Off-centre excavation, footings that don't line up properly with the wall above, and the load never transfers the way it's supposed to. It doesn't show up on day one. It shows up years later, as cracking or movement nobody can trace back to its actual cause.
For Melbourne homeowners planning a house extension
The Riskiest Part of Your Extension Isn't the New Build, It's Where It Joins the Old One
Extensions aren't built on empty land. Every wall, footing and roofline has to tie into a house that's already standing, and usually out of square. That connection point is where degraded footings, non-compliant framing and bad weatherproofing hide, invisible until the wall actually comes off. Jake's a qualified carpenter, and for extensions, a trusted DB-U registered builder signs off every structural connection before it's touched. And the finish date goes in your contract before work starts. If it runs late, you get $1,000 back for every week it is.
Qualified Carpenter
Qualified Waterproofer
Direct Owner Contact
Live Project Portal
$1,000-a-Week Late Guarantee
Written Variations Before Extra Work
Qualified Carpenter
Qualified Waterproofer
Direct Owner Contact
Live Project Portal
$1,000-a-Week Late Guarantee
Written Variations Before Extra Work
Before you assume the worst
Does the Whole Roof Come Off for a House Extension?
It depends on what you're building. For a single-storey extension, only the section where the old structure ties into the new one gets opened up, the rest of your home stays covered and weatherproof. The full roof only comes off for a second storey, since the existing roof has to come off entirely to build upward. Staying on the ground floor? That scenario doesn't apply to your job.
What nobody tells you upfront
Here's What Happens When the Connection Point Isn't Handled Properly
The wall comes off. The footings go in. The roof gets tied in. And now you find out whether anyone actually planned for this.
No compliant damp course, subfloor clearance that doesn't meet the required height, and moisture starts working into the timber from underneath. Quiet, slow, and expensive to fix once it's already inside the structure.
Almost no older Melbourne home has true right angles. Builders who don't adjust for it end up with gaps at the joins, doors and windows that don't sit right, and a floor plan that looks fine on paper but doesn't actually fit together.
The roof or wall is open, your house is exposed to the weather, and that's exactly when an un-itemised variation notice shows up. You're not in a position to negotiate. Tarps are up, your ceiling's exposed, and the contractor knows you can't just tell them to stop and walk away.
That's not bad luck. That's what happens when nobody planned for the part of the job where old meets new.
How Jake actually handles it
Every Structural Connection, Signed Off Before It's Touched
Extension work that ties into an existing structure is structural work, and by law it needs sign-off from a registered DB-U (Domestic Builder Unlimited) practitioner. Jake works with a trusted DB-U registered builder specifically for that part of the job, so the structural side of your extension is handled and signed off by someone properly registered to do it, every time.
Footings, framing, roof tie-ins, wherever your existing home meets the new structure, that's checked and planned for upfront, not discovered as a surprise once the wall's already open. If it needs specialist structural attention, that's arranged before demolition starts, not after your house is exposed with no way to negotiate.
For extensions and other large-scope work where licensing or insurance requirements apply, Jake works with a builder who holds them, so the job is covered the way it's legally meant to be, not run through Jake's own registration when it shouldn't be.
That's the difference between a carpenter who brings in the right registration for the job, and one who hopes nobody checks.
What it's actually like
Real Extensions, Real Homeowners, No Surprises
These aren't testimonials picked for the website. They're Google reviews from homeowners who went through this exact process.
