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Ironbark HomesFamily builders · Toowoomba

Family builders in Toowoomba
and the Darling Downs

Your first home, built properly.

Solid family homes, first home builds and granny flats. Plain-English contracts, a fixed price in writing, and a builder who picks up the phone.

See our homes
  • 5.0 from 38 Google reviews
  • Family owned and local
  • Licensed and insured
A finished weatherboard family home with a front verandah, lawn and driveway

“You’ll have my mobile from the first chat to the day you get your keys.”Ben Walker, builder and owner

When could we move in?Pick your home type and see a typical timeline, month by month.Try the planner → Build budget plannerA rough cost range for your size and finish, plus the extras people forget.Work out a range → Before you sign: checklistTen things to sort before any build contract in Queensland.Tick it off →
5.0★from 38 Google reviews
2012building homes on the Downs since
20 yrson the tools before Ben started Ironbark
1 builderone phone number, start to finish

Homes we build

Three kinds of home. One careful way of building them.

Whether it’s your very first place, room for a growing family, or a granny flat for Mum out the back, you deal with Ben from the first chat to the keys.

Single storey weatherboard home with verandah
Most asked about

First homes

We walk you through grants, finance and every step in between, and never make you feel silly for asking.

What’s included
  • A free first chat about budget, block and must-haves
  • Help lining up what your lender needs from the builder
  • A fixed-price contract in plain English
  • A weekly update from Ben, every week of the build
Small white weatherboard granny flat behind a hedge
Extra space

Granny flats

Room for Mum, the teenagers or a little extra rent.

What’s included
  • A site visit to check access, services and where it fits
  • Approvals handled for you
  • Kitchen, bathroom and laundry, ready to live in
Brick family home with a double garage and gardens
Room to grow

Family homes

Four bedrooms, two living areas and room for the kids to grow.

What’s included
  • Floor plans drawn around how your family actually lives
  • Local trades we’ve worked with for years
  • A walkthrough together before handover
Timber alfresco deck with steps, opening onto a living room
Outdoor living

Alfrescos

A covered deck for Sunday barbecues, built as part of your new home.

What’s included
  • Designed with the house so rooflines and floor levels line up
  • Timber decking and stairs
  • Opens straight off the living area

How your build works

Five stages, from bare dirt to the keys.

Tap each stage to see what happens, roughly how long it takes, and what you’ll be doing while we build.

Free tools

Plan it before you ring us.

Three free tools for first home buyers and families on the Downs. Play with the numbers, then send them to Ben for a proper answer.

1

When could we move in?

A typical timeline from the first chat to the keys. Change the options and the bars move.

What are you building?
Your block
Typical move-in window
–
Assumptions. Typical ranges for the Toowoomba region, not a promise. Build times assume a standard sloping-to-flat block and normal supply of materials. Approvals are usually through a private building certifier, and can take longer if council planning approval is also needed. Land settlement and demolition times vary.
2

Build budget planner

A rough range to take to the bank. Every home is different, so treat this as a starting point, not a quote.

180 m²
About a 4 bedroom single storey home
Finish level
Your block
Extras people often forget
Rough all-in range
–
How we worked it out.
  • Build cost per m² (approx, regional Qld): standard $1,900–$2,400, mid-range $2,400–$3,100, premium $3,100–$4,000.
  • Site works: flat $5k–$15k, gentle slope $15k–$35k, steep or rocky $35k–$75k.
  • Extras are typical ranges. Land, finance costs and furniture are not included.
  • Buying your first home? See the current Queensland grants and concessions at the Queensland Revenue Office.
3

Before you sign: the checklist

Ten things to sort before you sign any building contract in Queensland, with us or anyone else.

0 of 10
    General information only, not legal or financial advice. Check the details for your situation with the QBCC, the Queensland Revenue Office and your lender.

    Our homes

    Recent homes around the Downs

    Tap a photo to see it bigger.

    Working with us

    What happens after you get in touch

    1. A free chat

      Over coffee or on the phone. Your budget, your block and what you need the home to do.

    2. Site visit and ideas

      Ben walks the block with you, looks at slope and access, and talks through plans that suit it.

    3. Fixed price, in writing

      Plans, inclusions and a plain-English contract. The price you sign is the price you pay, unless you change something.

    4. Build and keys

      A weekly update from Ben the whole way, a walkthrough together, then the keys. If something isn’t right later, we come back.

    Reviews

    Families we’ve built for

    Sample reviews

    5.0
    ★★★★★
    from 38 Google reviews
    “First home buyers with no idea what we were doing. Ben explained every step and never made us feel silly for asking.”
    Mia and Josh · first home, Highfields
    “Our granny flat was finished on time and Mum loves it. Couldn’t recommend Ironbark more.”
    Robyn T. · granny flat, Westbrook
    “Honest, local and great quality. They even came back to adjust a door six months later, no charge.”
    Sam D. · Glenvale
    “The weekly updates were gold. We always knew what stage we were at and what was coming next.”
    Priya and Tom · family home, Kearneys Spring
    “The fixed price stayed fixed. No nasty surprises at the end, just a lovely home.”
    Greg H. · Harristown
    A new house frame on a building site with a mound of soil in front

    About Ironbark

    Local builders, local trades

    Ben Walker started Ironbark in 2012 after twenty years on the tools. We use local trades we’ve worked with for years.

    • If something isn’t right, we come back and fix it. Simple as that.
    • Plain-English contracts, and a builder who picks up the phone.
    • Family owned, licensed and insured.

    Ben Walker, Builder

    Questions

    Things people ask before they ring

    Can’t see yours? Send Ben a text. He’s happy to answer the silly ones too.

    We’re first home buyers and have no idea where to start. Is that okay?

    That’s most of the people we build for. Start with a free chat. We’ll talk about your budget, whether you have land yet, and what your lender will need from a builder, then go from there, one step at a time.

    Is your price really fixed?

    Yes. Every quote is fixed price and every timeline is in writing. The price only changes if you ask for a change, and we’ll show you the cost of that change before we do it.

    How long does a new home take to build?

    It depends on the size and design. As a rough guide in the region, a single storey home typically takes around 6 to 9 months on site once approvals are through, and a granny flat less. Try the move-in planner above for your own situation.

    How much deposit will I pay the builder?

    In Queensland, the deposit a builder can ask for on a contract of $20,000 or more is capped at 5% (10% under $20,000). After that you pay at set stages, like base, frame and lock-up. The QBCC explains the rules.

    Can you help with grants and finance?

    We’re builders, not brokers, but we know what paperwork lenders and grant applications need from the builder, and we get it to them quickly. For current grant rules, check the Queensland Revenue Office.

    Can we visit the site while it’s being built?

    Of course. Building sites aren’t safe to wander on alone, so just let Ben know and he’ll walk you through. Most people come at frame stage, when it starts to feel real.

    Can a granny flat go on our block?

    Often, yes. It depends on block size, access, services and the local planning rules. Ben will check your block on the site visit and handle the approvals for you.

    What happens if something goes wrong after we move in?

    Ring us. If something isn’t right, we come back and fix it. One of our reviewers had a door adjusted six months after handover, no charge.

    Get in touch

    Start with a free chat

    Tell us a little about your block and your plans. Ben will get back to you himself.

    • 0400 XXX 000 · Ben Walker
    • Mon to Fri, 6:30am to 4pm
    • Licensed and insured

    Where we build

    • Toowoomba and the Darling Downs
    • Highfields
    • Westbrook
    • Glenvale
    • Kearneys Spring
    • Cranley
    • Harristown

    Tell us about your build

    Takes a minute. No obligation.