Questions and Answers

With a QuickBuild Home, anyone can build their own home (with a helper or two!)

You don’t need to be a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) to assemble one of our homes, though you’re welcome to use one if you'd prefer (learn more about your obligations here). Unlike most kitset homes that require an LBP, QuickBuild Homes make the process simple. No need to cut timber, join gib or even pick up a paintbrush - it’s a true kitset!

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Streamlined build process

Enjoy a hassle-free construction experience with no timber frames or trusses to worry about.

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Time-saving foundation

Skip the concrete slab and get your home built faster with QBH’s steel pile foundation system.

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Minimal tool requirements

The only nails you'll need are for the deck, making the assembly process simple.

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Complete kitset house

Everything you need is supplied, except for concrete for the piles, gas fittings & pipes if required, and heat-pump pipes.

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An easy to follow Assembly Manual is included

An easy-to-follow assembly manual is included, featuring plenty of 3D drawings and photos to guide you through each stage of the build. Every step has been carefully engineered to be simpler, easier and faster than a traditional construction process. Plus, all plumbing fittings remain easily accessible after assembly.

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The bottom line?

There is no easier or simpler kit-set home!

Wind zones

Yes, we are suitable for all wind zones, including up to very high wind zones.

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Quake zones

Applicable for all quake zones, with a few exceptions.

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Corrosion Zones

Compatible with all corrosion zones, though some extremely harsh coastal locations in New Zealand may require additional due diligence.

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Climate Zones

Designed for all climate zones. QuickBuild Homes exceed the updated H1 insulation requirements from MBIE, effective from May 2023. Our homes comply with all zones, right down to Zone 6 (Invercargill).

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Climate Change.

As the government considers including climate issues in future LIM reports, QuickBuild Homes offer unique advantages. Unlike traditional timber-framed homes with gib, our homes do not require stripping gib or insulation in the event of flooding. Built on piles, they can be easily raised if the ground sinks or sea levels rise. In extreme cases, the house can be removed from the site far more easily than a conventional 3604 house built on a concrete slab.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us

Step 1 - Identify

• Where is the section that you want to build on?
• Get Lot & DP number.
• Ask your council for these if you don't have them

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Step 2 - Choose your plan

• Which QuickBuild Home do you want?
• Decide on the available variations

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Step 3 - Who will build it?

• You?  (you will need Form 2B - Declaration of Self Build - for your council.) The rule is that you have to intend to live in it.
• A local builder?
• One of our approved assemblers?
• If one of our assemblers, then “Shell Only” or “Full Build”?

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Step 4 - Talk to your council

• Talk about putting a house there.

They may ask about:

• Boundary distances
• Recession planes (how high the house is in relation to boundaries), and
• “Set-Back” distances,
• Outdoor Living areas  etc.

If your house doesn’t comply with these, then you may need to get “Resource Consent”.

• This is not a daunting as it sounds, and you can often do it yourself.
• Find out if they need a “Geo-technical Report” (A report on the quality of the ground under your house.)

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Step 5 - Ancillary work

• Get pricing for these services, such as drains, water, power connections, and also get their lead times.

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Step 6 - Budgeting

• Seriously
• Make sure you can get finance.

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Step 7 - Geo-technical Report

• Get it done if required by council.

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Step 8 - Dates

• Get an approximate delivery date / lead time from us.
• Send us a copy of the Geo-technical report if your council required it.

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Step 9 - Sign Contract

• Sign on the dotted line with us!
• Pay 15% deposit.
• We will then send you plans and specification for council.
• We will also do any extra design work at this stage for ground conditions if required (slope, geo-tech, etc)
• Extra design work is chargeable
• Sign Freight Contract.

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Step 10 - Prepare Consent

• You prepare and submit building consent, and possibly Resource Consent if required.
• Council have 10 working days to approve one of our standard houses.
• If you need alterations for foundations, then they have 20 days.

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Step 11 - Manufacture

• We will start to manufacture your kit-set.

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Step 12 - Final Payment & Inspection

• When kit-set is manufactured, pay remaining money due.
• You may come to visit and put your own padlock on your 40’ container if you want.
• The whole lot is then yours!

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Step 13 - Shipped & Start Building

• Container and panels are shipped to site and you may start building

The easiest way - do it yourself!

QuickBuild Homes are designed for the DIY enthusiast with a typical Kiwi "can-do" attitude and determination.

