PJ Burns Builder

-- Update: November 2016 --

After not quite 4 years in our home, I've decided that unfortunately I need to come and update this review for a couple of reasons. The first is that we've encountered some issues with the property, such as:

1. A burst water pipe.
2. A sink drain that became stuck in the 'closed' position.
3. Shower taps that fail to stop the flow of water.

And the second is that actually getting PJ Burns to tend to any of these problems has been a nightmare. I could forgive and forget if they'd actually fix these problems promptly when we report them.

But what actually happens is that my partner sends them a polite e-mail reporting the problem and requesting that they fix it, and then they respond saying that they have no intention of doing so and/or accuse us of causing the problems ourselves (sorry, but why on Earth would I be digging up the water pipes, PJ Burns???). Then I have to get involved and firmly explain things they should already know, such as the terms of the QBCC warranty and their obligations under Australian consumer law. Then some weeks later they admit that I'm right and fix the problem. In the case of the burst pipe, at least (we ended up with a sizeable sinkhole on our property thanks to PJ Burns's procrastination, and did they bother to do anything about that? Of course not). Or they just go silent, as in the case of the other two issues.

Now I've got an unusable sink and a leaking shower in a house that's not even 4 years old, and PJ Burns couldn't care less. This is unacceptable, and I'm probably going to have to drag in the QBCC, the Office of Fair Trading, the ACCC, and possibly even QCAT before the problem is solved. Because it's not like I have anything better to do with my time.

So I'm deducting 1 star for the fact that these issues occurred in the first place, and 1 star for the builder's appalling lack of post-build support and service and complete unwillingness to stand by the quality of their work and do right by their customers.

-- Original Review (4/5) --

My experience with PJ Burns can only be reviewed in two parts. The first part is their sales process which is, in a word, terrible. It's simplest to just enumerate all the things our sales rep(s) (my wife and I dealt with two of them) did wrong:

1. Gave misleading advice about what was part of their "standard" inclusions and what was not (i.e. showed a demo house, said "everything you see here is standard", and then *after* we had signed our contract said "oh, by the way, this that and the other aren't standard, so you'll have to pay extra for them").

2. Ignored questions and inquiries sent via email, SMS, and phone. Often the only way to get an issue resolved was to go down to their office in person. Some questions they just plain did not answer at all.

3. Constantly attempted to rush us into signing a contract despite repeated statements that we did not want to rush and that we'd rather take the time to make sure the contract was perfect *before* signing (this is standard advice to anyone building a home, regardless of builder).

4. Told us, in writing (e-mail communication) that they would do something, then tried to tell us that they weren't going to because it wasn't mentioned in our contract (if you're a law buff you'll note that the Telecommunications Act of 1997 forbids this). After *several* arguments on the subject they finally agreed to honor their word.

5. Made simple mistakes like double-billing the same item and required us to point out the same errors several times (see #2) before they fixed it. Repeatedly pressured us to sign the contract while it still had errors in it (see #3).

6. Engaged us with an attitude of "you can make changes before construction commences without having to worry about fees" and then threatened to hit us with admin fees if we didn't hurry up and sign the final contract (see #3). Though to be fair I must note that in the end we were not hit with any fees.

7. Were completely unable to perform simple research tasks such as contacting a vendor and determining if they can or cannot do something. Long story short we were only able to get some inclusions by investing our own time talking to the builder's vendors and confirming the various options available.

8. Scheduled appointments/phone conversations that never actually took place.

With all these issues it's easy to overlook what they did right. The sales team did an excellent job helping us with our floorplan. Initially they were flexible and receptive to changes. Our color consultant did a superb job guiding us through the color selection process, including responding to any questions that we had. Her price estimates were often far off the mark (typically around half the actual quoted price), but that's minor considering how well she handled everything else.

In the end, however, the bad far outweighs the good. We almost abandoned the project, in fact. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and we moved forward with the build, but on an objective scale I have to rate my sales experience a 1 / 5.

But if you pull up reviews for any other builder you will find people with the same complaints. So in that sense PJ Burns is no worse than other builders, and the problems noted above are endemic to the building industry itself; not specific to PJ Burns.

So for being not worse than any other builder, I'll bump that score up to 2 / 5. The industry as a whole still rates 1 / 5. Seriously guys, it's time to improve.

On the other side of the coin is the actual construction process itself. After the nightmarish sales process we were really expecting the worst.

