FAQ

With a full contract you only make payments to one company, with payments made either fortnightly or at set milestones. When you receive your contract from Cain Built Ltd., we’ll provide you with both a payment and a project schedule, which will give you an overview of what to expect with your build, and how much the initial amount of the build will cost.

• Cost Plus Margin
A cost plus margin contract includes the price of all materials plus the builder’s margin. Although this type of contract does not offer a fixed price, it allows you to take advantage of builder’s discounts on materials and trades, as well as giving you the flexibility to make changes as the project progresses. Under cost plus margin, the building company will also organise everything from contractors through to the final inspection.

A fixed price quote can give more certainty at the outset of your build and works really well with new builds. However, it’s important to note that these contracts can include exceptions and certain ‘tagged’ items in your build (common in renovations, but can arise in new builds as well) where a price cannot be confirmed until work begins, as often there are elements of the build that can’t be seen or are unknown prior – such as; variations to initial plans, issues found once work has begun (e.g. rotten timber, asbestos, design oversights).

As both types of contracts come with their advantages and disadvantages, it’s important to understand these differences before you sign so you can decide which best suits your project, budget and preferences and to avoid any surprises down the track. At Cain Built Ltd. we’ll recommend which style of contract we believe will work best for you, answer any questions you may have and give you ample time to consider everything before making your decision.

For more detailed information on the differences between fixed price and cost plus margin contracts, read our blog article here.

Yes, you absolutely do. At Cain Built Ltd. we provide Contract Works Insurance for new homes ensuring you can sleep easy. For renovations, insurance must be added to your existing homeowner insurance policy. In this case we provide Public Liability Insurance as we are unable to insure the renovation if we don’t own the house. In addition to this, we also provide you with a 10 Year Residential Guarantee, either via our membership with the Registered Master Builders Association or the New Zealand Certified Builders Association, to ensure that you’re covered on all fronts and receive only the best quality.

Yes, in most cases you can. However, each job is different. We’ve come up with some creative ways of ensuring you can live in your home for the majority of the project, if not for the entire duration. We take into consideration your budget and realise there are times when you can’t be expected to live in a rental or Airbnb for the duration of your build, when money is tight. Hence, we assess every case individually, with serious consideration given to safety and feasibility and only then deliver a verdict as to whether you can live on-site or not.

It’s always important to find out how much you’ll be charged for variations and extras before you sign any contract. Many companies use this area to make a lot of money by keeping it hidden or obscure.

But don’t worry, our experienced project manager will be there to inform you and deal with any hiccups, should they arise, to ensure the project continues to run smoothly. We’ll talk you through alternatives to find a solution you’re happy with, keeping things as stress-free as possible. However, we do advise that you have a contingency amount in your budget, especially when renovating, to cover any unforeseen variations that may arise. More detail on possible unforeseen variations can be found here.

At Cain Built Ltd. we always provide open and transparent pricing for variations which will be found in your quote, so you can be assured that your build is in the right building company’s hands. These documents are crucial, as they give you a better understanding of the allocation of costs and how they apply to any variations to your build, which will assist you in keeping within your proposed budget.

Providing you with a project schedule highlighting time frames, you’ll be able to see the start and finish dates of your build. We’ll also give you an in-depth quote which outlines the cost of every detail in your project, and includes any variations that might arise down the track.

Most people don’t have a background in the construction industry, so they don’t know where to start or who to contact. A lot of building companies won’t be prepared to take on your project until the plans are drawn and approved by council also.

However, at Cain Built Ltd. we strongly believe that involving us earlier in the project allows us the opportunity to advise you in order to deliver the best results possible. We’ll work together with the architects or designers so we can offer practical suggestions, to make your build easier, faster and cheaper. If you don’t have an architect, we can recommend one of the excellent architect’s in our network.

When you involve us from the start, this enables us to plan and organise everything we need in advance, and gives us the chance to address any variations that might arise with your build, so that you have ample time to make decisions.