7 Types of Consultants in the Building Industry

If you’re planning on building and designing a home from the ground up, then you’re gonna need some help along the way. Throughout this process, you’ll work with a number of different consultants who will be by your side to make sure everything goes to plan and your project is succinct and successful.

While your building designer and builder go without saying, there are many other consultants you’ll need assistance from at some point or another. But who are these consultants and what do they do? Below, we’ll explore some of the most in-demand consultants in the building industry and what services they provide. Let’s get started.

Broker or Lender

To secure the financing for your home, you’ll have to work with either a broker or a lender. A lender is a financial institution, such as a bank, that approves and finances mortgages. A mortgage broker can be hired to work as an intermediary between you and your lender, acting on your behalf and using their expertise to secure you the best financing possible for your situation. They will provide you with pre-approval to get an understanding of your borrowing capacity and then guide you through every step of the application process.

Real Estate Agent and Buyers Agent

Unless you’re doing a knockdown rebuild, you’ll have to work with real estate agents and buyers agents to help find you the land you need to build your new home. A real estate agent will represent the seller of a home and can help provide you with the information you need about the land and liaise with their client for you. Additionally, you also have the option of hiring a buyer’s agent to act on your behalf and source potential land for you, deal with real estate agents, negotiate prices and much more.

Geotech Engineer

A geotech engineer’s expertise is in land, and they’ll be able to test the soil of a property and provide a detailed report on its conditions. This report will provide you with important information regarding how deep the foundations could be, what type of footing will be required and any issues that the land may have.

Land surveyor and Feature Surveyor

Land surveyors assess, map out and measure your land, helping to legally define the dimensions and boundaries of your property. This is essential in preventing potential future issues down the track regarding the limits of your property and is especially important if your land is near or on a boundary.

On the other hand, feature surveyors are your go-to expert on topography, or the levels of your land. Their work will determine any natural and man-made features of your land, such as trees, driveways and existing buildings. This is then used to help design your home in accordance with the land and secure planning and building approval.

Planning Consultant

If your planning permit requires planning advice and feasibility reports, a planning consultant can be hired to advocate for your building’s requirements and ensure its success. While they’re not needed for all projects, if your project is on the more complicated side then they will be able to use their knowledge of local government to help you avoid unnecessary obstacles and get the approval you need to break ground. In many cases, your building designer will be able to act as your planning consultant.

Structural Engineer

A structural engineer plays a pivotal role in your home design, designing and documenting all the structural components of your property, such as:

• Wall, floor and roof framing
• Suspended floor systems
• Sewer and water systems
• Footings, foundations and concrete slabs
• Structural columns and beams

It’s their responsibility to ensure that your home is structurally safe and meets all relevant Australian standards, so having a qualified structural engineer is of the utmost importance.

Interior Designer

Your interior designer is responsible for adding the finishing touches to your home, such as the fixtures, lighting, joinery, and more. They can also add colour schemes and design features to the exterior of your home and overall will make the design process much easier and smoother.