Welcome to the Living Smart Program | Welcome to the Living Smart Program

Finding a contractor and getting quotes

With a clear brief, you’re ready to meet the people who will bring it to life.

What you must have in place

A short list of licensed contractors experienced in the type of work you need.
A pack for quoting – drawings, specifications and any allowances – so all quotes are based on the same information.

Your role vs your contractor’s

You provide the same brief to each contender and answer clarification questions. Contractors price transparently, flag exclusions and propose a realistic timeframe.

Key checks to schedule

Licence and history checks, plus recent local references.
A site walkthrough with each contractor so they can see access, drainage, storage and neighbour considerations.

Keep it on track

Ask for itemised quotes showing materials, labour, prime cost (PC) items and provisional sums (PS).
Compare programs , not just prices – start dates, duration and dependencies matter.
Clarify who manages approvals and certification before you choose.

Local lens: Sunshine Coast

Seek contractors familiar with coastal conditions and hinterland bushfire resilience.
Ask for examples of recent projects in similar suburbs or terrain – Caloundra South estates aren’t the same as Mapleton escarpments.

Red flags & where to get help

Quotes that are vague, unusually low, or light on inclusions usually lead to variations later. If you can’t reconcile differences between quotes, bring your designer or an independent quantity surveyor into the conversation.