Builders in Howick. Renovations, Extensions & New Builds

Building in Howick: what to know before you start

Howick is older than most of East Auckland, and that shows up in the work. The village was settled as a Fencible garrison in 1847, the streets around it hold the oldest housing in the eastern suburbs, and the land runs down to the water on three sides.

The homes we work on most

Character homes in and around Howick Village need a careful hand. Original proportions, timber joinery and verandah detailing are what make these houses. The village centre around Fencible Drive  sits under a Special Character overlay in the Auckland Unitary Plan, so check whether your property is affected before planning any external change.

1960s to 1980s brick-and-tile and weatherboard homes across Shelly Park, Highland Park and Pakuranga Heights are the bulk of what we renovate. Solid houses, that can be dated inside: a closed-off kitchen, one bathroom, and living areas that do not open to the sun. Opening them up and adding a second bathroom transforms them.

Coastal homes at Cockle Bay, Mellons Bay, Howick Beach and Bucklands Beach usually sit on sloping sections, with views worth building and planning for.

What the coast and the slope add

• Salt air. Close to the water, fixings, fastenings and hardware need to be stainless or suitably coated, or they corrode years earlier than they should.
• Wind. Exposed coastal sites commonly fall into higher wind zones, which affects bracing, how cladding is fixed, and balustrade design.
• Sloping sections. Many Howick coastal properties fall away steeply. Retaining, piled foundations and getting machinery onto the site are real line items, and they are the main reason two similar-looking jobs can quote very differently.
• Coastal hazards. Properties near the shoreline can sit within mapped coastal erosion or inundation areas, which can set floor levels and limit what is consentable. Check Auckland Council GeoMaps before design work starts.

Builder’s tip: On a steep Howick section, if a concrete truck or a digger cannot reach the back of the property, the foundation method changes and so does the budget which is best understood before design is drawn.

A note on plaster-clad homes

The monolithic plaster cladding most associated with weathertightness problems is more common in Botany Downs, Dannemora and East Tāmaki Heights but does appear here in Howick. If your home was built or re-clad between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s, have the cladding checked by a building surveyor with invasive moisture testing before extending or re-roofing. Our recladding cost guide explains what happens if testing finds a problem, and our East Auckland page covers the wider area.

What Howick projects cost

Howick follows wider Auckland rates, with coastal exposure, sloping sites and tight access pushing towards the upper end. A standard renovation typically runs $2,500 to $4,500 per square metre, and extensions $3,000 to $4,500+ per square metre. Our kitchen, bathroom and extension cost guides break down the numbers, and every quote is itemised after a free site visit.