Design, documentation & manufacturing

Before we get started we offer a complimentary one hour consultation either in person at our office or via the phone or Zoom (depending on your location). This meeting will allow you to get to know us and establish a broad design brief for your project. With this briefing information we can then provide costing, timing and design advice for your particular needs on your proposed site.

Fairweather Homes has a four step design & delivery process which will take you efficiently through to the completion of your new home with our approach to modular prefab construction. Once you are ready to proceed, our four-step process will commence.

Step 1:

Design, presentation & cost estimate

Step 1A:

  • Sign agreement to prepare Sketch Design & pay deposit
  • Confirm the design brief and other requirements
  • Discuss timing and budget

Step 1B:

  • Meet on site to discuss building siting*
  • Gather all information required to proceed with concept sketch plan
  • Prepare concept sketch plan based on design brief information

Step 1C:

  • Receive feedback on concept design
  • Present final sketch plan, elevations and cost estimate

Step 1D**

  • Presentation of town planning permit or report and consent documents if required
  • Assist with lodgement of planning permit documents if required

Step 2:

Documents for building permit & construction

Step 2A:

  • Sign agreement to prepare Documents & pay deposit
  • Selection of finishes & equipment for inclusion in detailed building plans
  • Collation of site and authorities information documents
  • Geotechnical investigation, structural certification, energy report
  • Preparation of documents for building permit
  • Preparation of documents for construction & finalise costings

Step 2B:

  • Review and finalise construction documents
  • Submit for authorities permissions

Step 3:

Purchase agreement

  • Sign purchase agreement & pay purchase agreement deposit
  • Coordinate documentation of all components to be manufactured & complete take off of all items to be provided

Step 4:

Manufacture & delivery

  • Coordinate the manufacture and delivery to the site of all supply items
  • Make final payment
  • A registered builder (or approved owner builder) will need to be engaged by the owner and a building permit obtained to commence construction

Cost information

Each project is unique and will therefore be costed differently.

Completed building costs start at around $3,100 per square metre plus GST for an average 3 bedroom home on a flat site (updated January 2022).

Please note that 2020 to 2022 has seen escalations in the cost of building materials and supply shortages resulting in average 10% to 30% increase in the cost to build. These increases may continue so we are not able to make any confident long term projections of building cost at this time.

Final build cost will vary depending on type of building, finishes, complexity, site conditions, level of finish & detail, location & inclusions.

We supply

We supply components, materials, services and optional extras.

Manufacturing:

  • Walls: Timber structural wall frames, insulation, membrane, bracing, external wall sheet cladding, flashings, sealants & fixings
  • Windows & doors: Timber framed windows & external doors, flyscreens, locks, trims, flashings, seals & fixings
  • Roof: Timber roof framing, bracing, timber roof battens, exposed internal timber linings, verandah posts, verandah beams, eaves linings, membrane, ceiling insulation, metal roofing, capping & flashings, rainwater goods, brackets, sealants & fixings

Documents:

  • Sketch plan drawings
  • Town planning drawings**
  • Architectural construction drawings and specifications
  • Construction manual & kit components drawings
  • Documents for building permit & structural certification

Services:

  • Site visit & building siting*
  • Architectural sketch design
  • Sustainability advisory service
  • Energy & water consultancy
  • Colour & materials selection
  • Architectural detailing & documentation
  • Technical advice during construction
  • Consultant coordination

Optional off-site extras:

  • Floor: Timber subfloor, structural floor lining, insulation, brackets & fixings
  • External: Timber subfloor, decking, pergola timbers, battens, brackets & fixings
  • Services: Domestic electric or gas hot water service or solar hot water service
  • Electrical: Appliances & fittings
  • Plumbing: Appliances & fittings
  • Joinery: Kitchen, laundry, wardrobes
  • Fitoff: Internal doors, trims, linings

Fine print:

* consulting site visits are charged at cost for distances greater than 50km from Melbourne CBD (negotiable)

** not all projects need planning approval however for those that do we seek additional fees to manage the town planning process

^ there may be additional costs associated with this item

^^ fitout & electrical & plumbing items are not part of the standard supply however these can be supplied as optional extra packages as part of the manufacturing process

Standard inclusions subject to change

Range of building types

Clients are able to select from a range of  design series as the starting point for their new design. The Design, Metro, Micro, Core & Export Series focus on providing different types of building solutions for a wide variety of local and international situations.

Please enquire to find out which series is most suitable for you.

Design

The  Design Series is the most popular series for customised family homes is the Design Series as it provides the most flexibility and adaptability. All of the features of the Fairweather Homes design system can be incorporated to provide housing solutions with unlimited single and multi-storey configurations.

Metro

The Metro Series provides an economical pre-fabricated solution for compact metropolitan sites with a focus on energy efficiency. Our range of designs provide an adaptable and affordable contemporary design for residential subdivisions, open plan living dining and kitchen with small home office studio or to build a compact two-storey residence.

Micro

The Micro Series is the heart of the Fairweather Homes design system. This compact and expandable self-contained unit is suitable for small and repetitive applications such as granny flats, holiday units, multiple serviced accommodation, the resources sector and resorts.

Core

The Core Series (formerly Freedom Series) is a single-storey home with the opportunity to expand and contract the house size around a centralised core zone of kitchen and bathrooms. This series is suitable for single or multiple housing, including applications such as institutional, government and mining settlement housing.

Export

The Export Series refers to our capacity to deliver to all areas outside Australia, particularly New Zealand, South East Asia and the Pacific regions.