Since 1 April 2026, every NSW strata scheme must obtain at least two independent quotes for any common property work valued at $30,000 or more. For remedial building works — concrete repair, waterproofing, facade remediation, structural strengthening — this threshold is triggered on virtually every project.

The rule exists to protect owners from overpaying. But getting two quotes isn't the same as getting two comparable quotes. If you send a vague brief to three contractors and get three wildly different numbers back, you haven't improved your decision — you've made it harder.

This guide covers how to structure your procurement so you receive accurate, comparable quotes that your committee can confidently assess. We're writing this as a remedial contractor who sees the quoting process from the other side. We know what makes a brief quotable, what creates confusion, and what causes projects to blow out after an artificially low quote wins the work.

The $30K Rule: What It Actually Requires

The Strata Schemes Management Amendment Regulation 2026 introduced mandatory independent quoting for works valued at $30,000 or more. Here's what strata committees need to understand:

The trigger is the estimated total cost of the work, not the contract value. If your engineer's investigation report estimates the remedial work at $35,000, you must obtain at least two independent quotes — even if the eventual winning quote comes in at $28,000.

"Independent" means the quoting contractors must not be connected to each other or to the strata manager. A strata manager who recommends two contractors from the same company group hasn't met the requirement. Each quote must come from a genuinely independent contractor.

The quotes must be for the same scope of work. This is where most committees fail. You can't compare a comprehensive quote that includes access, make-good, and contingency with a bare-bones quote that prices only the repair work. The scope document must be identical for all tenderers.

The requirement applies to the committee's procurement decision, not to the AGM vote. The committee must demonstrate they obtained independent quotes before presenting a recommendation to owners. Keep all quotes on file — this is your compliance evidence.

Why Remedial Works Quotes Are Harder to Compare Than Other Building Work

Painting a building is straightforward to quote: measure the area, specify the system, price per square metre. Remedial work is different because the full scope is rarely known until you open things up.

Concrete cancer behind render. Water damage under tiles. Reinforcement corrosion deeper than the investigation found. These are standard discoveries during remedial construction — not surprises, but expected variables that good contractors plan for.

This creates a quoting challenge: a contractor who quotes only the known defects will look cheaper than one who includes provisional sums for likely additional work. The "cheaper" quote isn't actually cheaper — it's just deferring the cost to variation claims during construction.

Understanding this dynamic is critical. The goal isn't to find the lowest quote. It's to find the most accurate quote — the one most likely to reflect the final project cost.

Step 1: Start With a Proper Investigation

Before you invite quotes, you need a clear picture of what's wrong. A building investigation report from a specialist engineer gives you:

• A defect inventory with location, type, and severity for each item
• Root cause analysis — not just what's broken, but why
• A recommended scope of works with repair methodology
• Priority ranking (safety-critical, weatherproofing, aesthetic)
• Indicative cost ranges for budgeting purposes

This report becomes the foundation of your tender brief. Without it, you're asking contractors to guess — and three different guesses produce three incomparable numbers.

The investigation typically costs $5,000–$25,000 depending on building size and complexity. It's not an optional add-on — it's a prerequisite for meaningful procurement. A committee that skips the investigation to save money will spend far more on scope changes, disputes, and failed repairs later.

Step 2: Write a Tender Brief That Produces Comparable Quotes

Your tender document should include:

The engineer's scope of works and specification. This is the technical document that describes what work is needed, what materials to use, and what standard to achieve. Every tenderer quotes against the same specification — this is what makes quotes comparable.

Drawings and access information. Building plans showing the defect locations. Photographs from the investigation. Any constraints on access (heritage listings, resident-occupied areas, adjacent properties, working hour restrictions).

A clear pricing structure. Tell contractors how you want the quote presented: by defect type, by building zone, by trade — whatever structure lets your committee compare like-for-like. Specify that you want itemised rates, not lump sums.

Provisional sum categories. Instruct tenderers to include provisional sums for likely unknown work — additional concrete cancer behind render, additional waterproofing extent below tiles, additional structural repairs once concrete is opened up. This forces all tenderers to price the same risk, making the comparison fair.

Access strategy requirements. Ask each tenderer to describe and price their access approach (scaffold, rope access, EWP, combination). Access can be 20–40% of the total cost, so different access strategies create huge quote variations if not specified.

