Duncan Thompson Extensions

Duncan Thompson completed our two story extension eight months ago and we are still so thrilled with the end result. The entire team were professional, friendly and accommodating at every stage of the program. Bryn’s design is gorgeous and has transformed our small, cramped bungalow into a home we never want to leave. The GM Chris took the time to check in and ensure we were happy with the works/service of the team. Our project manager, Nick, went out of his way to ensure our young family was able to live comfortably on site throughout the entire build and everything went so smoothly – even in the middle of winter. Looking back on the entire process, we were so lucky to have Nick in our corner. He managed the team through every hurdle, making the build more stress free than I ever thought possible. Everything Curtis and his team built was of such a high quality, and with an incredible attention to detail. We get so many compliments on our home, but the end result is so much more than we imagined was possible. We highly recommend the team at Duncan Thompson whenever we speak to someone considering a build.

From the early dealings with Bryn, we felt very comfortable to choose Duncan Thompson for our extension. And we were so happy to have our build finished on time and on budget! Nick managed the process extremely well and Sam was always available whenever needed. Being our first extension project, we were very impressed with how the Duncan Thompson team handled everything. From the great ideas and patience given to us during the design phase, the friendliness and workmanship of all the tradespeople, right through to the excellent quality of the finished product, we highly recommend Duncan Thompson.

When we first thought about renovating our old Californian Bungalow home, we spoke with 4-5 builders, but we are so glad we went with Duncan Thompson!
 We had a wonderful experience.

They were very organised from the beginning to the end of the project and delivered exactly what we wanted. Their professionalism gave us peace of mind throughout the process, and their work quality was excellent, from their wonderful Architect Jim, the engineers to the project manager Nick and suppliers they worked with.

Communication with them was smooth, and they were attentive to our needs. They even came back to address any issues that arose a year later, showing their dedication to customer satisfaction. We appreciated their pride in their work and reputation, which made the whole renovation process stress-free, even during the Covid lockdown.

Overall, we highly recommend Duncan Thompson for their reliable service and attention to detail. They transformed our home beautifully, and we so happy with the outcome.

Simply put DT are a brilliant company to build with - from Jim's Mastery of design to the on-time, on-budget 'easy' delivery.
Highly recommended

We recently completed an extension to our 1920's Californian Bungalow with DTE by adding a second storey whilst living through it on the ground floor. Jim (DTE Designer) helped unlock a lot of value in maximising the upper level around structural and roofline constraints, as well as reconfiguring a problematic ground floor area to resolve functional and aesthetic issues. We tested several planning iterations in both design and cost to get the best cost-to-benefit outcome.

The DTE team lifted the roof off the existing house during the wettest and windiest Spring on record in 2022, but a well planned and executed waterproofing strategy meant no water ingress or damage to the house - they also did not miss a single working day between lifting the roof and making the extension permanently weathertight.

When the works moved inside DTE did everything practicable to minimise disruption and enable our family including 2 kids and a puppy to co-exisit happily! We are delighted with the outcome and the new spaces / zoning / segregation in the house has totally transformed how we use it. Contract administration was transparent and low-fuss. The extension looks great from the street and even better upon entry. On time and budget. Overall a great experience! MK

We commissioned Duncan Thompson to renovate our 1930s single storey weatherboard. We are delighted with the result. From the design to delivery the team has an eye for quality and want to deliver the best product possible. Our house is better than we expected and we know we’ll be happy here for many years to come. Jim has a great understanding of how to interpret needs into design and Sam was patient and honest when project managing the work. We moved back in ahead of time and on budget. Happy customers

Renovating with Duncan Thompson was easy.
The design team really listened to our ideas and translated them into plans that gave us everything we wanted and more, with many thoughtful elements to bring the 'wow factor'.
The build itself was straightforward and even enjoyable! The communication was outstanding, we always knew what was coming up next and when decisions would be required. Our garden and neighbours were respected throughout the process as well.
The building team were a pleasure - from the experience and professionalism of our project manager, to the work ethic of each builder; we see their dedication and pride in their work reflected throughout our home.
We would not hesitate to recommend Duncan Thompson and wish them continued future success. Melissa & Chris, Surrey Hills.

We engaged Duncan Thompson to renovate and extend our 1930’s California Bungalow chiefly adding a second storey. From the outset they were excellent to deal with. Jim, the architect, come up with a great design for our family, listening to what we needed, and blending the design in with our existing home. James, the site manager, and all the tradesmen were very professional and delivered a high quality build. I would highly recommend them to friends and family. Their after completion follow up and maintenance shows why they have such a successful business. At the end of the day, their business is built on their customers happiness.

