Build Your Dream Home or Construction Project With HPL
A complete, honest guide to the construction journey — from initial consultation through to handover — and the practical starting point for your project. We'll show you exactly what HPL Construction handles directly, and who else you'll need along the way.
- The Complete Construction Journey
- Professionals Required for a Building Project
- Residential Construction
- Commercial Construction
- HPL Direct Services
- Architecture & Design
- Engineering
- Surveying
- Planning & Permits
- Building Costs
- How HPL Coordinates With Your Team
- Melbourne & Surrounding Areas
- FAQs
- Request a Project Quote
Choose Your Project Type
Every project type below is a real service HPL Construction provides — explore the one that matches your project, or request a quote directly.
Custom Homes
Architecturally unique homes built to your specific site and design.
New Homes
Site preparation through structural concrete for new residential builds.
Units & Apartments
Higher-density projects with real site-access and load considerations.
Multi-Residential Projects
Staged, whole-site construction across multiple dwellings.
Property Developments
Construction support for developers, from estimating through delivery.
Owner Builder Projects
The same real service, coordinated directly with you as head contractor.
The Complete Construction Journey
Every construction project moves through the same broad sequence of stages, whether it's a new home, a custom build or a commercial project. Some of these stages HPL Construction performs directly. Others are the work of separately engaged professionals — your architect, engineer, surveyor and builder's trades. We've marked each one clearly below, so you know exactly where we fit.
Initial Project Consultation
Discuss your project, site and scope with our team to understand what's involved and whether we're the right fit for your job.
HPL DirectLand & Site Information
You provide the starting details — address, land size, existing site conditions — the foundation (literally) for everything that follows.
You ProvideArchitectural Design
Your architect or building designer prepares house plans, floor plans, elevations and site plans for your project.
External ProfessionalEngineering
A structural engineer designs your foundation, slab and structural elements based on your site's soil and conditions.
External ProfessionalLand Surveying
A land surveyor confirms boundaries and levels, and sets out the building position on site.
External ProfessionalSoil / Geotechnical Investigation
A geotechnical engineer or soil testing provider classifies your site's soil under AS 2870, informing the foundation design.
External ProfessionalPlanning Requirements
A town planner or your building designer confirms whether a planning permit is required for your site.
External ProfessionalBuilding Permit / Certification
A registered building surveyor issues the building permit required before construction can legally start.
External ProfessionalProject Estimating & Budget
We provide a detailed, itemised quote covering the excavation, foundation and concrete stages of your project.
HPL DirectSite Preparation
Clearing and preparing your block, ready for excavation.
HPL DirectExcavation / Site Cut
Bringing your site to the levels specified in your plans.
HPL DirectFoundations / Piers / Footings
Bored piers, screw piles or strip footings, installed to your engineer's design.
HPL DirectReinforcement
Mesh, bar and reinforcement placed to your engineering specification.
HPL DirectHouse Slab / Raft Slab / Waffle Slab
Your foundation slab, matched to your site's soil classification and engineering design.
HPL DirectConcrete Supply & Pumping
Ready-mix concrete supplied and placed, with line or boom pumping where site access requires it.
HPL DirectStructural Construction
Your builder's carpentry and framing crew constructs the structural frame on top of the completed foundation.
External ProfessionalPlumbing & Electrical Services
Licensed plumbers and electricians install rough-in services, often sequenced around our concrete stages.
External ProfessionalFraming / Roofing / External Construction
Your builder's trades complete the frame, roof and external envelope of the building.
External ProfessionalInternal Construction & Finishes
Plastering, tiling, painting and internal fit-out, completed by your builder's trades.
External ProfessionalDriveways / Landscaping / Retaining Walls
We provide driveways and retaining walls directly; landscaping is completed separately by a landscaper.
Partly HPL DirectInspections
We coordinate the footing and slab inspections required for our scope directly with your building surveyor.
HPL CoordinatesFinal Completion / Handover
Your builder completes final finishes, statutory inspections and handover of your completed project.
