Questions worth answering upfront.
Every project is different, but these come up often. If yours isn't covered here, just get in touch.
What areas do you service?
Egan Building Co. is based in Scone, in the Upper Hunter, and services the Hunter New England region, including Maitland, Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. Our focus includes Scone, Muswellbrook, Singleton, Maitland, Lorn, Rutherford and surrounding communities. For the right project, we're happy to discuss work outside these areas.
Are you a design and construct builder?
Yes. As a specialised design and construct builder, we can look after design, planning and approvals as well as construction — so there's one point of contact for the whole project. If you already have an architect or building designer you'd like to keep working with, we're just as comfortable collaborating with your existing team.
What type of building work do you specialise in?
We take on kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovations for any home, and larger home renovations, extensions and additions more broadly — these keep us busy day to day. Where we're most actively looking to take on new work is larger renovations and extensions to period and character homes, which is where our particular expertise really shows.
Do you work on older and Federation-style homes?
Yes. Renovating and extending established homes is a key part of what we do. We take particular care with additions to character and Federation-style homes, where proportions, materials, rooflines and architectural details need to complement the original house rather than look like an afterthought.
How do you extend a character home without it looking added on?
It comes down to how the new work meets the old — matching or deliberately contrasting rooflines, materials and proportions, and detailing the junction between existing and new construction with real care. Sometimes the right answer is a sympathetic addition that looks like it's always belonged; sometimes it's a considered contemporary addition that sits alongside the original rather than imitating it. Either way, it's a deliberate decision, not a default. See how we approach this on our character homes page.
Can you help if we haven't had plans drawn yet?
Yes. You don't need completed plans before contacting us. We can discuss your ideas, proposed scope and budget and help establish the most appropriate pathway for design, approvals, engineering and construction.
What if we already have an architect or building designer?
That's completely fine. We're happy to work with your existing architect, building designer, engineer and other consultants. If your project is already documented, we can review the available information and discuss the next steps towards pricing and construction.
Do you provide free quotes?
Rather than providing free quotes based on limited information, we use a structured consultation and pre-construction process. This allows us to properly understand the project, review the documentation and provide useful advice before investing significant time into detailed pricing.
What happens at the site consultation?
The site consultation is a dedicated, in-person appointment — not a quick sales visit. We use the time to properly review your project, discuss feasibility, identify potential issues and talk through your priorities and budget, so you get real value from it either way.
Why do you ask about our budget?
Understanding your budget early helps determine whether the proposed scope and expectations are realistic. Building costs can vary significantly depending on the existing property, level of finish, site access, structural requirements and complexity. An early budget discussion can prevent considerable time and money being spent designing a project that ultimately isn't financially achievable.
Can you give us an approximate cost before we proceed with design?
Where there is enough information available, we can discuss indicative cost ranges based on comparable projects and the proposed scope. These aren't quotations, but they can be valuable when determining whether to proceed to the next stage.
Do you offer a pre-construction service?
Yes. For suitable projects, we can undertake a structured pre-construction process before entering into the building contract. Depending on the project, this can include reviewing documentation, developing the scope, obtaining subcontractor and supplier pricing, identifying construction considerations and preparing detailed project pricing.
Can you provide a fixed-price building contract?
Where the design, engineering, selections and scope have been sufficiently developed, our pre-construction process is designed to put us in a position to offer a clearly defined building contract. Some items involving genuinely unknown existing conditions may still need to be treated separately.
How do you handle variations?
We aim to minimise unnecessary variations by resolving as much as possible before construction begins. Where the client requests a change or an unforeseen condition requires additional work, the variation is documented and communicated before proceeding wherever practicable.
Can we live in our home during a renovation?
Sometimes. It depends on the size and nature of the project. For substantial renovations and extensions, moving out for part or all of the construction period can often make the project safer, faster and less disruptive. We can discuss this during the planning stage.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Egan Building Co. operates in accordance with NSW residential building requirements, including applicable licensing, insurance and statutory requirements.
How far in advance should we contact you?
For larger renovations, extensions and custom homes, contacting us early is worthwhile. Design, approvals, engineering, selections, pricing and pre-construction can take several months before building work actually begins.
How do we get started?
Contact us through our Project Information Form with some basic information about your property, what you're considering, your approximate budget and where you are in the design process. We'll review the information and let you know whether the project looks like a suitable fit and what we recommend as the next step.
Still have a question?
Every project is different. If you're considering renovating, extending or building, get in touch and tell us a little about your project — we'll let you know the best way to move forward.