Budget Like a Pro: Realistic Cost Planning for Perth Custom Homes

When you’re about to pour six—or seven—figures into a custom home in Perth, the last thing you need is a budget that unravels halfway through the build. Yet we see it all the time: gorgeous concept drawings, enthusiastic client and a cost plan that’s little more than guesswork.

At Tenfold Homes, our fixed-price model is built to protect families from nasty surprises. Below, we break down the five essentials for setting (and keeping) a realistic building budget in WA—and explain how our process locks every dollar in place before a single footing is poured.

1️⃣ Nail Your True Budget Early

Most people start with a round number—then discover it doesn’t include fees, finishes or siteworks. Before design begins:

• Secure finance approval so you know your upper limit.
• Add a contingency buffer (we recommend 5–10 %) for genuine unknowns.
• List your must-haves vs. nice-to-haves to guide decisions later.
• Separate land costs, furnishings and landscaping from your “house only” figure so you can compare quotes apples-to-apples.

2️⃣ Understand PC & PS Allowances

PCs (Prime Costs) cover fixtures you haven’t selected yet—think tapware, tiles, appliances. PS (Provisional Sums) cover works that can’t be fully priced until later (minor siteworks, rock removal).

Volume builders often under-allow to keep the headline price low, leaving you to fund the gap later. A fixed-price builder like Tenfold:

• Uses realistic allowances based on your style brief.
• Itemises every PC/PS line in a comprehensive quote.

Updates allowances before contract if you pick higher-end selections so the contract remains rock-solid.

3️⃣ Factor Site-Specific Costs Up-Front

In Perth, two neighbouring blocks can vary by tens of thousands of dollars in siteworks. Budget for:

• Soil classification & footing design (S-class sand is cheaper than M-class clay).
• Retaining & drainage on sloping lots.
• BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) ratings in fringe or hills areas.
• Service upgrades—new mains, sewer extensions, three-phase power.

Tenfold completes soil tests, contour surveys and service checks during pre-construction so these costs are crystal-clear—and fixed—before you sign.

4️⃣ Demand a Genuine Fixed-Price Quote

“From $X” pricing is marketing, not budgeting. A genuine fixed-price quote should:

• List every material, fixture, permit, consultant fee and labour component.
• Specify brand and model numbers.
• Exclude zero “TBA” or “subject to” notes—those are traps for variations.

Our quotes run 30 pages long, and we’ll spend two hours walking you through them line-by-line. It’s the difference between knowing your custom home cost in Perth and hoping it stays on track.

5️⃣ Track Spend During Construction

Even with a watertight contract, you still need visibility. We provide:

• WunderBuild client portal with live schedules, budget tracking and photo updates.
• Weekly cost reviews between your site manager and director Chris Guilbert.
• A defined variation process-no work proceeds without your written approval and a fixed cost attached.

Because we cap our project numbers, you’ll never compete for time or attention-and your budget stays front of mind every single week.