House & land · Builder type
Short answer
For a flat, regular lot in a new Victorian estate, a volume builder usually suits a house and land package. You choose from set plans and inclusions, so you make fewer decisions and the price is easier to fix. A custom builder usually suits a sloping, narrow, irregular or constrained block, with more design freedom but usually a higher price and longer build.
Choose by fit: your block, your budget and how many decisions you want to make.
Turnkey Building Group (TKBG), Victoria's leading builder broker, compares homes from over 35 builders of different sizes. We're paid by the builder from a share of its margin, so using us costs you nothing extra.
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A volume builder (also called a project builder) builds many homes from a range of set designs. Each design comes with a standard list of inclusions and a menu of upgrades. The plans are already drawn and priced, so the builder can quote quickly on a lot that suits the design.
Packages advertised in growth-area estates often come from volume or project builders. Their designs are made to fit standard estate lot widths, which is why the two often go together.
A custom builder builds fewer homes. It designs or heavily adapts each one for the block and your brief, often with a designer or architect. Some smaller builders sit in between, with their own range of plans and more freedom to change them.
At a glance
| Volume builder | Custom builder | |
|---|---|---|
| Best-fit block | Flat, regular estate lot that suits a standard design | Sloping, narrow, irregular or otherwise constrained block |
| Design flexibility | Choose from a range, with set options and upgrades | Designed or heavily adapted for your block and brief |
| Price certainty | Usually easier to fix early, as the designs are already priced | Usually firmed up later, after design and engineering |
| Decisions you make | Fewer, mostly from set selections | Many, from the layout down to fittings |
| Typical buying route | Advertised house and land package, display home or broker | Design brief and quote, often on a block you already own |
| What to check in the contract | Full inclusions list, site costs for your lot, upgrades priced in writing | Prime cost and provisional sum items, exact make, model and colour, design changes as written variations |
How to decide
Contract
The Consumer Affairs Victoria building contracts checklist applies to both builder types. It says:
Before you sign, check the builder is registered on the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) register. Our guide on how to check a builder covers the rest. This page is general information, not legal advice, so have a building lawyer or conveyancer review the contract.
Where TKBG fits
TKBG is a builder broker, not a builder. We compare homes from over 35 builders, including volume builders and smaller builders, and match the builder to your block and budget. You sign the building contract directly with the builder you choose.
We also help with knockdown rebuilds, where the block you already own can decide which builder type fits. Read how a builder broker works, or compare using a builder broker with going direct to a builder.
Before you sign, also check the house and land red flags in Victoria.
Questions
A volume builder, also called a project builder, builds many homes from a range of set designs with standard inclusions and upgrade options. A custom builder builds fewer homes and designs or heavily adapts each one for the block and the owner's brief. Volume builds usually involve fewer decisions, while custom builds give you more design control.
For a flat, regular lot in a new estate, a volume builder usually suits, because its designs are made for standard estate lots and are already priced. Packages advertised in growth-area estates often come from volume or project builders. A sloping, narrow or irregular lot may suit a custom or smaller builder better.
A custom build is usually more expensive, because the home is designed for one block and one buyer rather than repeated across many sites. The final price also tends to be firmed up later, after design and engineering. The difference depends on the design, the block and the inclusions, so compare written quotes for your own lot.
A custom build usually takes longer, mainly because design and engineering need to happen before work starts on site. A volume build can usually start sooner, as the plans already exist. Timeframes vary by builder, block and design, so ask each builder for its expected timeframe in writing before you sign.
Some volume builders have designs for narrow lots, and some can adapt a design for a slope, though changes and extra site work can add cost. Ask the builder whether the design suits your specific lot, and get the site costs in writing based on a soil test and survey for that lot.
Consumer Affairs Victoria says the builder must use a major domestic building contract for work worth more than $10,000. Avoid prime cost items where possible by specifying make, model, colour and style, and where possible don't agree to provisional sums. You have five business days after receiving a signed copy to withdraw without penalty. Have a building lawyer review the contract.
TKBG compares homes from over 35 builders of different sizes, including volume builders and smaller builders, and matches the builder to your block and budget. TKBG is a builder broker, not a builder, so you sign the contract directly with the builder. We're paid by the builder from a share of its margin, so using us costs you nothing extra.
Next step
Questions? Email hello@tkbg.com.au