Compliance requirements. From July 2026, the DBP Act requires remedial work on Class 2, 3, and 9c buildings to be performed by registered building practitioners with PI insurance. Your tender should require: DBP registration number, current PI insurance certificate of currency, confirmation of Planning Portal lodgement capability. For details on what this means for your building, see our DBP Act compliance checklist.

Program requirements. Ask for an indicative construction program showing staging, duration, and any resident impact periods. The cheapest quote means nothing if the program is unrealistic and the project drags on for twice the stated duration.

Step 3: Know What to Look For (and What to Question)

When the quotes come back, assess them against these criteria:

Scope completeness

Does the quote cover everything in the specification? Check for missing items — particularly make-good (tile replacement, painting, ceiling repair), temporary protection (covering resident belongings, sealing openings), and documentation (as-built drawings, compliance declarations). Incomplete scope means the "missing" items appear later as variations.

Provisional sums

A quote with zero provisional sums for a remedial project is almost certainly too low. The contractor is either inexperienced with remedial work (they don't know what they'll find) or deliberately quoting light to win the work and recover the difference through variations. A responsible contractor includes provisional sums of 10–20% for concealed defect discovery.

Access cost transparency

Is the access cost (scaffold, rope, EWP) broken out as a separate line item? How long is the scaffold hire period? What happens to the cost if the program extends? Scaffold hire at $15,000–$30,000 per month on a high-rise building means program delays are extremely expensive. Check that the hire period is realistic for the quoted program.

Methodology description

A professional remedial contractor explains HOW they'll do the work — not just what they'll do. For concrete repair: what's the preparation method? What repair mortar system? How is the reinforcement treated? What protection coating is applied? For waterproofing: what membrane system? How are upstands, penetrations, and junctions detailed? The methodology tells you whether the contractor understands the engineering specification.

Exclusions list

Read the exclusions carefully. Some contractors exclude items that seem standard: waste removal, scaffolding modifications, traffic management, site establishment, or wet weather delays. These exclusions become additional costs during construction. A quote that's $30,000 "cheaper" but excludes $50,000 in standard project costs isn't cheaper at all.

Step 4: Red Flags in Remedial Works Quotes

After reviewing hundreds of remedial quotes over the years, these are the patterns that signal problems ahead:

A single lump sum with no breakdown. If a contractor won't itemise their pricing, you can't assess what's included or manage variations during construction. Reject lump-sum quotes and request a schedule of rates.

Price more than 30% below the other quotes. A legitimate remedial quote can be 10–15% below competitors through genuine efficiency. But a quote that's 30–40% cheaper than two others is almost certainly missing scope. The apparent saving will evaporate through variations once work starts.

No mention of the investigation report. If a contractor quotes without referencing the engineer's investigation, they haven't read the specification properly. Their quote is based on a site visit and assumptions — not on the documented defect inventory.

Unrealistic program. A 6-month project quoted with a 2-month program either means the contractor hasn't understood the scope, or they're planning to rush through with insufficient resources. Rushed remedial work fails — cure times get compressed, inspections get skipped, and defects get covered up instead of properly repaired.

No DBP registration details. Any contractor quoting remedial work on a Class 2 building (or Class 3/9c from July 2026) who doesn't volunteer their registration number hasn't internalised the compliance framework. This matters — unregistered work is non-compliant, uninsurable, and creates legal risk for the committee that approved it.

Vague warranty terms. "12-month warranty" tells you nothing. What's covered? Structural repairs, waterproofing, coatings, all finishes? What's excluded? What triggers a warranty claim vs. normal maintenance? A professional contractor provides clear, specific warranty documentation.

Step 5: Present the Comparison to Your Committee

Once you've received and assessed the quotes, present them to your committee in a normalised format:

Create a comparison table. List each contractor's quote broken down by the same categories: investigation/design (if applicable), main remedial works, access and scaffolding, make-good and finishes, provisional sums, documentation/compliance, contingency. This lets committee members compare actual scope, not just bottom-line numbers.

Highlight differences in scope. Where one contractor includes an item and another doesn't, flag it. The committee needs to understand that the $180,000 quote excluding access and make-good is not comparable to the $260,000 quote that includes everything.

