G Donaldson Builders Ltd

19/10/2026

It’s all GO!!

16/10/2026

Measure, check, fix. Then check again.

Quality in every stage of the build.

16/10/2026

15/10/2026

Swordfish Place, Maraetai. Ready for the views.

From the roof coming off to the final fixings on the balcony, this one has been a journey. The glass is in, the timber is on show, and there is not much left between this home and handover.

Planning a new build or renovation? Let’s talk.

14/10/2026

We were quoted $51,625 to knock our house down, asbestos included. Here’s what it actually cost us.

The quote:
Demolition, removal and asbestos survey: $35,167
Asbestos removal (extra): $16,458
Total: $51,625

What we paid:
Asbestos removal: $16,458
Labour: $5,676
Digger operator, truck and fuel: $5,141
5 skips, almost 9 tonnes of rubbish: $2,562
Survey, portaloo and tools: $1,894
Machine hire: $0
Gary’s time: $0
Total: $31,731

Saved: $19,894

Tip: read your line items. The surcharge on our asbestos removal came in at 23%. We asked about it and it came down to 10%. One conversation saved us $1,945. Great team, and we’d use them again.

It took weeks, not 5 days as per the quote, and not everyone has a builder in the family and machines on tap so that’s where it benefit us.

Would you DIY your demo?

All prices include GST.

13/10/2026

From frame to finish.

Quality in every stage of the build, including the parts you will never see once the roof goes on.

10/10/2026

Swordfish Place, Maraetai. Unboxed.

Top: scaffold up and the whole house wrapped while the work went on underneath. Bottom: the wrap is off and the weatherboards are on show.

Planning a new build or renovation? Let's talk.

10/10/2026

Still framing, and that's exactly how it should be.

This is the stage that sets up everything that follows. Every wall straight, every line checked, every fixing where it needs to be. Take the time here and the rest of the build goes together the way it should.

Quality in every stage of the build.

08/10/2026

This is our journey to building our slice of paradise, our own architectural build. We build beautiful homes for many wonderful families and this time we wanted to build one for ourselves. This won’t be our standard building process, it doesn’t follow a typical schedule. The posts won’t follow a roster. It will be part time when Gary (and some of his helpful friends) can spare some time. We are lucky to have access to some of the best in the business and we will be sharing those suppliers and contractors with you because without them these homes don’t get completed! Let’s Gooooo!