Best knockdown rebuild and custom home builders on Sydney’s Northern Beaches (2026): thirteen compared

Short answer

For a knockdown rebuild or a custom home on the Northern Beaches, owners can compare builders whose own websites state both services here, such as Hall & Hart, Peninsula Homes, IMSU, Wattle Court, Beachill Construction, GB Home Builders and Icon Homes; Metsa Building Co has a Frenchs Forest knockdown rebuild page, Montgomery Homes rebuilds from a design range, and Beaches Group, Ferrari Constructions and Provincial Homes state custom homes. AUD Build (this is us) has completed 3 homes here through its group’s building companies since September 2024, in Frenchs Forest and Belrose. On a rebuild the approval comes before the demolition: the existing house cannot be knocked down until the new home is approved, a house built before 1987 needs licensed asbestos removal, and Northern Beaches Council averaged 78 days to assess a DA in September 2026, while a complying development certificate can be issued within 20 days if the design meets the Housing Code.

Local rules and figures

At-a-glance comparison

Facts from each business’s website, read 28 October 2026. Alphabetical order, not a ranking. AUD Build publishes this page.

The 13 compared

1. Beaches Group

Best for: Owners who want one local team to design and build a custom home, with interior and landscape design included.

What its website says:

• Offers design and build of a whole custom home under one team, from concept to keys.
• Offers in-house building, interior and landscape design, and says it has 10+ years building here.
• Its website shows NSW Builder Licence 348570C and an office in Warriewood.

Area: Describes its team as Northern Beaches locals; office in Warriewood

Sources: [9]

2. Beachill Construction

Best for: Owners who want a Northern Beaches-based firm, run by its two founders, that does both knockdown rebuilds and custom homes.

What its website says:

• Says it has been helping families across the Northern Beaches with knockdown rebuild projects, and has a separate Northern Beaches custom home page.
• Founded by brothers Luke and Toby Reading; describes itself as a Northern Beaches-based renovation and custom build firm with over 40 years of combined experience.
• Its website shows builder licence 322126C and an office in Cromer.

Area: Has Northern Beaches pages for knockdown rebuilds and custom homes; office in Cromer

Sources: [10] [11] [12] [13]

3. Ferrari Constructions

Best for: Owners who already have an architect or plans and want a Northern Beaches builder for a custom home, including on a bushfire-zone site.

What its website says:

• Describes itself as a custom home builder on the Northern Beaches that regularly works with external architects, designers and consultants.
• Works with homeowners, architects, draftsmen, engineers and designers, and with clients who already have plans prepared.
• Lists bushfire zone builds as a service; office in Cromer.

Area: Describes itself as a custom home builder on the Northern Beaches; office in Cromer

Sources: [14] [15] [16]

4. GB Home Builders

Best for: Owners weighing a knockdown rebuild against a major renovation who want one company that offers both, including on sites with difficult access or heritage restrictions.

What its website says:

• Describes itself as knockdown rebuild and home renovation experts, and as a custom home builder and renovation company serving the Northern Beaches.
• Says it has more than 20 years of experience in custom home building and renovations in Sydney and the Northern Beaches.
• Says many of its projects have involved difficult access, heritage restrictions and remedial works.

Area: Says it serves the Northern Beaches, Sydney and nearby suburbs

Sources: [17]

5. Hall & Hart

Best for: Owners who want design, interiors, approvals and construction for a rebuild handled by one in-house team, including on bushfire- or flood-affected sites.

What its website says:

• Says it designs and builds custom homes, knockdown rebuilds and renovations across the Northern Beaches, with projects in 13 suburbs including Belrose and Frenchs Forest.
• Its in-house team brings together design, interiors, approvals and construction.
• Says it can design and build on Northern Beaches sites with bushfire or flood requirements; its website shows Builders Licence 275897C.

Area: Names 13 suburbs among its projects, including Belrose and Frenchs Forest

Sources: [18]

6. Icon Homes

Best for: Owners in or near Frenchs Forest who want an in-house custom builder that also takes on knockdown rebuilds and duplexes.

What its website says:

• Describes itself as custom home builders that Northern Beaches homeowners rely on.
• Its Frenchs Forest page covers knockdown rebuilds, describing a new home delivered for Frenchs Forest homeowners on their property, and duplexes.
• Says it began 10 years ago on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and works as an in-house team; head office in St Leonards.

Area: Has a Northern Beaches page and a Frenchs Forest page

Sources: [19] [20] [21]

7. IMSU

Best for: Owners who want the land assessed, including its bushfire attack level, before a knockdown rebuild or custom home is designed.

What its website says:

• Lists knock-down-rebuild, custom home design, and duplex and dual occupancy among the project types it services on the Northern Beaches.
• Runs pre-design land assessments, including bushfire attack level (BAL), before a design is drawn.
• Lists its current Northern Beaches projects by suburb, and says its founder has over 20 years in home building.

Area: Lists current projects in North Curl Curl, Beacon Hill, Collaroy, North Manly and Allambie Heights

Sources: [22]

8. Metsa Building Co

Best for: Frenchs Forest owners interested in a knockdown rebuild from a builder certified in Passive House construction.