External ProfessionalProfessionals Required for a Building Project
A construction project brings together a real team of separately engaged professionals and trades — not just a builder. Here's who's typically involved, what they do, and how their work connects to the next stage. Where a role is one HPL Construction genuinely provides, we've said so directly; everywhere else, this is general information to help you understand who you'll need to engage.
Design & Planning
Architect
What they do: Designs the overall building — layout, form and aesthetics — and produces detailed drawings for construction and approval.
When required: From the very start of a custom or architecturally-designed project.
What they provide: House plans, floor plans, elevations and design documentation.
Connects to: Feeds into engineering design and the permit application.
Building Designer
What they do: Prepares house plans and drawings, often for more standard residential projects where a full architectural service isn't required.
When required: For most volume and project-home builds.
What they provide: Working drawings and site plans.
Connects to: Same as an architect — feeds engineering and permits.
Town Planner
What they do: Advises on and manages planning permit applications where your site or project triggers one (overlays, zoning, setbacks).
When required: Where your site has a planning overlay or your project doesn't meet standard requirements.
What they provide: Planning permit application and supporting reports.
Connects to: A planning permit (where required) must generally be resolved before a building permit can be issued.
Energy Rating Consultant
What they do: Assesses and certifies your home's thermal performance against the National Construction Code's energy requirements (commonly referred to as a NatHERS or star rating).
When required: Required for most new home and major renovation permits in Victoria.
What they provide: An energy rating certificate and compliance report.
Connects to: Required as part of your building permit application.
Engineering & Site Assessment
Structural Engineer
What they do: Designs the structural elements of your project — foundation type, slab design, reinforcement and structural framing — and certifies the design meets the relevant Australian Standards.
When required: For every project requiring a building permit.
What they provide: Certified structural drawings and specifications.
Connects to: This is the design HPL Construction builds to for the foundation and slab stages.
Civil Engineer
What they do: Handles broader site engineering — drainage, stormwater management, retaining structures and civil infrastructure — particularly relevant on larger or more complex sites.
When required: On sites with significant drainage, retaining or civil works requirements.
What they provide: Civil design drawings and specifications.
Connects to: Informs site preparation and excavation scope.
Geotechnical Engineer
What they do: Investigates and classifies your site's soil conditions, and advises on foundation requirements for that specific site.
When required: Before foundation design can be finalised — usually early in the process.
What they provide: A geotechnical/soil report, classifying your site under AS 2870.
Connects to: Your structural engineer uses this report to determine the right foundation and slab type.
Land Surveyor
What they do: Confirms property boundaries and existing site levels, and marks out the building's position on site.
When required: Before excavation, and again for construction set-out.
What they provide: A feature and/or boundary survey, and site set-out.
Connects to: Confirms exactly where and how deep excavation and foundation work needs to occur.
Soil Testing Provider
What they do: Carries out the physical soil testing (boreholes or test pits) that a geotechnical engineer's report is based on.
When required: Alongside or ahead of the geotechnical investigation.
What they provide: Raw soil test data and site classification.
Connects to: Feeds directly into the geotechnical report and foundation design.
Approvals & Certification
Building Surveyor
What they do: A registered building surveyor is the professional who issues your building permit, reviews your plans and engineering for compliance, and carries out the mandatory statutory inspections during construction.
When required: Required for every project needing a building permit — either privately engaged or through council.
What they provide: The building permit itself, plus mandatory-stage inspection sign-offs.
Connects to: HPL Construction coordinates footing and slab inspections directly with your building surveyor.
Private Building Inspector
What they do: An independently engaged inspector who reviews construction quality on your behalf, separate from the building surveyor's statutory (mandatory) inspections.
When required: Optional — some owners engage one for extra assurance at key stages or before handover.
What they provide: An independent inspection report.
Connects to: Can be arranged at any stage where you want a second, independent check.
Construction & Trades
Concreter / Foundation Contractor
What they do: Excavates, forms, reinforces and pours your foundation, slab and structural concrete. This is HPL Construction's core service.