Fortunately our fears proved unfounded, as our site supervisor was superb. Unlike our sales rep, he always dealt with us in an honest and forthright manner. Although sometimes difficult to get ahold of, he always made sure to address all of our questions/concerns. When we found things that needed fixing, he fixed them. When he said he'd do something, he did it.

Overall the build quality on our home seems very good, and the project was completed in about 14 weeks. Given our awesome supervisor and build quality/speed I'd give the construction process a 4.5 / 5. I'm deducting 0.5 due to the retaining wall that PJ Burns put in. We paid several grand for that thing, and it already looks kind of sad (bowed beams, some poorly made cuts, etc.).

Given that it's the end result that matters, I'm giving PJ Burns a "weighted average" score of 4 / 5. That's a bit generous, but at the end of the day if you can suffer through their sales process you'll at least get a very nice house for your trouble.

With respect to cost, PJ Burns offers competitive base rates, though many of their upgrade prices seem very inflated. Suffice to say that you can save a good amount of cash by providing your own internal hardware (think toilets, tapware, floor wastes, ceiling fans, appliances, etc.) and/or working out an off-contract deal.
Build quality, speed, hands-on/lots of options
Sales process, high markup on some items if you put them in the contract

As first home buyers who really had no clue about the process, we couldnt have found a better builder. PJ Burns are fantastic from every angle. Communication is of utmost importance to me - And for this PJ Burns gets gold stars all the way. Phone calls and emails are ALWAYS returned, same day. Staff at the head office are always friendly and helpful. We are thrilled with our home and feel thankful that we went through the building process with a minimum of stress (stress caused only by the bank!)
I posted my first review in early September prior to the build start. It has now been 10 weeks and we have a completed house. We couldnt be happier. The entire building process has gone smoothly for us.

Our Site Supervisor was great - always encouraging us to ask questions and being very flexible in his approach, like nothing was ever a hassle.

The tradies on site were always helpful and friendly. They seem to take great pride in their work and have the attitude "do it once and do it properly". There were no great stuff ups like you hear about from other people. It was just a simple process of getting everything done as it should be.

Our salesman from the WoodGrove Sales Office - [name censored] - you are a man of your word! Said he would have the contract to us in a week, and he did. Said they would build within the time frame - and they did! Not only that, but they were 2 weeks ahead of our contracted schedule.
Dont have any complaints

From the first day you walk into a PJ Burns display home, what you get continues throughout the entire building process - excellent service. As first home buyers my fiance and I were somewhat nervous and had a lot of questions to ask about building our first home, but thankfully the extremely professional and friendly salesman at Woodgrove, [name censored], was there to guide us through the whole period. We chose to build with PJ Burns because their houses were very affordable (especially on the Sunshine Coast) they had a four month turn-around clause in the contract, and they were happy to accommodate and consider any requests to make our dream home. Every staff member we dealt with was so helpful - from [name censored] with our colour selection, to [name censored] in accounts, and [name censored] our builder, who was kind enough to give us weekly calls updating us on the status of our house. Our house was finished ahead of schedule and the quality of work completed was exceptional. We were treated with the utmost respect from PJ Burns and would have no hesitation building with them again. Special thanks must go to [name censored], who was there for us 24/7, always answering or returning our calls (not that we had to make many at all as everything was looked after) and even handing over our keys on his day off. Now that’s certainly service money can’t buy. Thank you PJ Burns.
Excellent build time, friendly and professional staff, value for money.
Nothing at all

When i was first deciding whether to buy or build, i came across the display home here in Gympie. Although I had a rocky start with the then representative, i found my experience from start to finish was less stressful than i first anticipated. The building supervisor, Chris Swan, was very patient with me answering all my - sometimes stupid - questions and if he didn't know, he found out. The colour consultant, Amanda, was another stand out as she advised me on different combinations and finishes to compliment the main colours i had already chosen. If I had a choice of buying an existing property or building with PJ Burns again, it would be no competition - build...
value for money, reliable, patient
only the first consultant I had to deal with

I have built several homes now and this experience was the best by far.
Right from the beginning to the end I was kept in the loop at all stages.
The house was built in a very timely fashion and I am very happy with the build quality.

A friend of mine was building at the same time (with a major builder on the Sunshine Coast) and it took significantly longer to complete than my home and at the hand over my friend had an A4 page full of issues that needed to be fixed.