We engaged Duncan Thompson to manage and build a second storey on our existing home. We initially interviewed three companies and although Duncan Thompson didn't provide a 'free design', we thought it was worth the money due to Jim's architectural experience. We weren't disappointed as Jim came to us with a very different design to the others, even incorporating an existing fireplace and chimney - which the other two companies told us to convert to gas - Jim thought outside the box. The three quotes we received were very close to each other. We decided to engage Duncan Thompson due to their local experience and after knocking on a few doors of previous clients (who were all very happy). The build was seamless, even though we decided to live in the house during the build. James (supervisor) and his team were impeccable and nothing was too much trouble. Rob (builder) and his crew were very clean and courteous at all times. We would not hesitate to use Duncan Thompson again and have recommended them to our friends.

Just completed upstairs extension with Duncan Thompson and very happy with the result. Jim put together a great design within our budget as well as an accurate estimate of exclusions. James (PM) was highly professional, ran the process smoothly and kept us informed along the way and navigated the inevitable hassles arising from contractor shortages in this market. Always contacteable and went above and beyond to respond to any queries and offer advice as required. Alex and Mick (carpenters) were great and plowed through the work with very little disruption despite the fact we were wfh during the whole process. Worksite was always tidied at end of day. The other sub contractors were all of a very high quality. Not having to move out was a big bonus. Highly recommend.
James and Maria.

We can't speak highly enough of Duncan Thompson. The whole team were truly amazing to deal with. From the initial design phase with Jim who delivered a layout that exceeded our expectations, through to the construction phase with a very professional team lead by site forman Sam and even the MD Chris made himself available which really reassured us that we had chosen the right builder. We have dealt with other builders previously and we believe there is no comparison. Duncan Thompson delivered a quality finish on time without an issues what so ever. For anyone thinking about renovating, we cannot recommend them highly enough and will certainly be using them again for our next renovation.

We initially engaged Duncan Thompson due to their reputation and experience. Bryn was personable, a good listener and made sure he understood our needs. He and owner Chris were flexible in negotiations, ensuring a win win outcome. Site manager Sam, foreman Robbie and team, were highly professional, excellent communicators and made sure the work was completed on schedule and to budget. We now have an attractive and spacious family home which we have no intention of leaving! My wife and I would not hesitate to recommend Duncan Thompson.

I originally reached out to Duncan Thompson through a recommendation after my original builder pulled out three weeks prior to commencing our renovation (in the end, what a blessing!!).

Chris, the owner, made the time to meet me with his team and from the get-go they were professional, helpful and did quality work.

My Project Supervisor, Sam, was a delight; forever flexible, helpful and patient. The tradespeople - special shout-out to Nick - were polite and respectful and would always try and deliver any random requests.

As a bonus, they are one of few building companies that will extend up without you having to move out. They even made living in the middle of a renovation easier than I thought it would be.

The final result exceeded my expectations. Absolutely love my 'new' place. I would highly recommend Duncan Thompson without reservation.

I can’t speak highly enough of the entire experience we had with Duncan Thompson. From the beginning, when we met with Jim the architect, we felt that he really understood not only the extension we wanted but how it could be incorporated seamlessly into our existing property.

The project involved excellent communication and a professional approach to our job from the whole team starting with James (our amazing and completely unflappable project manager) to Jason, Liam and all the many other tradies required to complete the work at our place. As a point of contact for every aspect of the project, James’ communication and expertise was second to none. He always answered my calls and took all the little hiccups (we didn’t have any big hiccups) in his stride. He always had an answer to how we could solve any problems and ideas about how things could be done but always let us take the lead in deciding on the details. As our building was done over multiple lockdowns during 2021, James was also very clear about all the COVID restrictions in place at any one time and what was/wasn’t allowed on site as a result. This approach gave us lot of confidence.

The whole process was so easy and if we renovated again, we would definitely use Duncan Thompson. Since moving back in, many people (including strangers walking past) have commented on how the extension has improved our property and we definitely agree. We would highly recommend anyone wanting to do a project to go with Duncan Thompson. You will not be disappointed.

We love our Duncan Thompson second storey extension!

Duncan Thompson did a great job.
In the beginning Jim came for our first consultation and REALLY listened to what we wanted and then improved on our ideas.
During the build we had lots of rain and no roof, it was "all hands on deck" including the boss, Chris French, to get us undercover. And then any issue we had from that was sorted with ease.
Upon completion , which was within exactly the time they proposed in the beginning, we actually came under budget, which is something I've never heard of before when people build.
All the trades people they used did a great job.
And finally we felt very supported after completion.

It still puts a smile on our faces when we walk up the stairs and see the fantastic space Duncan Thompson have created for us.

Thanks to all the team!!!

