Launceston & East Coast Tasmania

Homes Built to Last.
Built the Way You Imagined.

Most builders in Tasmania will tell you what you want to hear — then surprise you with costs you didn’t plan for, timelines that stretch, and subcontractors you’ve never met. We’ve been building in this state for 14 years on fixed-price contracts with one consistent team. No surprises. No excuses.

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Master Builders Australia Member HIA Certified Professionals Fixed-Price Every Contract Fully Licensed & Insured
14Years in Tasmania
100+Homes Completed
4.9Google Rating (47 reviews)
10yrStructural Warranty
Sound familiar?

Building a home shouldn’t feel like a gamble

01

Cost overruns nobody warned you about

You agreed on a price. Three months in, you’re being asked for another $40,000. Variations, exclusions, site costs ‘not in the quote.’ Your dream home is becoming a financial nightmare.

checkEvery Modern Homes contract is fixed-price. What you sign is what you pay.
02

Subcontractors you’ve never met

Most builders are project managers who outsource everything. You spend months sharing your home with strangers who answer to someone else — and quality is the first thing that slips.

checkOur six-person team handles your build from first pour to final coat. Same faces, every week.
03

Timelines that stretch by months

Six months became eight. Eight became twelve. Your lease ran out, you’re in temporary housing, and your builder stopped returning calls in week twenty.

checkWe publish our build timeline and track against it. You’ll know exactly where you stand at every stage.
What we build

From a single room to a complete custom home

View All Services
New residential build
Our Speciality

New Residential Builds

Architecturally designed from the ground up — single-storey, multi-level, waterfront, and rural. We work from your plans or collaborate with your architect to bring your vision to life on budget, on time.

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Renovations and extensions
Transform What You Have

Renovations & Extensions

Add a storey, open up your living space, or refresh a tired home. We work with your existing structure and your existing life — minimal disruption.

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Knock-down rebuild
Start Fresh

Knock-Down Rebuilds

Love your block but not your home? We handle the full demolition and rebuild — council approvals, demolition, construction, handover. One contract, one team.

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Commercial fit-out
Business Spaces

Commercial Fit-Outs

Offices, retail spaces, hospitality fit-outs. The same fixed-price approach that makes us Tasmania’s most trusted residential builder, applied to your commercial project.

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Recent projects

Work we’re proud to put our name on

Charles Street, Launceston
New Build

Custom 4-Bedroom Residence

Charles Street Launceston

Handcrafted Byron Bay timber bath, copper cladding, architect designed. Delivered on time and on budget.

St Helens, East Coast
New Build

Coastal 3-Bedroom Home

St Helens East Coast

Full ocean views, engineered timber frame, blackbutt decking, 14-week build timeline.

Trevallyn — Kitchen Extension
Extension

Rear Extension & Open-Plan Living

Before kitchen Trevallyn
Before
After kitchen Trevallyn
After

Adding 42sqm open-plan kitchen and living. Council approval managed by our team. 9-week build.

Newnham — Full Renovation
Full Renovation

1970s Complete Gut & Rebuild

Before Newnham renovation
Before
After Newnham renovation
After

New roof, rewire, replumb, full interior fitout. 22 weeks from first day on site to handover.

Watch us work

See a Modern Homes build from slab to handover

14 years. 100+ homes. Watch how we work — and why our clients keep referring us.

Modern Homes Tasmania build story
Watch: Slab to Handover — A Modern Homes Build Story (3:42)
Contact us to request the full build documentary
Why Modern Homes

The difference you’ll feel from the first meeting

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Fixed-Price Contract — Every Time

You’ll receive a complete fixed-price contract before a single sod is turned. What’s in writing is what you pay. We absorb cost variations — not you.

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One Consistent Team, Start to Finish

Six full-time employees. The same people who pour your slab install your kitchen. No handoffs, no strangers, no quality gaps.

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14 Years Building in Tasmania

We know Tasmanian soil, Tasmanian council, and Tasmanian weather. That local knowledge saves you time and money on every project.

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10-Year Structural Warranty

Every new build comes with a 10-year structural warranty. And if something isn’t right before handover, we fix it. Full stop.

Modern Homes Tasmania build quality
The process

What building with us actually looks like

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Week 1–2

Free Consultation

We meet on-site or at your block. You tell us what you want to build. We tell you honestly if it’s achievable within your budget — and what it’ll take.

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Month 1–2

Design & Scope

We work with your architect, or connect you with one of ours. Full plans, material selections, fixed-price contract drafted. You approve before anything starts.

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Month 2–4

Council Approvals

We manage all council applications and building permits. Most approvals in Tasmania take 6–12 weeks — we handle the paperwork so you don’t have to.

foundation
Month 4–18

Construction

Our team is on-site every day. You get fortnightly written progress updates and an open invitation to visit whenever you want. No surprises.

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Final Week

Handover

Full walkthrough. Defects list closed. Keys in your hand. Certificate of Occupancy lodged. All warranties registered in your name.

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Ongoing

Aftercare

We don’t disappear after handover. Call us. We’ll come back. That’s why 40% of our work comes from past clients and their referrals.

The team

The people building your home

Locky Allison
Locky Allison
Co-Founder & Director

With an accounting background, Locky built Modern Homes on one principle: if a client can’t predict their costs, they can’t make good decisions. Fixed-price contracts weren’t standard practice in Tasmanian construction when we started in 2012. We made them our non-negotiable.

