Pre-sign due diligence
Contracts and fixed prices
How to read a residential building contract before you sign, including payment terms, exclusions, and dispute mechanisms.
What to think about with contracts
Contract review is the highest-leverage moment in a build. Independent advice before signing is inexpensive relative to the total build cost and materially reduces downstream dispute risk.
Checks to run
- Get legal advice before signing a high-value building contract.
- Check payment milestones, variation clauses, and termination terms.
- Confirm whether the quote, plans, and specifications line up.
Questions to ask before signing
- Is this a fixed-price, cost-plus, or hybrid contract?
- What is included, and what is priced as an allowance or PC sum?
- What is the dispute-resolution process and who bears which risks?