http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz en-us Sat, 13 Jun 2026 01:46:53 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/166191/what-makes-a-builder-different-when-the-price-is-the-same/ It’s a question a potential client asked me at the end of last year.A fixed budget. Two builders quoting similar numbers. And a genuine question, not a test:What is the difference between builders if the price is the same?It’s a fair question. And one the industry doesn’t answer very well.... Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:13:39 +1200 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post166191 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/164554/architectural-building-process-digital-site-management/ Our foremen used to unroll A1 plans on the bonnet of a ute.Now they pull up the same drawings on an iPad, zoom into a detail, cross-link to a section, and keep moving. No flipping through pages. No hunting for the right revision. No version control chaos.We moved to Procore a while back, and the change has stuck. Not because we told the team to adopt it. Because the team has come to prefer it.The killer feature for adoption was practical. The team uses Procore to submit timesheets, and that... Thu, 14 May 2026 13:43:09 +1200 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post164554 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/164014/contingency-in-architectural-builds/ A few weeks ago, near the end of a large architectural build, we sat down with the architect and the clients to talk about contingency.It was a conversation that should have happened much earlier. No one ever wants to talk to the builder about contingency. Architects will tell you the same. When it does come up, the reasoning is usually the same: that raising it somehow gives the builder permission to go over budget. That’s the real issue with contingency on architectural builds. Not that a sy... Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:43:49 +1200 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post164014 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/162539/letter-to-a-first-year-building-apprentice/ Starting a first-year building apprenticeship in carpentry is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming, especially when working on architectural builds.Every builder remembers their first year on site.New people. New tools. A new environment. There’s a lot to absorb, and most of the learning comes from the people around you.When Noah Rooke started his apprenticeship with us, he set himself a goal. I still remember the day he said he wanted to become “the most useful first-year apprentice po... Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:21:57 +1300 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post162539 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/161908/why-a-project-cfo-matters-in-architectural-builds/ Building an architectural home is one of the largest financial commitments most people will ever make. The design may capture the imagination, but confidence in the numbers is what ultimately allows a project to move forward.Recently, a prospective client came to the table with a background in financial markets. Analysing numbers was second nature to him. In previous discussions with suppliers, he had already become frustrated by information that felt opaque or incomplete.When we were invited to... Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:42:37 +1300 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post161908 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/161423/building-the-industry-not-just-the-project-architectural-builders/ What does it mean to be a builder?That question has been sitting with me for a while.In one of our early sessions with The Craftsmen leadership group at Faulkner Construction, we asked the team to answer it. No overthinking. Just instinct.Create something from nothing.Leave your mark on the landscape.Solve problems. Think ahead. Get things done.Be proud of what you build - and who you build it with.Then we asked a second question.What does it mean to be a builder at Faulkner?The answers shifted.... Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post161423 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/153867/house-of-the-year-2025-building-to-gold-standard/ “What we say and what we do are the same thing.”That phrase has become a leadership mantra at Faulkner Construction. And in 2025, it was put to the test at the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards.We entered three projects. We walked away with three Gold Awards and a Regional Lifestyle Award.The results matter. But more importantly, they prove that the Gold Standard we talk about internally is alive in every project we deliver. Awards night = excitement + nervesHouse of t... Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post153867 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/153865/building-homes-and-building-culture/ A few years ago, I decided to try something different at Faulkner. I gave five carpenters a book, Belonging by Owen Eastwood, and asked them to read it at home. Then I invited them into what was essentially a book club.Five guys straight off the tools, boots left outside, sitting in the boardroom after a long day on site. Me, nervously opening a conversation about ancestry, identity, and legacy.I’ll be honest, I did most of the talking that first day. But something stuck.That book - especially... Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post153865 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/154575/from-finishing-carpenter-to-foreman-at-faulkner-construction/ Not every builder wants to lead. And not every craftsman is meant to — until one day, they are.At Faulkner Construction, we talk a lot about site leadership. It’s not just about experience, it’s about foresight, follow-through, and the willingness to carry the weight when no one’s watching. Dan’s journey from finishing carpenter to first-time foreman shows what happens when a great builder steps into that space.For years, Dan’s reputation preceded him. Everyone wanted him on the fina... Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post154575 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/post/152241/ross-faulkner-47-years-of-building-leading-and-shaping-new-zealands-construction-industry/ In the building industry, there are names that carry weight not just because of what they’ve built, but because of the way they’ve led. For us at Faulkner Construction, that name is our founder — Ross Faulkner.For nearly five decades, Ross has been a constant in an industry that has changed beyond recognition. From his beginnings as an apprentice in the late 1970s, to leading a team that delivers some of Auckland and the Bay of Plenty’s most challenging architectural builds, to shaping i... Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.faulknerconstruction.co.nz/blog/#post152241