When I build my next home I will only deal with PJ Burns and highly recommend them to anyone who needs a competitive reliable builder.
It is easy to see why PJ Burns were named 'The Best Value For Money Builder In Queensland'.
Offered great advice to make clever and inexpensive changes

We were first home builders and have been "in" for just over a year now, and are pleased to report we are very happy with our new house. We could have went a cheaper option, but we are happy with the quality and professionalism we got from PJ Burns. Its satisfying to say "we got what we paid for". We had all sorts of dramas with the bank, but the PJ Burns admin staff were helpful and patient throughout. And we must mention our sales consultant David. There are many decisions to be made building a house, and we appreciated his honesty and input with guiding us through with as little fuss as possible.

So for those looking for a quality builder who crosses the t's and dots the i's, we can wholeheartedly recommend PJ Burns!

This is our 2nd home built by P.J.Burns with our first home of our own design in Twin Waters to our present home being a Currimundi 215 (extended to a 227 that we required to suit our needs.)

The most important requirements was to have....

a) Their homes are built in a realistic time frame (not a drawn out 12 month contract)

b) Termite resistant frames and trusses (As a few building companies cut out the cost of this treatment in their price) for a few more dollars and peace of mind is a must!

c) Being flexible in client requests, from the house plan adjustments and internal features requests

d) Given a high energy efficient home by having as standard inclusions including solar tinting on all windows and sliding doors, energy efficient light globes and ceiling fans in all bedrooms and living areas

e) Having the 5000 litre rainwater tank as a standard inclusion a must these days with the cost of water)

f) Lastly, we would like to thank the sales representative [name removed] for being so patient to all the office personel, all the building and construction contractors (special thanks to [name removed] the concreter) to [name removed] the Supervisor (your awesome!) Thanks PJ Burns and staff for building us another beautiful home!
Our energy rating is higher by having roof insulation and having the ceiling height raised

My partner and I moved up from Tasmania late late August 08 & started thinking about buying and or building our first home. By February 09 we were signing a contract to build. The decision to build was never an easy one, and very daunting for a young couple in a new town/state but from our very first meeting with PJ Burns our decision was easy. [name censored] was the face of PJ for us and we couldn't have asked for a more helpful, professional, efficient representative to deal through. Nothing was too much hassle and small issues with our bank were easily accepted and accommodated. Once the contract had been the continual follow ups and updated were fantastic. Not once were we unsure of what was happening or where things were up to. Once building started our site supervisor, [name censored], then kept us informed of everything and contractors made contact to confirm all aspects of building. The only issues we had were tiles and carpet having to be changed because they wouldn't be ready in time. These both resulted in upgrades for us at no extra cost and meant no delays. Our house was built within 8 weeks! We still can't believe it. What made it even better was that they seem to get just as excited and involved in the process as we did and were constantly in contact at every stage. Congratulations PJ on not only being a fantastic builder but honest and reliable. Thanks and if you are considering building on the sunshine coast then trust PJ to build your dream!!
Everything was a positive when we built our home with PJ Burns. Service from start to finish was exceptional, every single person we dealt with from their office staff at Mudjimba, our sales rep [name censored] at Peregian, [name censored] who helped with our colour selections, [name censored] in accounts and [name censored] our site supervisor, were all absolutely amazing. Nothing was ever too much trouble or out of the question or too stupid to ask. If and when we build again we will not hesitate to do it with PJ Burns again!

We are very happy with our home having moved in 2 weeks ago. It seems a long time since we signed the contract in March. and there were a couple of hiccups along the way but these were smoothed out quietly and amicably. In fact the house was finished in 12 weeks. Already people have complimented the house and it's design for the block. We have no hesitation in recommending PJ Burns. Their good reputation and long building experience has shown us we made the right choice.
We had purchased land at Bellflower and approached several builders to show and quote for us their plans that would suit the unusual shape of our block. The only one that was able to provide a suitable plan without it becoming a costly architectural event was PJ Burns. The sales consultant [name censored] was so helpful and patient with our requests for changes of which we made a few without huge extra expense. He was always prompt with his calls and clear in his explanations of the building process. We particularly wanted to capitalise the aspect of the view from the patio and between the draftspeople, [name censored] and ourselves achieved a beautiful outdoor living area under the main roof. All of the staff we've met including admin, building supervisor Steve and tradies have been meticulous in their work and nothing has been too much trouble.
Nothing worth mentioning.

