The questions Sydney owners actually ask before building — costs, timelines, approvals and warranties — answered plainly by Merc.Build, licensed builder 377744C. If your question isn't here, call 0401 152 154.
High-end custom homes in Sydney typically cost $4,500–$6,500 per square metre to build, with premium coastal and harbourside projects exceeding that. A complete four-bedroom luxury home usually represents $1.5–$3 million+ in construction cost, excluding land. Merc.Build provides a detailed line-item estimate after an initial design consultation, so you decide with real numbers.
Allow 18 to 30 months end to end: 4–8 months for design and documentation, 3–6 months for approval (faster via CDC, slower via council DA), and 12–18 months of construction. Merc.Build fixes the construction programme in the contract and reports progress against it monthly.
Verify the builder's licence with NSW Fair Trading (Merc.Build's is 377744C), inspect completed projects in person, speak to past clients about communication and the final account versus the estimate, and read the contract for programme guarantees and variation processes. A genuine luxury builder shows you junction details and site organisation, not just photographs.
Yes. Merc.Build holds NSW Builders Licence 377744C, which can be verified through the NSW Fair Trading licence register. All work is covered by the statutory warranties of the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) and, where required, Home Building Compensation insurance.
Merc.Build builds across metropolitan Sydney, with a focus on the Eastern Suburbs (including Bondi and Matraville), the North Shore (including Mosman and St Ives), the Northern Beaches, the Inner West and the inner south (including Rosebery). Completed work includes Hillary in Matraville and The Arc in Bondi Beach; current projects include Alder in Rosebery and Ecru in Bondi.
A knockdown rebuild replaces an existing house with a new custom home on the same block — keeping the location, land and neighbourhood while resetting the building to zero. It suits owners whose land has outgrown its house. When renovation costs approach new-build costs, a rebuild usually delivers better value, performance and warranty.
Not always. Many new homes and major renovations qualify for a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) — a fast-track approval issued by a private certifier in weeks when the design meets state standards. Projects outside those standards, or in heritage and other constrained areas, need a DA through the local council, typically taking three to nine months.
A custom home is designed from a blank page for one client and one block — not selected from a builder's catalogue and modified. Orientation, layout, section, materials and details are all decided around your brief and your site. Merc.Build builds exclusively one-of-a-kind homes; no two projects share a floor plan.
Either works. Merc.Build's design and planning service brings experienced architects into the project under one engagement, or we build from documentation by your own architect. In both cases we contribute buildability and cost input during design — that early involvement is where most budget risk is removed.
By resolving the design before pricing it: complete documentation, early selections to minimise provisional sums, long-lead materials locked in ahead of need, and any variation priced and approved in writing before work proceeds. Clients receive a monthly cost report against the contract, so the final account holds no surprises.
NSW statutory warranties under the Home Building Act 1989 cover major defects for six years and other defects for two years from completion. Projects over $20,000 also require Home Building Compensation cover. Merc.Build hands over with a documented defect walk-through and remains contactable long after the keys — our projects are our references.
Yes, in two specialist categories: petrol stations and childcare centres. Both are compliance-intensive building types that suit our documentation discipline and fixed-programme delivery. For commercial enquiries, call 0401 152 154 or email info@merc.build with your site details.