The vetting checklist that applies to every Adelaide specialist

This is the same vetting method BuildPilot applies to every Adelaide builder we consider for our shortlist network. The first four checks below are specialist-specific; the rest are the core CBS SA + BII + ASIC checks that apply to every domestic builder working in South Australia.

• Ask when they typically engage - some custom builders join at concept sketch, others tender only on complete Contract Documentation drawings
• Ask for their prime-cost (PC) and provisional-sum (PS) allowance policy - PC/PS variances are the number-one source of Adelaide custom-build overspend
• Ask for three completed custom homes handed over in the last 24 months with the client's permission to inspect
• Ask which Adelaide architects and building designers they have completed multiple builds with - relationship builders resolve documentation ambiguity faster
• Verify current CBS SA Builders Licence (BLD number) on the public register at cbs.sa.gov.au/services/find-licensee
• Verify no active or recent disciplinary decisions on the CBS SA register
• Confirm Building Indemnity Insurance (BII) will be issued through QBE (SA sole insurer) for your contract price (all residential work over $12,000)
• Search the ABN on abr.business.gov.au - name, GST status, date of registration
• Confirm the entity is not under external administration on the ASIC register

The two SA custom-build contract models

SA custom builds run under either a fixed-price HIA/MBA template with a robust PC/PS schedule, or cost-plus with a not-to-exceed cap. Fixed-price is the default and fits 90% of custom briefs. Cost-plus is legitimate only for briefs with genuine unknowns (heritage restoration, complex ground conditions, difficult access) and requires a written management-fee arrangement declared upfront.

The four red flags that end the conversation

These four signals correlate strongly with builders who have failed or entered administration in South Australia in the last three years. Any of them means walk away.

• Requested deposit exceeds 5% of contract value on contracts over $12,000 (SA statutory cap under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995)
• Vague or evasive answer on BII eligibility for your specific contract price (QBE is the sole SA insurer - either the builder qualifies or they do not)
• Refusal to name their independent building certifier or to let you speak to them separately
• Aggressive time-limited discount contingent on paying deposit before you have read the contract