Questions to ask a granny flat builder before you commit
By Nua Living · How we prepare our guides
Before choosing a granny flat builder, ask for a written response to the same questions from each company. Record the proposed home, the work around it, the people responsible and anything still to be confirmed. Use the checklist below as a meeting agenda, then keep it beside the drawings and quotation.
Start with the home you actually need
Describe who will live in the home, the number of bedrooms, access needs and the garden available. Bring a simple sketch, photographs you are comfortable sharing, and a list of existing garden structures. Ask which decisions can be discussed at a first meeting and which need a site visit or professional assessment.
Compare the granny-flat options and mark a preferred concept layout. Treat the concept as a starting point; ask for the proposed layout and specification for your own project before agreeing to build.
Use a responsibility checklist
For each row, record a person or company, the document they will supply and the next action. Write “not agreed” beside unanswered questions rather than assuming a task is included.
| Question | What to record | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Who checks the site and proposed planning route? | Named contact, proposed assessment and the drawings to be checked | List missing information and who will obtain it |
| Who prepares each pre-start submission? | Responsibility for planning notification and Building Control documents separately | Ask for the sequence and the documents you must sign |
| Who are the certifiers and builder? | Names, appointments, scope and any separate professional fees | Confirm the appointment process before fixing a start date |
| Who handles access, ground works and services? | Included work, exclusions and responsibility for reinstatement | Ask how unresolved site conditions will be assessed |
| What marks completion? | Agreed finish, documents, demonstrations and outstanding-item process | Ask for a handover checklist with responsibilities |
Keep planning and Building Control separate
Conditions 16–18 require notification to the planning authority at least 14 days before work starts; the notification records use of the exemption and is not planning approval. S.I. No. 340/2026, Class 3A.
A Class 3A auxiliary dwelling follows the normal Building Control process, including a Commencement Notice, design and assigned certifiers, a competent builder and a Certificate of Compliance on Completion. Department Circular BC07-2026.
Ask the builder to explain the responsibilities for both processes for your proposed dwelling. Keep the pre-start paperwork guide with the meeting notes. Do not treat a planning notification as a substitute for Building Control documentation.
Compare the written scope, not just the headline amount
Ask each company to identify the model, layout, finishes, VAT treatment, site works, connections and professional appointments in its proposal. For anything excluded, record whether another contractor or professional needs to quote. Use the current Nua Living model prices as the home-price reference and the budget guide for the separate project-cost questions.
Request the proposed payment stages and warranty terms in writing. Ask what each payment relates to, how changes are approved, who provides the warranty and where its scope and exclusions are set out. Do not assume that two quotations use the same terms.
Ask for evidence behind the proposed specification
Ask how the walls will be formed, which specification applies, and what drawings, product information and compliance documents will be supplied. Discuss access for materials and equipment, protection of the existing property and reinstatement. Read about Nua Living's ICF construction before the meeting and ask about the proposed system for your site.
Leave with an agreed next step
Record the documents received, unanswered questions, the person responsible for each answer and the next discussion date. Ask for the programme to distinguish the structural stage from design, paperwork, fit-out, service connections and handover. Keep decisions and revised drawings together rather than relying on a verbal description.
For a Nua Living proposal, request a callback and free site visit. Bring your checklist and ask us to explain the home specification, separate site costs and the next assessment steps.
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