Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about BuildWhiz.
BuildWhiz is an AI-powered tool that checks your builder's quote for completeness. You tell us about your building project, upload your builder's quote PDF, and our AI analyses every line item against a personalised checklist tailored to your specific project — flagging what's missing, vague, or potentially underquoted.
Think of it as a second pair of eyes on your quote, powered by artificial intelligence that understands Australian building contracts.
BuildWhiz works in three stages:
- Personalised checklist: You answer a short questionnaire about your project type, location, family needs, and priorities. We generate a personalised checklist of items your quote should cover.
- Quote extraction: Our AI reads your quote PDF and extracts every line item, allowance, provisional sum, and piece of fine print.
- Gap analysis: The AI compares your quote against your personalised checklist and produces a detailed report showing what's included, what's missing, and what's vague or unclear — with plain-English explanations and ready-to-use builder questions.
The whole process takes about 3 minutes of your time. The AI analysis completes within minutes.
We accept PDF files. This covers the vast majority of builder's quotes. The PDF can be either a digitally created document or a scanned copy — our system handles both.
Yes. BuildWhiz supports new builds, renovations, extensions, and knockdown-rebuilds. The wizard adapts to your project type, so the personalised checklist will be tailored to your specific scope — whether it's a kitchen upgrade, full home renovation, or an extension.
Yes. BuildWhiz covers all eight Australian states and territories. Our checklists include state-specific items — from cyclone ratings in Queensland to bushfire assessments in Victoria and everything in between. When you enter your location during the wizard, the analysis is tailored to the requirements for your area.
Your coverage score is the percentage of standard checklist items that are clearly included in your builder's quote. A score of 65% means roughly a third of items are either missing or unclear.
The score is based on your personalised checklist — so it reflects what matters for your project, not a generic template. It's a quick way to see how complete your quote is at a glance.
Your full report gives you:
- Coverage score — a single percentage showing how complete your quote is
- Priority list — the highest-risk gaps ranked by impact
- Gap-by-gap breakdown — every missing and unclear item with plain-English explanations
- Variable cost analysis — every allowance, provisional sum, and prime cost item flagged with insights on whether the amounts look realistic
- Questions for your builder — a specific question to ask for each gap
- Negotiation scripts — word-for-word phrasing to use with your builder (paid tiers)
- BuildWhiz Assistant — ask follow-up questions about any item in your quote (paid tiers)
- Email your builder — a ready-to-send email listing every issue for your builder to respond to (paid tiers)
- PDF download — a formatted report you can print or share (paid tiers)
Variable costs are amounts in your quote that are estimates only — they can change after you sign the contract. Builders include them for items where the final cost depends on your selections or site conditions.
- Allowances — a budget for items where you'll choose the specific product later (e.g. kitchen fittings, floor tiles)
- Provisional sums — estimates for work that can't be precisely costed yet (e.g. landscaping, excavation)
- Prime cost items — a placeholder price for a specific product that you'll select later (e.g. tapware, appliances)
BuildWhiz identifies every variable cost in your quote and uses AI to assess whether the amounts look realistic for your area and project type.
The BuildWhiz Assistant is an BuildWhiz Assistant trained on your specific quote and analysis. You can ask it questions like:
- "What does this allowance actually cover?"
- "Is it risky that waterproofing is missing?"
- "What should I ask my builder about the foundation?"
Each message uses 1 credit. The assistant gives practical, plain-English answers tailored to your quote — not generic information.
BuildWhiz generates a professional email you can send directly to your builder. It lists every missing and unclear item from your analysis, framed as polite clarification requests — not complaints.
You choose which items to include, and the email is written in a tone that keeps your builder relationship positive while making sure nothing gets missed. You can copy the text, open it in your email app, or send it directly via Gmail.
Yes. After your builder responds and sends an updated quote, you can upload it as a revision. BuildWhiz will analyse the new version and show you exactly what changed — which items were fixed, which gaps remain, and whether any new issues appeared.
You can track your progress through multiple revisions and see your coverage score improve over time. Re-analysis uses 20 credits.
Yes. If you have quotes from multiple builders, you can upload them and get a side-by-side comparison showing which builder covers more, where they differ, and their relative coverage scores. This helps you make an informed decision about which builder offers the most complete scope. Comparison uses 30 credits.
Getting started is free — you complete the wizard, upload your quote, and receive a free preview showing your coverage score and a handful of critical issues from your analysis.
To unlock the full report, you choose from three one-time payment tiers (not subscriptions). Higher tiers include more features like the BuildWhiz Assistant, negotiation scripts, builder email, PDF download, and credits for revisions and comparisons. Visit the home page to see current pricing.
Credits are used for advanced features that require additional AI processing:
- AI chat messages — 1 credit per message
- Re-analysis (revised quote) — 20 credits
- Builder comparison — 30 credits
Credits are included with your plan purchase — the Lock-up plan includes 20 credits and the Handover plan includes 60. If you need more, you can buy additional credit bundles at any time from within your report.
Yes. If your report misses something important or doesn't properly analyse your quote, you'll get a full refund — no questions asked. Contact us and we'll sort it out.
Yes. If you have a promo code, you can enter it on the checkout page before paying. The discount will be applied automatically. Promo codes may offer a percentage discount, a fixed dollar amount off, or free credits added to your account.
Yes. We take data security seriously:
- All uploaded files are scanned for viruses before processing.
- Your data is stored on Australian servers (AWS Sydney region) with encryption at rest and in transit.
- Our AI provider does not use your data to train their models.
- You can delete your quotes and account at any time.
For full details, see our Privacy Policy.
Yes. You can delete any quote from your account at any time. Deleting a quote permanently removes the uploaded PDF, all analysis data, chat history, and associated reports. Payment records are retained for accounting purposes but are no longer linked to the deleted data.
You can also delete your entire account from the account settings page.
No. BuildWhiz provides general information only. It does not constitute legal, financial, quantity surveying, or building advisory services.
Our analysis helps you identify potential gaps so you can have more informed conversations with your builder and professional advisors. We always recommend consulting a construction lawyer before signing any building contract.
AI technology is powerful but not perfect. Our analysis may occasionally miss items, flag something incorrectly, or misinterpret your quote's content. That's why BuildWhiz is an informational tool, not a replacement for professional advice.
Use the report as a starting point for conversations with your builder — not as a definitive assessment. If you believe the analysis contains a significant error, contact us and we'll look into it.
Like any expert reviewer, our AI may weigh borderline items slightly differently each time. You might see an item marked as "vague" in one report and "missing" in another — these are grey-area judgment calls.
What stays consistent:
- The same checklist items are always checked.
- Clearly included items will always be marked as included.
- Clearly missing items will always be flagged.
- The overall picture of your quote's strengths and gaps will be the same.
Still have questions?
Contact us at support@buildwhiz.com.au