Find a trusted builder in Perth

What shapes a building job in Perth

The standard Perth house is double brick on a concrete slab, so most extensions get quoted in brick to match. Finding a brick that blends with a 1970s or 1980s home can take some hunting, and some owners go for a rendered finish or a lightweight framed addition instead. A second storey on a brick home needs an engineer to confirm the existing walls and footings can carry the extra load.

The ground matters as well. Much of the coastal plain is sand, which is kind to slab footings, while parts of the eastern suburbs and the hills sit on clay or rock that needs more engineering. A soil test and site classification set the footing design, so get one done early. Blocks in the hills and on the urban fringe may also fall inside a bush fire prone area on the state map, which means a BAL assessment and building materials to suit.

Subdivision shapes the work too. Many older quarter-acre blocks in established suburbs have been split, leaving battle-axe lots with tight access for trucks, concrete pumps and cranes. A builder will want to see the access before pricing.

Registration, insurance and deposits in WA

In Perth, building work that needs a building permit and is worth $20,000 or more must be done by a registered building contractor. Look for a BC number and check it on the free WA Online Licence Search. Your local council issues the building permit.

On residential work over $20,000 that needs a permit, the builder must also take out home indemnity insurance in your name and hand you the certificate before taking any money. It covers you if the builder dies, disappears or goes broke mid-job. For most fixed-price home building contracts, the Home Building Contracts Act caps the deposit at 6.5 per cent of the contract price. Our WA licence checks page has the details on each of these.

What building costs in Perth

Builders price most work by the project rather than the hour. As a 2026 guide, a new home costs around $1,800 to $4,000 per square metre to build, with project homes on flat lots toward the lower end. A single-storey extension usually runs $2,500 to $4,500 per square metre, and a second storey $3,500 to $6,000. A two-bedroom granny flat of about 60 square metres typically lands between $130,000 and $230,000 before site works and connections.

For renovations, a mid-range bathroom is often $15,000 to $35,000, a kitchen $20,000 to $45,000, and removing a load-bearing wall $5,000 to $15,000. Small jobs and variations are charged at roughly $85 to $150 an hour. Read the builder price guide for the full table.

Picking one Perth builder

Big projects deserve a careful match. Tell us what you’re planning, your suburb and roughly when you’d like to start, and we’ll match you with one registered local builder whose BC registration, insurance and reviews we’ve checked. One builder to meet on site, not a stack of brochures.

See builders across Australia, other Perth tradies, or get a free quote.