The Salesman, from PJ Burns, sunshine Coast made the process of building our new home in Gympie, stress free. From day one, where he came to look at the land with us, then before the day was out he had options to suit the land.Both of us hadn't built for over 20 years and had no knowledge, and he helped us through the whole process. Nothing was to hard and he returned calls straight away, right up to handing our keys to our brand new home. The company and staff of PJ Burns where professionals and friendly and willing to help with any query we had. We would recommend their company to anyone wanting to build. Also we love our house so much and are extremely happy with every inch of it.
professional, value for money,

This is our first 3 bedroom home built by pj burns. Wouldnt have built if we had not met [name removed] , who was so supportive and encouraging that we made our mind to build. The process was smooth apart from the color selection day.. Where we only had one day but we asked for one more day which we were given but still wish now that we did not get enough time to make our selections.. All the process was made easy by pj burns.. We had really helpful supervisor [name removed] who helped and answered phone calls at any time..had lot of patience to answer our stupid questions..

Eventhough the final look of the house is not as we thought.. We have got to consider that the block was narrow .. But, we could have worked a bit more on the outlook of the house like the angle and length of the roof.. Working with experienced architects. we expected and assumed it would look nice and high but when compared to the neighbours.. realised could have been higher and much better..We had few problems like leaking taps and sinks which were fixed eventually.. Thanks to [name removed]!
This house is definitely not our dream house but we wish we had spent more time on planing of the house.. As first time building.. We put everything on pj burns..and ive got to admit that they did the best they could..
Friendly and supportive staffs.. Easy process..
Retaining wall was not put up high enough which caused our back yard to be very steep.. Ended up putting another retaining wall increasing our cost.. If only we knew that would be the case, we would have made changes before we signed the contract.. Bit costly compare to other builders.

It's been a 12 month journey from when my hubby and and I decided to put our home on the market and resign from our well paid careers in North Qld. We chose to return home to raise our children in the country on my husbands family farm in beautiful Curramore Qld. Our first initial experience with PJ Burns started off a little hectic as our initial sales manager quite frankly annoyed the crap out of us as he was a little impatient and not transparent with pricing our quote. However this sales person no longer works with PJ Burns and our new sales person Megan Gail was the best thing that happened for us as well as PJ Burns I believe. I was determined to stay with PJ Burns because of their reputation and quality workmanship! We are currently at lock up stage with our dream home and I just couldn't be happier with the progress of our build and the staff have been awesome, I would recommend to build with PJ Burns if you are after a quality and professional building team and an affordable option with standard inclusions that are really nice and some are even upgrades with other building company's. What you see is what you get with the team at PJ Burns, my family and I couldn't be happier so far. I can't wait to get my keys to my new home in a few weeks as its been a bit of a journey getting here but it's well worth it for us.

Our house at Peregian Springs is now 2 weeks off completion and we couldn't be happier. As first home builders we did a lot of research and found that PJ Burns stood out as meeting our needs. Our priorities were transparency, honesty and good value for money. And we can certainly verify that this is exactly what we have got from PJ Burns. From the start when we met [name removed] at the Peregian Springs display home we felt we were getting a personalised and professional service. [name removed] has a wealth of knowledge and this was invaluable for us being new to the whole 'home building' process. What we required, and found lacked from other companies in the market place, was a straightforward and honest approach. What we negotiated in our contract has been exactly what we have got - no corners have been cut/ no crazy fine print. If anything the overall experience has exceeded our expectations. All members of the PJ Burns team have been fantastic: interior designer, administration/ accounts, tradespeople (tiler/ electrician). Our site manager, [name removed] has been so onto everything and has kept us up to date along the way- all tradespeople have been friendly and professional. The total build time will be 12 weeks which is fantastic - every day progress has been made, and it is evident that care has been taken at all steps to ensure high level of quality. For anyone seeking an experience that you can feel confident and relaxed with, we would highly recommend PJ Burns.
Professional and knowledgeable staff, good quality finish, value for money, no hidden suprises

We have recently taken possession of our new home in Pomona built by P J Burns and we would like to express our thanks to everyone associated with the Company including all the office staff, management and contractors who were all a pleasure to deal with.
Our biggest thanks go to [name removed], whose patience and knowledge during the planning and construction were second to none.
His enthusiasm for the project was much appreciated and nothing was too much trouble for him. Anytime we contacted him he was happy to help out and if things needed to be clarified he was always prompt at returning our calls.
[name removed] made the process of building a pleasure and we would recommend P J Burns to anyone looking for a builder in Queensland.
Easy to deal with and totally professional

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