★★★★★
Jake’s knowledge and attention to detail really sets him apart. He doesn’t just build he actually thinks through the entire space and how it’s going to be used. The in house design helped tie everything together and the end result looks clean, modern, and practical. Would 100% use them again.TOM ELLIOTTGoogle Review
★★★★★
I would highly recommend them—the work was completed on time with great teamwork and clear communication throughout. In addition, their professionalism and attention to detail ensured a high-quality result.RASMI PARAJULIGoogle Review
★★★★★
The team are awesome to work with. They strive to make sure every job is finished to a great standard and will not take short cuts . Do your self a favour and get level A builders on your next project Would highly recommendANDREW KERRGoogle Review
★★★★★
Jake was great when he worked on our place. He was reliable and turned up on time. If he was late, he would always let us know, which was important. Very happy with Jake's workmanship and professionalism. We will be in contact for future work, thank you.LILI WIDDOWSONGoogle Review
★★★★★
We stayed in the house during the renovation and expected it to be a nightmare, but Jake and his team made it surprisingly manageable. They kept things clean, worked around us where possible, and always communicated what was happening next. The bathroom turned out amazing and the process was way less stressful than we thought it would be.ANDREA D'AMICOGoogle Review
What you're actually getting
Every Feature Exists to Solve One Problem: Nobody Properly Handling Where Old Meets New
None of this is decoration. Every one of these exists because it's the specific thing that goes wrong when old meets new and nobody's properly accountable for it.
Footings poured off-centre, a roof tie-in nobody checked before it was opened up. That's not how Jake works. He's a qualified carpenter, and where a job calls for it, he brings in the properly registered and licensed builder to handle that part of the work, and sign off on it, not run it through the wrong registration because nobody checked.
You deal with Jake. Not a salesperson who quoted the job and vanished. Not a rotating project manager who has no idea what was found once the wall came off. The person who planned the connection point is the same person who explains it to you.
Your schedule, quotes, invoices, and any variations, all in one place. No calling and waiting on a callback. No wondering if you missed a message about a decision that needed your sign-off.
Remember the un-itemised variation notice that shows up once your roof's under a tarp and you can't exactly say no? That doesn't happen here. If anything outside the agreed scope turns up, work stops until you've seen exactly what it is and what it costs, in writing. Nothing gets added to your invoice without your signature next to it first.
If something doesn't look right after the extension is finished, you contact Jake directly. He reviews it with you and gets it properly addressed. Not a warranty department. Jake.
Ready when you are
Get a Finish Date in Writing, Before You Commit to Anything
You don't need finished plans. You don't need your exact layout worked out yet. You need someone to walk the property, tell you straight what's involved where the new structure meets the old one, and give you a date you can hold them to.
Jake comes to the property, walks you through what he sees, and where the job calls for it, brings in the right registration for the structural side, before anyone tells you what it'll cost. Then you get a line-by-line quote with a locked finish date attached. If he misses it, you get $1,000 back for every week it's late, written into the contract before work starts.
Tell Jake what you're planning, where the property is, and when you'd like to begin.
One accountable carpenter. One date in writing. No unexplained extras.
Questions before you book
Straight Answers About Your House Extension
No. You do not need the whole extension designed before speaking with Jake. Start with the space you need, what is not working in the home now and what you want the extension to change. The site visit is where you can start working through what makes sense for the property and what needs to happen next.
It depends on the property, the proposed extension and the controls that apply to the site. Extension work will commonly involve building-permit requirements, while whether a planning permit is also required depends on the property and proposal. Where engineering, specialist trades or appropriately registered practitioners are required, those requirements need to be identified before the relevant work proceeds.
The agreed scope is made clear before work begins, but an existing home can still reveal conditions that could not reasonably be seen beforehand. If something genuinely changes the scope, Jake explains what was found, why it matters and what it costs before additional work proceeds. Where specialist or appropriately registered practitioner input is required, the appropriate person is involved before that work proceeds. Nothing outside the agreed scope goes ahead without your approval.
T&C apply to variations outside the agreed scope. Additional costs depend on the work required once identified.
Sometimes. It depends on the scope, demolition required, access, services and how the work needs to be sequenced. Jake can talk through the likely impact once the proposed extension is understood. If staying in the home during the build is important to you, bring it up at the site visit so it can be considered when the scope and sequence are planned.
If your project runs beyond the timeframe agreed in your contract for reasons within Level A Builders' control, you get $1,000 back for every week we're late.*
Residential projects only. Excludes delays caused by the client or circumstances outside Level A Builders' control. Full terms are set out in your signed contract.