Got a bad feeling about your renovation or build?
We're the one person on your renovation or build who works only for you. Not your builder, not your inspector, not your lawyer. We meet you on site in Sydney, look at what's actually going on, and help you see your options before you spend money you can't get back.
20 minutes. Free. No pitch. You'll leave with clear, actionable next steps, in writing.
A straight answer on how bad this actually is
The traps and risks in front of you, named
In writing the same day, so you can show your partner
This isn't just a contract review
Builder acting up? Tender missing half the job? Not sure the new builder's any good? We help with all of it. The contract, the tender, the builder, the neighbours, the stuff nobody warns you about. One person, on your side, for the whole renovation or build.
Everyone on your build is covering themselves. Who's covering you?
Your builder has an industry association. Your designer can point at the builder. The engineer has a scope of works that ends right where your problem starts. The insurer has lawyers. And your own lawyer bills in six minute units, so every phone call and every email costs you, and their work really only begins once it's already an all-out dispute.
There are protections. Fair Trading, the Building Commission, consumer law. They're real. They're also slow, expensive to use, and they may not be able to undo what you've already agreed to or paid.
So when something goes wrong, everyone points somewhere else and you're left holding the mess, usually without the documents or the expertise to prove who caused what. They've done this a hundred times. For you, it's the first time.
That's the gap we fill.
One call. Three answers.
A real conversation, not a sales call. You tell us what's going on. We tell you what we see.
How bad is it?
A straight answer on whether what you're dealing with is normal building friction or something that needs action now. Most people want to know whether they're overreacting. Usually they're not.
What are the risks?
The exposure you're carrying right now, including the parts nobody has mentioned to you. What could get worse, and how quickly.
What are my options?
The three or four paths actually open to you, in plain English, with a sense of what each may cost you in money and in months, and what to do first.
Plenty of free calls are really just someone deciding whether you're worth their time. Ours ends with the whole thing written up and emailed to you the same day. No relying on memory, and no trying to explain it to your partner from notes.
What we do
Reno & Build Risk Review
Something feels off and you want a straight read on it.
- A plain-English look at what's actually going on
- Where your money and time are exposed
- What's worth doing now versus later
- We visit the site
Contract Review
You have a contract in front of you and you have not signed yet.
- HIA, MBA, ABIC and more
- Line by line, in plain English
- Before you sign
Scope & Tender Management
You have quotes in hand and no way to tell them apart.
- Make sure what's actually on the table covers the whole job
- Then compare builders side by side
- Before you pick one
Before-you-sign workshop
Nothing has started yet and you want the safeguards right.
- Before the build starts
- The safeguards worth putting in place
- From the contract to how you'll keep a record of the job week to week
Builder Vetting
Something feel off with your builder?
- We check what's on the public record
- Before you decide whether to push through
- Or find someone else
Construction Concierge Support
You want someone alongside you for the whole thing.
- For families who want us alongside them
- For the whole build, on site
- Start to finish
Dispute Management & Support
Already in a dispute?
- We help you keep the paperwork in order
- Understand the process and the timeframes
- Work alongside your lawyer if you have one
- We don't give legal advice
We only work for you
We're not your builder, your designer, your engineer, or a lawyer billing you in six minute blocks. We're the one person on your project whose only job is getting you home.
What that looks like: working out what's actually going on, what the risks are, what your options are, whether bringing in a lawyer is even the right move yet, how each path may play out and how long it may take, and what's worth doing now versus later.
Across the range of options in front of you, we help you work towards the outcome that's right for you.
No builder, trade, or insurer pays us. You do, so we only ever answer to you.
When something feels off, we help you:
- See clearly what's happening, and whether it's as bad as it feels
- Understand the risks you're carrying, including the ones nobody has mentioned
- See your real options, not only the scary one
- Work out what to do now and what to leave for later, and what each choice may cost you
- Know how long each path may take before you commit to it
- Catch what nobody warns you about: moisture, mould, neighbour disputes, the things that get expensive later
- Stop the bleeding: protect your budget and put it where it actually counts
Three steps, and the first one takes a minute
- Book a call. Pick a time that suits you. It's free and there's nothing to prepare.
- Tell us what's going on. Twenty minutes, phone or video. We ask, you talk, we tell you what we see.
- Get it in writing. Same day: your main risks, the options in front of you, and the next steps worth taking.
We're not a call centre. When it's time to look at things properly, we come to you.
Is this you?
If any one of these sounds familiar, the call is worth your time.
- Something doesn't feel right about someone involved in your renovation or build
- You're getting requests for more money, invoices that don't add up, delays and excuses, and you can't tell what's reasonable
- You've been handed a variation or a payment demand and you're not sure what you're agreeing to
- You're thinking about sacking the builder, designer or engineer, withholding money, or calling a lawyer, and you want a clear head first
Probably not us, if:
- You need litigation-compliant reports. That's a licensed building inspector or an engineer, and we'll say so.
- You only need professional legal advice. That's a solicitor or barrister, and we'll tell you honestly if you're at that point.
- You're a developer, or the project is commercial, mixed-use or a joint venture. We work with families on their own homes.
Why Level & True
I've bought and sold property and built our own forever home. I'm not a lawyer and I'm not a builder. But I've been through a renovation that went badly wrong, and I've seen this from every side. I know exactly what it costs when nobody in the room is actually on your side.
That's why I started Level & True: a level head and the true picture, from the one person on your build who works only for you.
No builder, trade, or insurer pays us. You do, so we only ever answer to you.
I'm based on Sydney's Northern Beaches and work across the North Shore and the rest of Sydney.
FAQ
How is this different from a lawyer or a building inspector?
Different job. A building inspector documents defects. A solicitor advises on the law and runs a case if it gets there. We sit before and around both of them: helping you understand your whole situation, what your options are, and whether you need either of them yet. We don't give legal advice and we don't issue defect reports. When you need one of those, we'll tell you.
Is the call really free?
Yes. No card, no catch. Plenty of people get what they need from the call and the written summary and we never hear from them again. That's fine.
Do I need to send you anything before we talk?
Not to book. After you book we'll email and ask for your contract and any variations, if they're easy to lay hands on. It's optional, and it makes the call a lot sharper, because we can read them beforehand instead of hearing about them on the phone.
What happens after the call?
We send you a written summary the same day. If your situation needs a proper look at the documents, the payments and the site, we'll tell you what that involves and what it costs. No obligation, and no follow-up sales calls.
Will my builder find out?
No. What you tell us stays between us.
Can you make my builder fix it?
Nobody can force anyone to do anything. What we do is level the field. The people on your project do this every day. They know the contracts, the regulations and how these things usually play out. You don't, because it's your first time. We help you see where you actually have leverage, which of it is worth using, and what each move may cost you.
Where do you work?
We're based on Sydney's Northern Beaches and work across Sydney on site. Anywhere else in NSW, get in touch and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help properly.
Talk to us
The easiest way to start is to book a time. It takes a minute and costs nothing. If you'd rather write first, send us a message here and tell us what's going on. We read every one ourselves.
The wrong move can cost you more than the problem
Sacking the builder, withholding payment, lawyering up: done in a panic, the wrong first move can cost you far more than what's already gone wrong. A clear head now is the cheapest insurance you'll buy on this whole renovation or build.
20 minutes. Free. Nothing to prepare.