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Nathan O'Byrne
Nathan O’Byrne
Co-Founder & Head Builder

15 years in construction before co-founding Modern Homes. Nathan is on every site, every week — not managing from an office. If you have a question about your build, you’ll get an answer from the person who’s actually holding the tools.

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Client stories

4.9   from 47 verified Google reviews

“

“Building our home with Modern Homes was the first time I’d done anything like this. Locky walked us through every decision and we never felt pressured. The fixed-price contract meant we could actually plan our finances. We moved in three weeks ahead of schedule.”

Karen & James T.
Launceston, New Build
Google
“

“We’d had a nightmare experience with a previous builder on a renovation — cost overruns, no communication, months of delays. Modern Homes were the opposite in every way. Nathan was on-site almost every day. If something changed, we heard about it immediately. I wouldn’t use anyone else in Tasmania.”

Michael P.
Trevallyn, Renovation
Google
“

“Our knock-down rebuild on the East Coast was complicated — difficult access, council complications, remote location. Locky and Nathan never made excuses. They just solved it. Exceptional work.”

Sarah W.
St Helens, Knock-Down Rebuild
Google
Free resources

Three guides every Tasmanian homeowner should read before hiring a builder

7 Questions Guide
Most Downloaded
Download — Free PDF

7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Builder

Collecting quotes? Most homeowners don’t know what to ask — which is how they end up with the wrong builder. These 7 questions are the exact ones that separate a professional operation from one that will cost you far more than their quote.

  • How are variations handled in the contract?
  • Who will be on my site day-to-day?
  • Can I see your fixed-price contract template?
  • What’s your defects process before handover?
Build Timeline Guide
Download — Free PDF

The Tasmania Home Build Timeline

The single question every new build client asks: how long? This guide walks through every stage — from initial consultation to receiving your keys — with realistic timeframes, what causes delays, and how to protect yourself in the contract.

  • What each stage involves
  • Realistic timeframes for TAS
  • Council approval process
  • How to track your builder’s progress
Renovation Budget Worksheet
Download — Worksheet PDF

Renovation Budget Worksheet for Tasmanian Homeowners

Before you call a builder, know your numbers. This one-page worksheet helps you calculate your realistic budget — including the items most people forget (council fees, demolition, temporary housing, landscaping) — so you can have an honest first conversation.

  • Full cost breakdown template
  • Common budget blowout categories
  • Questions to ask your builder
  • Sign-off checklist
Where we build

Launceston and East Coast Tasmania — our home ground

Launceston
Our base. CBD, Trevallyn, Newnham, Kings Meadows, Riverside.
East Coast Tasmania
St Helens, Bicheno, Swansea, Orford. Coastal and rural builds our speciality.
Tamar Valley
Exeter, Beaconsfield, Rosevears, Grindelwald. River frontage specialists.
Northern Midlands
Longford, Evandale, Cressy, Oatlands. Rural properties and acreage builds.
Meander Valley
Deloraine, Westbury, Meander. Agricultural and lifestyle blocks.
North West Coast
Devonport, Ulverstone, Burnie. Selected projects — enquire about availability.
Questions

Answered before you call

How long does a new home build take in Tasmania?

Most new builds take 12–18 months from contract signing to handover, depending on size and complexity. Council approval typically adds 8–12 weeks before construction begins. At our first consultation, we’ll give you a project-specific timeline estimate.

What does ‘fixed-price contract’ actually mean?

It means the price we quote is the price you pay. If the cost of materials increases during your build, we absorb it. If site conditions require extra work that wasn’t foreseeable, we’ll discuss it with you before proceeding — but our base contract is fixed. No surprise invoices.

Do you handle council approvals and building permits?

Yes. We manage all Tasmanian council building permit applications as part of our project management service. We’ll advise you on what approvals your project requires and handle the full submission and follow-up process.

Can I use my own architect or designer?

Absolutely. We work with clients’ existing architects and designers regularly. If you don’t have one, we can connect you with trusted Tasmanian architects we’ve worked with — or work from your plans as provided.

What’s the typical payment schedule for a new build?

Payment is milestone-based: deposit on contract signing, then progress payments at slab, frame, lock-up, fixing, and practical completion stages. Your contract will clearly detail each milestone and the corresponding payment amount before you sign.

What warranties do you provide?

Every new build comes with a 10-year structural warranty. Our workmanship is warranted for 2 years post-handover. Manufacturers’ warranties apply to all fixtures and appliances — typically 5–10 years depending on the brand.

Do you build on difficult or sloped sites?

Yes — this is one area where our 14 years of Tasmanian experience genuinely matters. We’ve built on steep East Coast hillsides, challenging clay soils in Launceston’s northern suburbs, and rocky coastal foundations. Difficult sites require honest scoping upfront — and we’ll tell you exactly what it’ll cost before you commit.

What’s the minimum project size you take on?

For new builds, we work on projects from $350,000 upward. For renovations and extensions, our minimum engagement is $80,000. We’re a boutique operation — we take on 4–6 new projects per year, so we’re selective about fit as much as scale.

Ready to build?

Let’s see if we’re the right fit for your project.

We take on 4–6 new projects per year. We’d rather take on fewer builds and do them exceptionally well than stretch our team thin across too many sites.

0417 340 055
Mon–Fri 8am–5pm  ·  Launceston, TAS
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7 Questions Guide
Free Download

7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Builder

Most homeowners don't know what to ask — which is how they end up with the wrong builder.