But don’t worry—you can still get a builder to help if you want! As long as you can use a tape measure, level, and drill, you’ll have no problem building your own QuickBuild Home.

In the early days, we noticed that other kit-set homes still used the same materials and methods as a skilled builder would, which meant you’d still need a licensed builder to finish the job! We thought, "That’s not a real kit-set - it’s more of a self-build!"

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QuickBuild Homes are true kit-sets

You won’t be a builder; you’ll be an assembler. There are no gib walls, fluffy insulation, or timber frames and trusses—timber is only used for decks and piles. The steel bearers come pre-cut and pre-drilled, and you'll just need to drill holes for pipes and cables. Wall panels are numbered and pre-drilled for electrical and plumbing work. Installing the windows is quick and easy, taking around two hours for the entire set.

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QuickBuild Homes are efficiently engineered

Unlike traditional homes, which arrive on-site in multiple stages, a QuickBuild Home is delivered in a single shipment with everything you need included! (See full list here.)

Traditional builds often result in a lot of material waste. However, because QuickBuild Homes are fully prefabricated, there’s minimal waste—and far less packaging material to dispose of at the end of the project.

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Building a house is a large project!

Most people can’t afford to take 4-5 months off work to build a house. With a QuickBuild Home, our 95sqm model can be completed in under a month, depending on the number of workers and weather conditions - making it a realistic and achievable project.

Traditional concrete foundations can take weeks just to get the floor in place. With a QuickBuild Home, the floor is typically finished and fully insulated within 2 to 4 days. In around 10 days, you can expect to have the roof on and the windows installed.

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Only 10 days for a secure and weathertight shell!

Most houses require 12 or more Council Building Inspections.

A QuickBuild Home needs just 3 inspections (plus drainage). And with the price of inspections, we save you another hidden extra that other kit-sets usually do not include.

A QuickBuild Home comes with a comprehensive step-by-step assembly manual, packed with 3D drawings, photos, and detailed guides for every stage of the build. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with terms like a 15mm swivel fitting or have no plumbing experience at all! We’ve got you covered with:

• A full list of plumbing parts, complete with photos of each one.
• A schematic drawing showing how everything fits together.
• A parts map with pictures of every plumbing fitting, where it goes, and how to position it.

Your role is simply to dry-assemble the plumbing, saving you money on labor. Once that’s done, your plumber can handle the final connections. The same process applies to electrical work—let the electrician handle the connections. (Just be sure to check with your plumber and electrician beforehand.)

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This way, you only pay skilled craftsmen when their expertise is truly needed.

We believe there’s no sense in paying a craftsman to drill hundreds of holes in timber framing at high rates. That’s why our steel bearers, composite walls, and roof come pre-drilled, eliminating the need for you to hire someone to design or plan electrical and plumbing systems. We’ve taken care of that part—your tradespeople focus on final connections and testing.

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To save you even more time, money and hassle:

• The bearers are all pre-cut
• The floor is pre-insulated
• The walls and roof are pre-cut, pre insulated & pre-painted.
• Roof panels remain un-cut, allowing you to place the supplied lights wherever you like.
• Power sockets are pre-cut.
• The skirtings, covings and door frames are all pre-cut and pre-painted.
• All pipes, cable and fittings are supplied.
• Panels are pre-drilled for all cables & pipes.
• While the plumbing and electrical work does still has to be done by licensed tradesman, you can put everything in place for them.
• Benchtops are all pre-cut.
• The building Inspector will ensure everything is done to standard.
• Everything arrives on site in one 40’ container (for the 95sqm) (Larger houses may require more than one container, but it is all delivered at the same time.
• Use our Building Consent Guide to help you do your own consent to save more money.

If you do need help we are always on hand by phone & email.

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A leaky building is one where moisture gets trapped between the exterior cladding and the inside walls. You can learn more about this here. We’ve solved this problem by eliminating the gap between the interior and exterior cladding altogether.

While most modern homes still use a timber or steel frame with insulation inside and cladding on the outside, this creates thermal bridges where heat can escape and moisture can seep in, leading to structural decay. Traditional construction involves many materials and steps, and even a small failure can lead to problems.

Our approach is simpler and more reliable - our homes use structural panels with a solid insulation core, factory-made to ISO 9001 standards. With no cavities or moisture entry points, we’ve eliminated the risk of leaky homes and structural failure.