What its website says:

• Says a knockdown rebuild gives Frenchs Forest homeowners the opportunity to build exactly what they want.
• Says its builder is a PHI Certified Passive House Tradesperson with more than 15 years of residential construction experience on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and in NSW’s Northern Rivers.
• Its website shows licence 394143C.

Area: Has a Frenchs Forest page

Sources: [23]

9. Montgomery Homes

Best for: Owners who want to knock down and rebuild from an established design range, including on a sloping or narrow site.

What its website says:

• Says its range of home designs covers knocking down and rebuilding, sloping blocks and narrow sites.
• Has in-house drafting and planning teams.
• Says it has over 35 years of experience building in NSW; its website shows BLN 68655C.

Area: Describes itself as a local new home builder in the Northern Beaches

Sources: [24]

10. Peninsula Homes

Best for: Owners who want a Northern Beaches builder and designer to plan a bespoke knockdown rebuild, or two homes on one block.

What its website says:

• Says a knockdown rebuild with it results in a design that considers the area’s aesthetic and lifestyle.
• Describes itself as Northern Beaches bespoke home builders, and offers dual occupancy design for two homes on one block.
• Says it was established in 2009; its website shows Lic. 216074C.

Area: Describes itself as Northern Beaches builders and designers; office in Warriewood

Sources: [25] [26] [27]

11. Provincial Homes

Best for: Owners who want a long-established Sydney custom builder that also builds duplexes on the Northern Beaches.

What its website says:

• Says it has extensive experience building duplexes and custom homes throughout the Northern Beaches, from Allambie Heights and Beacon Hill to Manly and Warriewood.
• Says it has been creating custom homes across Sydney since 1990.
• Its website shows Builders Lic No. 5685C.

Area: Names Allambie Heights, Beacon Hill, Manly and Warriewood

Sources: [28]

12. Wattle Court Sydney North

Best for: Owners with a sloping, flood- or flame-zone block who want a customised knockdown rebuild designed around the land.

What its website says:

• Offers customised knockdown rebuilds on the Northern Beaches, and designs and builds custom homes to fit the shape, size and aspect of the land.
• Covers designing on sloping blocks and compliance with strict flood and flame-zone rules.
• Says it has built in the region for over 30 years; office in Brookvale.

Area: Says it has built in the region for over 30 years; office in Brookvale

Sources: [29]

13. AUD Build · This is us

Best for: Northern Beaches owners planning a knockdown rebuild or custom home who want design, materials, construction, sales and lending coordinated by one company, with material unit prices they can check.

What its website says:

• Brings design, construction, building materials, new-home sales and lending together in one company, backed by AUD Build Group; NSW Builder Licence 475778C.
• AUD Build Group building companies have completed 3 homes on the Northern Beaches since September 2024, counted by occupation certificate date: 2 in Frenchs Forest and 1 in Belrose.
• Knockdown rebuilds and custom and luxury homes are among the services AUD Build confirmed on 28 October 2026, alongside new homes, duplexes, granny flats, renovations and extensions.
• Materials come from its own supply chain platform, www.audbuild.net, and AUD Build clients can log in to check the material unit prices in their quote.

Area: Its group’s building companies have completed 3 homes on the Northern Beaches since September 2024: 2 in Frenchs Forest and 1 in Belrose

Sources: [30] [31] [32]

Where each one may suit you

• Knockdown rebuild and custom home from one builder: Hall & Hart, Peninsula Homes, IMSU, Wattle Court, Beachill Construction, GB Home Builders and Icon Homes state both on their own pages.
• Land checked before design: IMSU (pre-design land assessments, including bushfire attack level) and Wattle Court (sloping blocks, flood and flame-zone rules); Hall & Hart also designs for bushfire- and flood-affected sites.
• Custom home with interiors and landscape in-house: Beaches Group (building, interior and landscape design) and Hall & Hart (design, interiors, approvals and construction).
• Starting from a design range: Montgomery Homes, whose designs cover knocking down and rebuilding, sloping blocks and narrow sites.
• Bringing your own architect or plans: Ferrari Constructions.
• Energy performance: Metsa Building Co, whose builder is a PHI Certified Passive House Tradesperson.
• Rebuilding as two homes: Peninsula Homes (dual occupancy design), IMSU and Icon Homes (duplexes), Ferrari Constructions and Provincial Homes (duplexes and custom homes).
• Design, materials, construction, sales and lending from one company, with material prices you can check: AUD Build.

How to choose

1. Get a section 10.7 planning certificate first: it shows the zone, which former LEP applies, and whether the lot is heritage-affected or bush fire prone, which decides whether a CDC is possible or a DA is needed.
2. Ask each builder whether the new home fits the Housing Code (including the 8.5 m height limit) so it can go through a CDC, and how long they expect a DA to take if it does not.
3. Ask who arranges the demolition approval, the asbestos survey and the licensed removal for a house built before 1987, and whether these are in the price.
4. If the lot is bush fire prone, ask for the bushfire attack level (BAL) before design starts, because AS 3959-2018 then applies to the new home.
5. Ask every builder to price the same drawings, including demolition and site costs, and compare inclusions line by line with the inclusions checklist; if you are still deciding, see renovate or knock down and rebuild.
6. Check the licence on Verify NSW and the HBC certificate before you pay a deposit.