When required: Once engineering, permits and site information are ready.
What they provide: House slabs, foundations, reinforcement and concrete supply, to your engineer's specification.
Connects to: See House Slabs and our full range of direct services below.
Excavation Contractor
What they do: Carries out site cuts and bulk excavation to bring your block to the levels your plans specify. This is HPL Construction's core service.
When required: Early in construction, once plans and site levels are confirmed.
What they provide: Site cuts, bulk excavation and earthworks.
Connects to: See Site Cuts & Excavation.
Reinforcement Supplier
What they do: Supplies the mesh, bar and reinforcement accessories specified by your structural engineer. Available through HPL's Trade Shop.
When required: Ahead of and during the slab/foundation stage.
What they provide: Reinforcement mesh, bar, trench mesh and accessories.
Connects to: See Reinforcement Supplies.
Concrete Supplier
What they do: Supplies ready-mix concrete matched to the grade and mix design your project requires. Coordinated directly by HPL Construction on our own projects.
When required: For the slab, foundation and any other concrete pour.
What they provide: Ready-mix concrete, supplied and coordinated with the pour.
Connects to: See Equipment & Material Supply.
Concrete Pump Contractor
What they do: Provides line or boom pumping for pours a standard chute can't reach. This is HPL Construction's core service.
When required: Tight sites, elevated slabs, or a long carry from the street.
What they provide: Line and boom concrete pumping.
Connects to: See Concrete Pumping.
Plumber
What they do: Installs drainage, water and gas rough-in services, including the below-slab work that needs to happen before a pour.
When required: Before the slab is poured (rough-in), and again for fit-off.
What they provide: Rough-in plumbing installation.
Connects to: Sequenced directly around HPL's slab and concrete stages.
Electrician
What they do: Installs electrical conduit and rough-in wiring, including any work that needs to be in place before a concrete pour.
When required: Before the slab is poured (rough-in), and again for fit-off.
What they provide: Rough-in electrical installation.
Connects to: Sequenced directly around HPL's slab and concrete stages.
Carpenter / Framing Contractor
What they do: Constructs the structural timber or steel frame on top of the completed foundation.
When required: Once the slab or foundation is complete and cured.
What they provide: The structural frame of the building.
Connects to: Begins the above-ground construction stages, following HPL's foundation work.
Roofer
What they do: Installs the roof structure and covering once framing is complete.
When required: After framing is complete.
What they provide: A weatherproof roof.
Connects to: Enables internal fit-out to begin.
Waterproofing Professional
What they do: Applies waterproofing membranes and systems to wet areas, balconies and below-grade structures.
When required: Before tiling in wet areas, and at any below-grade concrete structure.
What they provide: Waterproofed surfaces compliant with AS 3740.
Connects to: Required before tiling and finishing can proceed in wet areas.
Plasterer
What they do: Installs and finishes internal wall and ceiling linings.
When required: After framing, roofing and rough-in services are complete.
What they provide: Finished internal wall and ceiling surfaces.
Connects to: Precedes painting and internal finishing trades.
Tiler
What they do: Installs floor and wall tiling, generally in wet areas and other specified spaces.
When required: After waterproofing is complete.
What they provide: Finished tiled surfaces.
Connects to: Part of the internal finishing sequence.
Painter
What they do: Applies internal and external paint finishes.
When required: Toward the end of the internal finishing stage.
What they provide: Finished painted surfaces.
Connects to: One of the final trades before handover.
Landscaper
What they do: Designs and constructs gardens, turf and external landscaping.
When required: Typically toward the end of the project, after driveways and external concrete works.
What they provide: Completed landscaping.
Connects to: Often the final stage before a project is fully complete.
Fencing Contractor
What they do: Installs boundary and site fencing.
When required: Can occur early (site safety fencing) or late (final boundary fencing) in a project.
What they provide: Installed fencing.
Connects to: Site fencing supports safe access during construction; final fencing typically follows landscaping.
