Each quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) releases data that tells a story. For me, the most interesting numbers are always those that relate to residential construction costs — because behind the figures lies a story about confidence and production within our industry.

Last month’s Quarter 3 results revealed a slight hike of 1.2% after several quarters of only gentle change. While costs continue to move, the sharp increase of recent years has eased. The steadiness returning to the market makes planning, predicting, and preparing that little bit easier.

The graph below shows the ABS data for House Construction Australia, and it’s the data that sits behind the Past Project Forecast Calculator on my website.

The forecast calculator enables us to estimate the cost of past projects under today’s conditions. For example:

A $900k build project in Q4 2023 would likely cost $944k today.
A $900k build project in Q4 2021 would likely cost $1.18M today.
A $900k build project in Q4 2019 would likely cost $1.3M today.

Why is this info valuable for designers and builders?

Because designers and builders know their past projects intimately—the details, challenges, and outcomes —and when we translate that knowledge into current data, it becomes a powerful story that can guide and educate future clients.

When builders and designers connect cost trends to real project data, we start to bridge the gap between past projects and present expectations — turning raw numbers into understanding, and uncertainty into trust.

PS: Curious how your past projects compare in today’s climate? Book a Cuppa with Katie and we’ll run them through the calculator — it’s a simple, powerful way to turn your project history into foresight.

ABS Data – Q3 Insights.

Home, Fit for Purpose.