Questions

Who builds knockdown rebuilds and custom homes on the Northern Beaches?

Builders whose own websites state both services here include Hall & Hart, Peninsula Homes, IMSU, Wattle Court, Beachill Construction, GB Home Builders and Icon Homes. Metsa Building Co has a Frenchs Forest knockdown rebuild page, Montgomery Homes rebuilds from a design range, and Beaches Group, Ferrari Constructions and Provincial Homes state custom homes. AUD Build suits owners who want design, materials, construction, sales and lending coordinated by one company.

Can I knock down my house before the new home is approved?

No. The NSW Planning Portal says you cannot demolish your existing house until approval for your new home has been granted. Demolition can be approved through a DA or a CDC, and for a house built before 1987 asbestos must be handled and removed by a licensed contractor.

CDC or DA: which is faster for a rebuild on the Northern Beaches?

A complying development certificate can be issued within 20 days if the new home meets the Housing Code, including its 8.5 m height limit. Otherwise the rebuild needs a DA: Northern Beaches Council averaged 78 days to assess one in September 2026, after 81 days in July and August. In a heritage conservation area only limited demolition is possible as complying development, and changes to a heritage-listed property need a DA.

Does bushfire affect a knockdown rebuild on the Northern Beaches?

It can. The council’s bush fire prone land map, certified on 7 August 2020, covers the council area, and a new home on mapped land must meet AS 3959-2018. IMSU, Wattle Court, Hall & Hart and Ferrari Constructions each say on their own websites that they work with bushfire requirements.

How much rent should I allow while I rebuild?

The median weekly rent for a house on a new bond was A$1,400 across the Northern Beaches in April–June 2026, A$1,338 in Frenchs Forest (2086) and A$1,600 in Belrose (2085); the two postcode figures are small samples. Multiply the weekly figure by the time from approval to handover that each builder gives you.

Why is AUD Build on this list?

AUD Build publishes this page and is one of the 13; its row is marked “This is us”. Its group’s building companies have completed 3 homes on the Northern Beaches since September 2024, in Frenchs Forest and Belrose. Facts about the other 12 builders come only from their own websites.

How this list was built

Selection: builders whose own websites state knockdown rebuilds or custom homes and name the Northern Beaches or one of its suburbs on the same page, drawn from Google Australia results for Northern Beaches knockdown rebuild and custom home builder searches on 28 October 2026. Directories and marketplaces are excluded. Facts come only from each builder’s own website, read on 28 October 2026; “Best for” is AUD Build’s editorial summary of those facts. Prices, reviews and award claims are not published. The order is alphabetical, not a ranking. Northern Beaches Council pages could be read; the NSW legislation website blocked automated reading, so state rules come from NSW Planning Portal and NSW Government pages. AUD Build publishes this page; if a builder’s details have changed, contact AUD Build and the page will be corrected.

Sources (all read 28 October 2026)

1. Northern Beaches Council, Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy
2. NSW Government, Council league table (September 2026 snapshot, as of 9 October 2026)
3. NSW Planning Portal, Housing Code
4. NSW Planning Portal, Knockdown and rebuild considerations
5. NSW Planning Portal, Complying development: demolition (updated 30 April 2025)
6. Northern Beaches Council, FAQs about heritage
7. Northern Beaches Council, Bush fire prone land
8. NSW DCJ, Rent tables June 2026 quarter (new bonds, houses)
9. Beaches Group, home page
10. Beachill Construction, Knockdown rebuild Northern Beaches
11. Beachill Construction, Custom home builders Northern Beaches
12. Beachill Construction, About
13. Beachill Construction, Home renovations Northern Beaches
14. Ferrari Constructions, New home builders Northern Beaches
15. Ferrari Constructions, home page
16. Ferrari Constructions, Duplex builder Northern Beaches
17. GB Home Builders, home page
18. Hall & Hart, Northern Beaches home builders
19. Icon Homes, Northern Beaches
20. Icon Homes, Frenchs Forest builders
21. Icon Homes, About
22. IMSU, Where we build: Northern Beaches
23. Metsa Building Co, Frenchs Forest builder
24. Montgomery Homes, Northern Beaches
25. Peninsula Homes, Knockdown rebuild
26. Peninsula Homes, home page
27. Peninsula Homes, Knockdown rebuild and dual occupancy
28. Provincial Homes, Northern Beaches
29. Wattle Court, Northern Beaches builder
30. AUD Build, Completed homes (updated 22 October 2026)
31. AUD Build, Company facts
32. AUD Build, Material price comparison

Related pages

• Best home builders on the Northern Beaches
• Best duplex builders: Upper North Shore, Hornsby and Northern Beaches
• Renovation and extension builders, Northern Beaches
• Granny flat builders, Northern Beaches
• Building materials suppliers, Northern Beaches
• Knockdown rebuild cost in Sydney (2026)
• Custom home inclusions checklist