When we told friends we were going to extend, they said 'be prepared for all sorts of hidden costs, the time will blow out etc etc'. Not only did that not happen, the team at Duncan Thompson kept us in the loop from beginning to end, not surprising us at any time throughout the build.
From the time I rang the company to enquire about extending and spoke to Bryn Richards, the Design Consultant, (who was great), to meeting the boss Chris, and our wonderful site supervisor Sam, to the very final day of the build, Duncan Thompson did the most professional, job leaving us with a gorgeous second storey. The quality of the work is outstanding, thanks to Robbie, Travis, Woody and the all the other tradies. We couldn't be happier with their work. I would recommend them in an instant to anyone who is contemplating extending their home.

From the initial discussions with the architect, Jim, all the way through to project completion, we were amazed at the professionalism of Duncan Thompson and their sub-contractors.

When we moved into delivery - having an on-site supervisor (Nick) that was always accessible and super responsive was fantastic and made the whole experience (we built through covid lockdowns and home schooling) smoother than anticipated. An extension to the supervisor - the construction manager (Sam) was also readily available if we ever needed to discuss anything.

We processed a couple changes through the project, and these were handled in stride and was never too hard for the team. And when some minor things didn't go to plan - DT owned the remediation of any issues immediately and clearly had the best outcome for the owner in mind.

Robbie and his team of trades that were on our project and were fantastic - conscious of us living in the house with a 6 year old and trying to minimise the impact to us whilst bringing a friendly, vibrant feel to the build!

Despite all the adversity of a build in 2021 - the project started on the day quoted (materials came a week early!!) and came in very close to the projected 4 to 6 months quoted.

Some of the key things we were very impressed with that is unusual in the building industry:
- clear communication
- a collaborative approach to developing a functional design that optimised the space available
- easily contactable and responsive sight supervisor
- excellent build team
- owned and remediated any issues immediately

We have no hesitation in recommending DT to friends or family.

After careful consideration we engaged Duncan Thompson Extensions for a second story addition - a project that they managed from start to finish with confidence. As we wanted to live in the house during the work, we found that they were not only accommodating of this, but also experienced enough to be able to cope with the added strain it brings to all.

While a major renovation is daunting (for us at least), their engagement meant rare concerns and rapid progression. Jim (designer), Sam (supervisor), Dave and his team (builders), Andy (everything) and the rest of the team at Duncan Thompson were a pleasure to deal with - and handled our many queries with patience and reliability. It felt like a genuine partnership through the project and beyond - with the company standing behind its work after completion; which is something that is very important to us and an indication of their commitment to satisfaction.

It was a pleasure dealing with Duncan Thompson. From the first appointment with Jim our designer it was a case of doing everything they promised when they said it would be done, unlike the other builders we spoke to while trying to organize our renovation and extension. This continued once the actual construction commenced and the entire project was completed ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. Our initial discussions with Jim our designer, were very helpful and he was able to formalise our wants and ideas into a concrete proposal. At all times he was open to discussion and willing to explain why an idea was or wasn’t possible, or the consequences of an idea eg. an increased cost for little gain. The various trades people who worked on our job were a credit to themselves and the company. They were polite and helpful and as we were living on site throughout the renovations they tidied up at the end of each day to leave the site as clean as possible. Our young carpenters worked diligently together and as a team. Our project included an extension with extra deep foundations, all dug by hand, as well as internal renovations to a bathroom and various other rooms. The whole project ran smoothly and continuously from start to finish. We would have no hesitation recommending Duncan Thompson to our friends or anybody else needing renovations or an extension.

Derek and Pauline Nicholas

Dear Chris

It is with great pleasure that we write this letter with our most sincere and warm thanks to you and the whole Duncan Thompson team for helping to create our wonderful family home.

Every step of the process for us was exciting, challenging and ultimately rewarding, due to the professional nature of the people we worked with and the quality of output that we know Duncan Thompson prides itself on. We greatly appreciated and valued the excellent communication not only between your team and us as clients, but also the collaborative communication between your team and the other trades directly contracted by us.

The Design: Tim Millar delivered to us an exceptional design for our renovation and extension which preserved the 1930s character of the original part of the house but also incorporated modern features which makes living in our home a very happy and relaxing experience. After spending more than 2 years ourselves putting together what we thought was the best design possible, we were genuinely surprised and delighted when Tim presented to us plans which not only met our requirements but included wonderful 'extras' which made us realise why it is best to trust an expert.

The Build: Keith James was a charismatic master builder who we (and even our 3 year old son!) instantly felt an affinity to, due to his passion for doing things the 'old school' way, leadership of the team, love of a joke and many years of experience. He was proactive, attentive to detail and great to deal with no challenge too great for Keith to overcome with his practical problem solving skills on site. Credit must also go to the entire building team who were at all times hard working, respectful of us and our home, and who demonstrated a strong determination to construct a building of the highest quality.

Finally, your leadership and insistence on delivering the best outcome for us as clients was a positive presence throughout the entire process. We always felt cared for and listened to, which was very reassuring given the significant nature of our project.

We would highly recommend Duncan Thompson to anyone considering a renovation or extension!