Include methodology notes. Summarise each contractor's approach in plain language. The committee may not understand "epoxy injection vs. polyurethane grouting" but they'll understand "this contractor repairs from the inside without removing tiles; this one demolishes and rebuilds from scratch."

Provide your recommendation with reasoning. Under the new regulations, the committee must be able to demonstrate they made an informed choice — not just that they picked the cheapest. Document why you're recommending a particular contractor: compliance credentials, methodology alignment with the specification, realistic program, track record with similar buildings.

How the $30K Rule Changes the Timeline

Committees accustomed to getting one quote from their "regular builder" now need to build procurement time into their project timeline. For remedial works, expect:

• Investigation and specification: 4–8 weeks (engage engineer, conduct investigation, produce report and scope)
• Tender preparation: 1–2 weeks (prepare brief, identify tenderers)
• Quoting period: 2–4 weeks (allow adequate time for site visits and detailed pricing)
• Assessment and committee decision: 2–3 weeks (normalise quotes, present to committee, resolve questions)
• Total procurement lead time: 9–17 weeks from decision to investigate through to contractor appointment

This means that if your building has defects identified today, the earliest work could start is 3–4 months away — assuming everything runs smoothly. For larger or more complex projects, six months from investigation to construction start is realistic.

The key implication: don't wait for the defect to become an emergency before starting procurement. Emergency procurement under the $30K rule means either breaking compliance (bad) or accepting whatever's available at whatever price (expensive).

What to Include in Your Capital Works Fund Plan

Under the April 2026 reforms, NSW strata schemes must use the new standard form for their 10-year capital works fund plan. When remedial works are anticipated, your plan should include:

• Investigation costs (year 1 if not yet investigated)
• Design and specification costs (following investigation)
• Indicative remedial works costs (from investigation report)
• Contingency allocation (10–20% of estimated works cost)
• Consultant fees for construction phase (superintendent, certifier)
• The procurement timeline, so levies are collected before contractor appointment

Buildings that don't plan ahead end up raising emergency special levies — which is harder to pass, slower to collect, and creates financial stress for owners who didn't budget for it.

For a comprehensive breakdown of remedial works pricing to inform your plan, see our guide on what remedial works typically cost in Sydney.

Getting Started

If your strata scheme is preparing to procure remedial work under the new quoting requirements, the process starts with understanding what your building needs. Commission an independent investigation, get a proper specification, and then approach the market with a clear brief.

At Atomic Projects, we provide registered remedial building services with detailed, itemised quotes, transparent provisional sums, and full DBP Act compliance documentation. Our quotes are designed to be directly comparable with competitors because we price against the engineer's specification — not assumptions.

To request a detailed scope and quote for your building's remedial works, contact our team. We'll walk you through the process and provide a quote your committee can assess with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the $30K quote requirement apply to all strata buildings in NSW?

Yes. From 1 April 2026, all NSW strata schemes must obtain at least two independent quotes for common property work valued at $30,000 or more. This applies regardless of building size, age, or class.

What happens if we proceed without getting two quotes?

The committee may face challenges at the AGM or from owners who dispute the procurement process. The new regulation strengthens owners' rights to challenge expenditure decisions that didn't follow proper procurement. In practice, it creates a compliance risk and potential personal liability for committee members who approve non-compliant procurement.

Can the engineer who did the investigation also be one of the quoting contractors?

No — this would create a conflict of interest. The investigating engineer specifies the work; the contractors quote against that specification. These must be independent parties. However, the engineer can assist with tender assessment and quote comparison as part of their consulting role.

How do we find registered remedial building contractors to quote?

Search the NSW Fair Trading practitioner register for registered building practitioners. Request DBP registration numbers upfront and verify them independently. Industry bodies like the Master Builders Association and Strata Community Association can also provide referral lists. Start with 3–4 contractors — not all will be available or interested in every project.

What if quotes vary by more than 30%?

This usually indicates a scope misalignment — one contractor has read the specification differently or is missing items. Before rejecting the outlier, ask for clarification: "Your quote doesn't include scaffolding — can you confirm whether this is excluded or included in your rates?" Often a clarification question reveals the quote needs revision, not rejection.