Building Guides
Volume builders vs small builders in Melbourne
How the big home builders and the small ones differ, and how to pick.
Volume builders in Melbourne build large numbers of homes from a set range of designs; small builders like Oakview Homes build fewer homes, with more say over the design and direct contact with the people building it. Both must be registered, insured and paid in stages.
What is a volume builder?
A company that builds many homes a year across Melbourne, usually from a range of designs with set inclusion levels, often shown in display homes. The process is standardised, which keeps it predictable; the trade-off is less room to change the design.
What is a small builder?
A builder that takes on fewer homes at a time and works more closely with each client. Oakview Homes has around six homes under way across Melbourne’s south-east, from our base in Lyndhurst.
What stays the same either way?
- The builder must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission.
- Domestic building insurance for work over $16,000.
- A domestic building contract and stage payments under Victorian law.
- The same five stages: base, frame, lock-up, fixing and completion.
Which suits you?
- A design straight from a range, on a standard estate lot: a volume builder can suit.
- Changes to a design, or a custom home: a smaller builder usually has more room to move.
- A knockdown rebuild on an older block, where every site is different: ask how often the builder does them.
- Knowing exactly who is running your build: ask who your contact will be at each stage.
How do you compare them fairly?
Use the same checks for every builder: see what to check before you sign, and compare quotes line by line with our guide to build costs.
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