W O Flatz Construction is a licensed residential building company based in Auckland, operating since 1993. This article is for Auckland homeowners deciding between builders for a renovation, extension, or new home. The questions and checks below apply to any builder you are considering.
Verify LBP licence
Every builder doing restricted residential building work in New Zealand must hold a current Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) licence. You can check any builder's licence status at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's LBP register at lbp.govt.nz. Look up the licence holder by name, confirm the licence is current, and check the licence class covers the work type you need. A builder who cannot provide an LBP number is not legally able to carry out your project.
Ask which individuals on site hold LBP licences. A company LBP registration is not enough if the licenced person never appears on your job. The person who supervises the work must hold the appropriate class of licence for the work being done.
Ask for references
Ask any builder you are considering for three references from recent projects. Recent means completed within the last two years. Call the references rather than emailing. Ask three questions: did the project finish on the agreed timeline, were the final costs within the quoted range, and would they use this builder again.
A builder who cannot provide references from recent clients, or who offers references only from projects completed several years ago, warrants further investigation. A strong residential builder completes work regularly and maintains contact with past clients.
Visit an active site
Ask to visit a site the builder is currently working on. A well-run site is tidy at the end of each working day, materials are stored under cover, and the team can tell you what they are building and why. A disorganised site, materials left exposed to weather, or workers who cannot explain the scope of work are signs of poor management.
On-site tidiness also matters for your project. Builders who maintain clean, organised sites produce better-finished work because the same habits carry through to finishing details.
How to read a quote
A builder's quote should itemise work by trade and specification. Lump sum figures with no breakdown make it impossible to compare quotes accurately or to identify where scope changes will affect cost later. Ask for a breakdown that separates labour from materials, and that lists provisional sums separately from fixed-price items.
Provisional sums are estimates for work where the scope is not yet confirmed. The most common provisional sums in residential work cover subfloor repairs, existing drainage condition, and kitchen or bathroom specifications not yet finalised. Total up the provisional sums in any quote you receive. If they make up more than 20% of the total, get more design detail before accepting the quote.
What to ask at first meeting
At a first meeting with any builder, ask four things. Who will be the site foreman on your project and how much of their time will be on your site. What is their current workload and when could your project start. How do they handle variations and what is the process for approving additional costs. What insurance do they carry and can they provide a certificate of currency.
The site foreman question is important. Some building companies win work based on the principal's track record but delegate day to day site management to staff with less experience. Know who will be present on your site each day.
Signs a builder is not right for your project
Avoid any builder who cannot provide an LBP number, who asks for a large deposit before contract, who cannot show you a recent completed project, or who is unwilling to put scope and pricing in writing before work starts.
If a quote comes in significantly below others, ask why. Builders who price below market are usually cutting margins on materials, planning to recover cost through variations, or carrying more workload than they can manage. The cheapest quote on a residential project rarely produces the cheapest outcome.
W O Flatz Construction works across Auckland on villas, new architectural homes, and extensions. If you are deciding between builders for an upcoming project, contact the team to discuss your scope and timeline.