Timeline by stage

Signed contract to slab pour: 12-20 weeks (PlanSA approval 4-8 weeks, engineering + working drawings 3-5 weeks, colour selections 2-4 weeks, tender + site prep 3 weeks). Slab to lock-up: 10-14 weeks. Lock-up to fixings: 8-12 weeks. Fixings to handover: 6-10 weeks (including PCI, defects, Certificate of Occupancy). Total: 34-56 weeks for a straightforward metro build.

What adds time

Custom design (add 6-12 weeks in design phase), sloping site or hills location (add 4-8 weeks for engineering + retaining), heritage or character overlay in Prospect, Burnside, Norwood Payneham & St Peters (add 4-12 weeks for streetscape assessment), bushfire assessment in the foothills (add 2-4 weeks), and public notification if triggered (add 3-6 weeks).

Volume vs custom builder timelines

Volume/project builders (Fairmont, Metricon, Simonds) typically hit 32-44 weeks slab-to-handover because they run standardised trades on rolling schedules. Custom builders run 44-70 weeks because bespoke design, one-off engineering and material lead times slow the flow. Neither is "better" - it's a speed-vs-flexibility trade-off.

The stages that stall (and how to head them off)

Colour selections dragging past 4 weeks stalls working drawings. Council RFIs on character overlay lots stall approval. Owner-driven design changes after slab trigger variations + delays. Get selections done inside a fixed window, engage a designer with recent council-specific approvals, and lock the design before slab.

Frequently asked