Small jobs such as painting and small repair jobs can be completed by yourself, but when it comes to major renovations, using a licenced builder is essential. Don’t take any risks with electrical, plumbing or building construction work. Licensed tradespeople are required to hold current licenses for a good reason.
You want a team that is appropriately trained and aware of any changes to Building Codes and Standards. Using unlicensed trades can lead to poor quality workmanship, which means spending more money and time fixing issues. Worse, you could be putting yourself and your family in potential danger if work is not completed to current standards or with a lack of regard for safety.
Dangers Involved in Home Renovations
Licenced builders have the experience and expertise to manage the various dangers involved in renovating a home, including:
Dangerous materials – Renovating homes (especially those built prior 1990) can involve removing dangerous materials like asbestos, lead and crystalline silica. Safely doing so requires professional safety equipment and specialised knowledge.
Electrical hazards – Mishandling electricity during renovations can result in injury or death. Qualified builders know how to work around power lines and wiring to ensure everyone’s safety.
Falls and other injuries – Qualified builders have the right tools and work practices to avoid injury from falling, moving large objects or from repetitive movements.
When is a Home Building Licence Required?
All structural home building work needs to be carried out by a licensed carpenter or builder. Carpenters can complete carpentry work up to a total value of $20,000 (including labour and materials) without the need to provide home warranty insurance. You’ll need a licenced builder for large projects such as home extensions and substantial renovations.
Home handymen do not require a home building licence if the work is not structural and if the total value of the materials and labour combined is $5,000 or less. Always check with your local council and talk to your builder to determine if Council Development Approval is required prior to any work taking place.
Insurance
Qualified builders are obligated to hold appropriate insurance to protect everyone in the event of an injury or damage to your home. Examples include:
- Builders warranty insurance
- Personal/professional indemnity insurance
- Home Building Compensation (HBC) cover
- Public liability insurance
This means you can enjoy peace of mind that your renovation works are covered if there is a mishap during the construction process or there is an issue due to a defect later down the track.
Quality Home Renovators in Sydney
Get in touch with the leading designers and builders at Extend a Home for expert renovations in Sydney. Our team specialises in ground floor extensions and first floor home additions, with over 80 years of combined experience bringing functional and beautiful home renovation ideas to life. You can count on us to execute your vision for your home.
Call us today on 02 9736 3344 or contact us online for a free consultation.
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What Our Clients Say
Project: When the house was renovated by Extend a Home, I felt as if we’d doubled our house size.I just felt this was realy the home the would set us up for the next 10 years. The way they designed and built into it, it felt a lot larger, like we got a lot more bang for the buck than we expected we would
Trent & Emma
Project: I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven in this house.I walk in, and it’s a sense of peace ’cause the openness and the light. It’s like people rent a place like this for their summer holidays and I feel like I’m here.
Deidre
Project:
I felt like my dream had come true. This is a house that we can leave our sons with confidence so it was an investment as much as it was a lifestyle change. With renovating and extending,we’ve got more storage, especially the study and the library. As a handyman myself, I was looking for attention to detail.in the work they did, the quality of the work, so nothing is too hard and it sort of just ran smoothly
Steve & Jane
Project:
When the house was fully renovated, I felt like it was somewhere that I wanted to stay for the rest of my life it really is a friendly home to be proud of, My experience working with Extend a Home was far more pleasant than I ever thought it could be
Michele & Glen
Project: When the house was newly renovated by Extend a Home, we fet so happy, we finally got the property that we’d actually envisaged in our minds and that we always wanted. Its delivered everything that we expected and more
Richard McPartlin
Project: When Extend A Home extended our home I felt that everything was under control while they are managing the project they know what they are doing and I feel that I’m safe in their hands.We needed the space for our relatives that come over and would like to live in this place a bit longer
