannone, our site supervisor, with Anthony on site regularly and working closely with Enzo throughout the build.

Can we visit the site during construction?

Yes, by arrangement, so that the visit is safe and the right people are there to walk you through progress. Between visits, the schedule and site photos in the client portal keep you informed.

Can we remain living in the home during construction?

This depends on the scale, staging and nature of the work. For substantial renovations, remaining in the home is often impractical or may compromise safety, programme and construction efficiency. We assess this during pre-construction and explain the available options before work begins.

How do you manage hidden existing conditions?

We investigate the existing home as thoroughly as reasonably possible before final pricing, although some concealed conditions can only be confirmed once work begins. Where something concealed is discovered during construction, we assess it, involve the appropriate consultant where required and explain the scope, cost and programme implications before the affected work proceeds. Read more about renovations and additions.

What happens at handover?

Completion is not a single appointment. We work through final inspections, agreed completion items, professional cleaning and the handover documentation, then walk you through the home and its systems so you know how everything works before you move in.

What support do you provide after handover?

Scheduled follow-up and warranty inspections continue after handover, with an established process for attending to any defects. The statutory warranties that apply to residential building work in South Australia apply to ours, and Anthony stays in touch long after the final invoice is paid. Read more about our approach from first conversation to handover.