Residential Construction
HPL Construction provides the excavation, foundation and structural concrete stages for residential projects across Melbourne and Victoria — whether you're building a new home, a genuinely custom design, or managing the project yourself as an owner-builder.
Note: HPL Construction's residential scope covers excavation, foundations and structural concrete. We don't currently offer knockdown rebuild project management, structural extensions/renovations, landscaping or fencing as standalone services — if your project needs these, they'll be arranged separately with the relevant trade or builder.
Commercial Construction
Beyond residential work, HPL Construction provides commercial concreting and civil site preparation for factories, warehouses, schools and other commercial builds across Melbourne. See Commercial Concreting for the full detail, or the real services below.
HPL Direct Services
These are the real services HPL Construction performs directly — the site preparation, foundation and structural concrete work covered across the whole construction journey above. Every link goes to a dedicated service page with full detail.
Architecture & Design
HPL Construction does not provide architectural design, drafting or house plans. This section explains why good design matters for construction, so you know what to have ready before you approach us.
A site-responsive design — one that genuinely accounts for your block's slope, orientation, soil and access — makes every stage that follows easier and more predictable. House plans, floor plans, elevations, site plans and architectural drawings are normally prepared by a qualified architect or building designer, and form the basis your structural engineer designs from. The better these documents reflect the real site, the more accurate your foundation design (and our quote) can be.
If you don't yet have an architect or designer, that's a normal starting point — just know that a formal, accurate construction quote generally needs at least a floor plan and site plan before we can price your foundation work properly.
Engineering
Structural, civil and geotechnical engineering all play a role before and during construction — and directly affect how your project is priced and built.
- Structural engineering determines your foundation type, slab design and reinforcement requirements, certified against the relevant Australian Standards.
- Civil engineering covers broader site engineering — drainage, stormwater and retaining structures — on sites where this is a factor.
- Geotechnical engineering classifies your site's soil under AS 2870, which is what your structural engineer uses to determine whether a waffle slab, raft slab, or piered foundation is the right fit.
This is genuinely one of the biggest factors in construction pricing: a site with stable, consistent soil can often use a simpler, less expensive raft slab, while reactive clay or a sloping block might require a waffle slab, bored piers or screw piles — each with a different cost. We build to whatever your engineer specifies; we don't produce the engineering ourselves.
Surveying
HPL Construction does not provide land surveying services. A registered land surveyor plays a genuinely important role before construction:
- Feature survey — records existing site features, contours and levels.
- Boundary survey — confirms exactly where your property boundaries sit.
- Site levels — establishes existing and finished floor levels, critical for drainage and excavation planning.
- Construction set-out — marks the building's exact position on site before excavation begins.
- As-built surveying — records what was actually constructed, sometimes required for final certification.
Accurate levels and confirmed boundaries matter more than most people expect — getting excavation depth or building position wrong because of an inaccurate or missing survey can be an expensive mistake to correct once concrete is poured.
Planning & Permits
HPL Construction does not provide planning or building permit approval services, and nothing on this page is legal advice. Requirements vary significantly depending on your specific site, council and project — always confirm your exact obligations with a qualified town planner and registered building surveyor.
In general terms: a planning permit may be required depending on your site's zoning, overlays (such as heritage or vegetation protection) or how your project compares to standard requirements — this is assessed by a town planner or your council. A building permit is separate, and is issued by a registered building surveyor once your plans, engineering and any required planning approval are in place. Building can't legally start until the building permit is issued.
Building Costs
Construction cost varies enormously between projects, and any single "build a house for $X" figure is genuinely misleading — two blocks the same size, in the same suburb, can have very different costs depending on soil conditions and access alone. Instead, here are the real factors that drive cost up or down:
For the stages HPL Construction handles directly, soil classification and site access are usually the two biggest swing factors — a stable-soil block with easy truck access costs meaningfully less to excavate and found than a reactive-clay, sloping or tight-access site. See our house slab cost guide for more detail, or use our free calculators for a real estimate based on your own numbers.
