Downright Construction Pricing FAQs

How our pricing works 

When it comes to building and renovating bespoke new home, each project is unique. Whether you are at the very beginning of your journey or part way through the planning process, we can provide you with the costings. 

We break our costing process into two separate stages, preliminary costing and detailed costing. 

Preliminary Costing

Preliminary costing is based on concept drawings only. it is an initial estimated costs, broken down into a series of different elements. 
Preliminary costing is not an offer or complete accurate analysis of cost. However, it helps you to better understand the proposed project’s probable costs and supports you to make well-informed decisions moving forward. This approach offers a high-level overview of the costs at an early stage of design while providing an overview of the cost breakdown before any more money is spent on construction drawing and/or council consents. 

Detailed Costing

Detailed costs are formulated from the construction drawings lodged for building consent. These plans entail far more detail and allow us to generate detailed costs and cost breakdowns for the purpose of fixed-price contracts or cost-plus margin contracts. 

Why do we charge for elemental and detailed costings?

Creating accurate costings takes a significant amount of time and effort. A good example of detailed costings should include not only a breakdown of the figures but a clear and detailed breakdown of what is being allowed for and what has not within each component of the build e.g labour and material costs, sub-trades, sums, on-site and off-site overheads/P&Gs, contingencies, project management, equipment and scaffold hire, and notes on manufactured elements e.g engineered elements, and the hourly rates of the builder. We use years of industry experience to provide as accurate costings as possible. Alternatively, we also offer completely independent and unbiased quantity surveyors to price your project if you would prefer. 

By investing in accurate costings at the beginning of your project, you are more likely to stay within your budget and avoid any unexpected surprises. Spending a couple of thousand upfront to get an accurate and detailed cost analysis can save you tens or even hundreds of thousands further down the track. 

Do you provide a per square meter rate? 

No, we do not provide a square meter rate for our projects. We aren’t your ‘cookie cutter home’ style builder. Each of our projects is different and providing a standard square meter price is simply not accurate in many circumstances. Costs can range significantly depending on the specifications and finishes you choose, the cladding type, site conditions such as slope and soil type, access and site location, and number of levels etc 

What are provisional and prime cost (PC) sums? 

-A provisional sum in an estimate for specific building work. It is used when there are not enough details available to provide a fixed price at the time of the costings. For example, if an item has not yet been chosen or purchased and the cost of installation is unknown. 

-A prime cost (PC) sum is an amount of money set aside for a particular product e.g a shower. This allows you to choose the product at a later date. If you decide to choose an item that is more than the estimated PC sum you will be required to pay the difference. 

What are margins and why is it essential the company you choose has the right margins? 

Margins support Downright Construction and enable us to stay in business and continuously deliver high-quality projects. They are also important as they protect you as a client. The correct margins help to ensure the builder you choose doesn’t go bust, leaving your project incomplete. 

Downright Construction puts between 10-15% markup on all subtrades and materials depending on the project size/cost. Our margin helps to ensure that we will be around for many years to come and that we will continue to build and renovate bespoke homes. 

Downright Construction charges between 8-12% on the contract price, depending on the size and location of the project, for overheads/preliminary and general. This includes both direct costs, which are tied to specific jobs, and indirect costs, which include operational costs required to run a business. 
This includes but is not limited to
*project management 
*printing and stationary 
*fixed company overheads 
*public liabilities insurances 
*vehicles expenses 
*pricing and quoting 
*phones/tablets and internet 
*payroll and administration staff and systems 
*office equipment 
*accounting 
*rubbish removal 
*deliveries 
*site cleaning 
*health and safety 
*site setup 
*advertising and marketing 
*signage 
*data processing services e.g Xero, Builda-price/Back-coster, Buildertrend 

Contacting Us

If there are any questions you may contact us.
Phone 09 4142 424 
Email info@downrightconstruction.co.nz