For residential builders

Concept budgets clients actually understand

Present renovation, extension and custom-home budgets as an honest range, with the assumptions, allowances and exclusions behind the number. Win the right clients before you spend days estimating.

Low · likely · high ranges Prime cost & provisional sums Your own rates
Concept budget Confidence · Medium

Coastal House, Stage 2

Bilgola Plateau, NSW · 124m² renovation + extension

Low$232,400
Most likely$248,400
High$271,800
$220k$280k
Main driver
Lock-up & fit-out finish level
Key exclusion
Pool & landscaping (separate)
Prime cost
Kitchen & joinery · $38,000
Contingency
Included · 7.5%
Send to client → priced · NSW rates · Jun 2026
Range, not a guess
assumptions shown

Where trust breaks

One number is a promise you can't keep.

Early-stage clients fixate on a single figure in a spreadsheet, then hold you to it months later, long after the scope has moved. The fix isn't a better number. It's showing the thinking behind it.

Before: a cell in a spreadsheet

B
12
$248,400
13

No range. No assumptions. No exclusions. Just a number they'll remember.

After: an explained range

Coastal House concept budget

$232,400$271,800
  • INCLStructure, lock-up, standard fit-out & site establishment
  • EXCLPool, landscaping & external works, quoted separately
  • ASSUMESLevel site access · existing services adequate · medium finish

Concept budget builder

Build the range in minutes, on your rates.

Set the project type, area, finish level and complexity. Proposr prices it against a built-in rate library, or your own accepted quotes, and returns a defensible low / likely / high range you can stand behind.

  • Project type, floor area, finish level and renovation complexity
  • Wet areas, kitchen and joinery allowances priced in
  • A confidence rating that reflects how developed the scope is
  • Carry the same document from concept budget to fixed-price contract
Budget inputsLikely · $248,400
DriverSettingEffect
Project typeReno + extensionbase
Floor area124 m²$1,520/m²
Finish level drives rangeMedium±9%
Site complexitySloping+$14,200
Contingency7.5%+$17,300
Most likely budget$248,400

Reusable allowance blocks

Speak in PC sums and provisional sums.

Drop in the allowances every residential job needs, already labelled the way clients and contracts expect. Save your standard figures once and reuse them across every budget.

Kitchen & joineryPC
$38,000Cabinetry, benchtops, appliances allowance
Bathrooms ×2PC
$24,000Tiling, tapware, sanitaryware
Floor finishesALLOW
$14,500Engineered timber & tile to wet areas
Landscaping & externalPS
$32,000Decking, paths, fencing, provisional
Services upgradePS
$11,800Switchboard, stormwater, sewer
Design contingencyALLOW
7.5%Held against scope development
PC, prime cost PS, provisional sum ALLOW, allowance

Scenario comparison

Give them options, not an ultimatum.

Present standard, premium and staged paths side by side. Clients self-select toward a budget that works, and the conversation turns to scope instead of price.

Recommended

Standard

The brief as drawn, medium finish throughout.

$248,400 most likely · incl. GST
  • Medium-grade fit-out and joinery
  • Standard glazing and tapware
  • Single build stage
Recommended

Premium

Upgraded finishes where they show most.

$311,900 most likely · incl. GST
  • Stone benchtops & custom joinery
  • Upgraded glazing and external cladding
  • Landscaping brought into scope
Recommended

Staged

Core build now, fit-out in a second phase.

$258,200 across 2 stages · incl. GST
  • Stage 1: structure & lock-up
  • Stage 2: fit-out & external
  • Spreads cashflow over the year

Paid preconstruction

Get paid for the work before the build.

Turn the early budgeting, selections and coordination into a paid preliminary proposal. Qualify the client, cover your time, and lock in the relationship before a contract is signed.

01 Design review
02 Site investigation
03 Consultant coordination
04 Detailed estimate
05 Construction programme
06 Selections support
07 Procurement advice
08 Contract preparation

Qualify better clients before you spend days estimating.

Start with a concept budget that explains itself. Bring your rates, your allowances and your brand; Proposr does the rest.