How HPL Coordinates With Your Team
HPL Construction isn't a referral service — we don't find or recommend architects, engineers or surveyors for you. What we do is coordinate directly with the professionals and trades already on your project, once they're engaged:
- We regularly coordinate with builders, engineers and other trades to make sure excavation happens at the right point in the project timeline, without holding up the stages that follow.
- We build to the engineer-approved design and coordinate the required footing and slab inspections with your building surveyor.
- Where piling is involved, we can provide torque records to support your surveyor's inspection requirements.
In practice, this means once you've engaged your own architect, engineer and surveyor, HPL Construction fits into that team — working to their documents, scheduling around their requirements, and coordinating the inspections our own work needs.
Melbourne & Surrounding Areas
HPL Construction works across Melbourne and Victoria — from established inner suburbs through to the outer growth corridors and into regional Victoria. Start with your region, or jump straight to one of our detailed suburb guides below.
By Region
Building a New Home, By Suburb
See Our Work
Real HPL Construction projects across Melbourne, filterable by service type.
See completed projects →Frequently Asked Questions
How do I build a house in Melbourne?
In broad terms: engage an architect or designer for plans, a structural engineer and surveyor to certify the site and design, obtain any required planning and building permits, then move into construction — site preparation, foundations, structural concrete, framing, and finishing. See the full Construction Journey above for every stage, and which ones HPL Construction handles directly.
What does HPL Construction actually provide?
Excavation, site preparation, foundations (bored piers, screw piles, strip footings), house slabs (waffle, raft, reinforced), reinforcement, concrete supply and pumping, driveways and retaining walls. We do not provide architectural design, engineering, surveying, planning or building permit services.
Do I need an architect before I contact HPL?
Not necessarily for an initial conversation, but a formal, accurate quote generally needs at least a floor plan and site plan. If you don't have one yet, we can still discuss your project in general terms.
What's the difference between a planning permit and a building permit?
A planning permit relates to whether your project is allowed on your site under local zoning and overlay rules, assessed by a town planner or council. A building permit is issued by a registered building surveyor once your plans and engineering are ready, and is required before construction can legally start. This isn't legal advice — requirements vary by site and council.
How much does it cost to build a house?
It depends on far too many project-specific factors for a single figure to be meaningful — land, soil conditions, design, size, finishes and site access all play a real role. See Building Costs above for the genuine cost drivers, or use our free calculators for an estimate based on your own numbers.
Can HPL work with my own architect and engineer?
Yes — we build to whatever design your architect and engineer produce. We don't provide those services ourselves, but we coordinate directly with them and your building surveyor during construction.
What is a structural engineer's role in my project?
Your structural engineer designs your foundation, slab and structural elements, and certifies the design against the relevant Australian Standards, based on your site's soil classification. HPL Construction builds to that certified design.
Do I need a soil report before getting a quote?
For a formal, accurate quote, yes — a soil report (from a geotechnical engineer) is what determines the right foundation type, which is one of the biggest factors in cost. Without one, we can only give a general estimate.
Can HPL provide commercial construction services?
Yes. We provide commercial and industrial concreting, excavation, foundations, reinforcement, concrete supply/pumping and retaining walls for commercial projects across Melbourne. See Commercial Construction above.
Does HPL work with owner-builders?
Yes, in the same way we work with builders — delivering the excavation, foundation and concrete stages to your engineer's certified design.
What information does HPL need to provide an accurate quote?
At minimum, your project location and the services you need. For a firm, accurate quote: your site plans, engineering drawings and soil report. See the Request a Project Quote form below.
How far does HPL service across Victoria?
We service Melbourne broadly — inner suburbs through to outer growth corridors — and into regional Victoria including Geelong. See Melbourne & Surrounding Areas above, or get in touch to confirm coverage for your site.
Request a Project Quote
Tell us about your project and we'll come back with a detailed quote for the stages HPL Construction handles directly.
Ready To Get Started?
Request a free, no-obligation quote and our team will assess your site and provide an accurate, fixed price.
