Questions
What you need to know before you ring.
- 01 Do you give fixed prices?
- Yes, for everything except open-ended maintenance work. The quote is itemised by trade and by stage, and any variation is priced and signed before the work happens rather than appearing on the final invoice.
- 02 How long does a consent take in Christchurch?
- The council has twenty working days statutory, but the clock stops when they ask a question. In practice a straightforward house consent runs six to ten weeks from lodging, and we lodge it for you.
- 03 Can we stay in the house during a renovation?
- Usually. We seal the working area and keep a bathroom and the kitchen live wherever the design allows. You get a written programme showing which weeks will be disruptive so you can plan around them.
- 04 Do I need a consent for a deck?
- Not if it is under a metre above the ground and within the exempted size, but the rules have conditions in them. Ring us before you order timber and we will tell you which side of the line yours falls on.
- 05 Who does the waterproofing in a bathroom?
- A licensed applicator, and we photograph every stage of the membrane. You get the producer statement and the warranty in the handover pack, which is what a buyer's lawyer will ask for if you sell.
- 06 What guarantee comes with the work?
- New builds and major renovations get the Master Builders 10 Year Guarantee, registered before we start. Everything else carries the statutory implied warranties, plus our own twelve month defects period.
- 07 Do you work outside Christchurch?
- We work across Christchurch, Selwyn and Banks Peninsula. We have built in Rolleston, Lincoln, Prebbleton, Diamond Harbour and Akaroa, and we will travel further for a job worth the drive.
- 08 How far out are you booked?
- New builds are usually booking four to six months ahead and renovations six to ten weeks. Maintenance we can normally get to inside a week because we keep two carpenters on it.