When Building Home Renovations, Renovate Ethically

Within the home renovation sector, there is a substantial ‘underground’ of tradies who will take cash in hand (at a lower rate, we might add) for any and all home renovation projects. If you have a friend who is a tradie you are probably familiar with the term ‘cashies’. This term refers to jobs that are done off the books for a cash payment, and that may be performed without insurance or proper certification. The effects of handling your home renovation in this manner can be disastrous!

Council approval is needed for all construction work performed in NSW. Without council approval, home owners who have renovated may be expected to front significant sums of money to correct jobs that have been finished outside of council guidelines. Current regulation barely protects home owners from dodgy construction projects completed before their tenancy in a building, so the issue here is a serious one.

Effects of Unethical Project Management

The issue is that unethical building practices can materialise whenever a job is secured or paid for unethically. Safety concerns may fall by the wayside whenever a construction professional or construction company is unlicensed to be completing the job they were paid for. Proper compliance with building codes may not be achieved if the builder has little to no motivation to do the job by the book. The same goes for DIY jobs – without proper knowledge of building regulations and guidelines, renovations built by owner occupiers can result in unethical practice: a breach of codes and materialisation of safety hazards to occupants.

When safety guidelines are breached, the impacts on the occupants of the house can be massive. Unsafe structures installed improperly can pose a grave safety risk to the people living at the property. Having a pergola collapse around you because it was not built strong enough is one sure fire way to end a party on a terrible note.

Occupant safety aside, what happens if a dodgy contractor you have paid off the books suffers an incident on your work site? Without the proper liability insurance in place, you could be sued for a lot of money. What’s more, the contractor will be less likely to finish the job. This adds great hassle to your project when you have to find a second contractor to complete the building project.

Ethical Practices in Construction Management

At the end of the day, always ensure the contractor you employ is both licensed and insured to complete the work at your property. By doing this, you guarantee a job well done and a job that lasts. Always put the safety and harmony of you and your household above the financial gain available by employing an unethical building contractor off the books.

If a contractor you employ is not certified, he or she is unable to complete any renovation work over the value of $5,000. If any tools or materials are valued at above this benchmark, the job is being performed unethically and may result in the consequences listed above. If you’re looking for a high quality job completed to the standards provided by professional bodies, always employ construction industry professionals with licensing, insurance and certification.

Archcon is fully licensed, certified and insured to complete all dream home renovations in Sydney. If you’re looking to begin your next home reno project, contact our team for a free consultation about your project and site inspection. We’ll provide a quote and will guarantee the work will be done to code and your 100% satisfaction. We are available from Monday to Friday, 8:00-5:00pm, call us on (02) 8677 5787 with any questions.