Process

Our process

The same clear process for every project — granny flat, renovation, or plans and permits alone.

 

Design and approval, nothing else

Client brief

We sit down with you to understand your budget, style, and what you're trying to achieve — and use that to establish the brief for everything that follows.

Design selection

For Oak Tree Dwellings, this is where our own range of designs comes in — choose from the range, or we develop something custom if your block calls for it. For Construction and Consulting, we source and brief the right architect or draftsperson for your project, and stay involved to make sure the design meets both your expectations and ours.

Town planning

Where a planning permit is required, we arrange a planning consultant — and a heritage advisor for heritage-sensitive renovations — to prepare and submit your application to council.

Working drawings

All consultants engaged, design finalised, and full documentation prepared and ready for your building permit application.

Built for independence

Documentation complete

All documentation finalised and ready for building surveyor sign-off.

Building permit application

We apply for your building permit on your behalf. Consulting clients finish here — no construction management is included. The remaining steps apply to Dwellings and Construction.

Builder selection

We hand-select and negotiate a small shortlist of builders for your project, weighing quality, cost, and time. If you've chosen the Plans and Permits Only path for a Dwellings project, you bring your own builder instead and this step doesn't apply.

Construction period

Once your builder is engaged and induction to site is complete, we attend regular site meetings on your behalf to keep the build organised, on track, and within budget — tracking cost, variations, and progress until handover.

What you'll need

Documentation, at a glance

Exactly what’s required depends on your project and council, but most builds and renovations touch on some combination of the following. We coordinate all of it — this is just so you know what’s involved.

Working drawings

  • Architectural plans
  • Engineer — structural design and compliance certificate
  • Engineer — drainage / civil design

Interior design

  • Interior plans and finishes schedule
  • Document register

Consultants

  • Energy report and endorsed drawings
  • Geotech report (soil testing)
  • Legal point of discharge
  • Plumbing PIC application

Forms and permits

  • Building permit application
  • Copy of title
  • Town planning permit (where required)
  • Relevant council property information

Builders

The right trade for the job

This is where Nicole’s 20+ years in the building industry counts most — introducing you to the right builder for your project, not just whoever’s available.

 

We look at their current projects for quality and attention to detail, check current references, confirm they’ve genuinely got the capacity to take on your build, and assess site organisation — a good insight into how organised a builder’s supervisors really are.

Choosing a builder yourself? Ask what projects they’re currently working on, do a drive-by of those addresses, and ask the builder for the owners’ contact details so you can call for a reference yourself — that way you’re choosing who gives you feedback, not just hearing what the builder wants you to hear.
 

Let's start with a conversation

Tell us what you’re building, and we’ll walk you through what happens next for your specific project.

Get in touch