Insurance
- Owner-builder construction insurance (mandatory in Queensland over a value threshold)
- Public liability for site access during the build window
- Home and contents updated to reflect mid-build property value
- Confirm subcontractor public liability and workers comp in writing
Contingency
Budget 15-20% above your total estimate. Hold it. Don't spend it early. See where renovation budgets blow out.
Hold-points and certifier sign-offs
Mandatory certifier inspections at slab, frame, pre-line and final. Each is a legal hold-point. Don't proceed without sign-off, even if a trade is pressing. The risk of rectification cost is far higher than a week's delay.
Exit ramps
Plan for the scenario where life intervenes and the project pauses. What does it cost to make the site safe and weatherproof, dismiss trades, and freeze for three months? Knowing this number gives you the option without making it a crisis.
Documentation that protects you
- Written quotes with scope and exclusions
- Variation register (signed by trade and you)
- Hold-point sign-offs from the certifier
- Photographs at each stage transition
- Email trail rather than verbal agreements
