About Us
Without measured evidence, the picture of what is happening in the home remains incomplete. That one idea is what Joe Builds is built on.
We measure how a home is performing, moisture, airflow, temperature, air quality, explain what the readings indicate, recommend a pathway, and verify the result where work is done.
MY STORY
Adventure came first. I grew up on Sydney's Northern Beaches, climbed Kilimanjaro at 22, spent years rock climbing and travelling. Through all of it, building was the constant. I left school in Year 10 and went straight into carpentry, and it stuck: working outdoors, building with timber, learning from people who knew their trade properly.
We moved up to Coffs in 2020, and a hard few years navigating grief shifted the way I think. Somewhere in that I started honing a different skill: deep analysis, and finding ways to make the technical stuff both accessible and interesting.
Because the truth about homes is that the important stuff is technical and, let's be honest, a bit boring: moisture, air, temperature, ventilation. Most people switch off, so it never gets measured, and the answer ends up being someone's best guess. What I do now is turn all of that into something you can see and use: readings at mapped points, explained in plain language, and a 3D model of your home with every measurement on it. Technical underneath, clear, and even a bit fascinating, on top.
That's Joe Builds. Still a builder at heart, still on the tools from time to time, I just measure before I make a call. Away from work it's family, friends and the outdoors. Same steady approach, both places.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a Joe Builds assessment?
We bring building-science instruments to your home and record how it's performing, moisture, air quality, temperature, humidity and ventilation, at mapped, repeatable points. Then we explain what the readings show in plain language and give you a clear next step. Measured evidence, not an opinion.
Do you do the repairs, or just the measuring?
We measure and report first, and the recommendation always follows the readings, not a sale. Joe Builds is a building intelligence business: we record how your home is performing and give you a clear next step in plain language. If the findings point to building work, the measured brief is yours to hand to any builder or trade you choose. Where it genuinely suits, Joe Builds can also carry out selected works as a separate, later engagement, and we re-measure the same points afterwards so the result is recorded, not assumed. Either way, the readings lead and the work follows.
Will you tell me exactly what's causing the problem?
We'll tell you what the readings indicate, honestly. Often a clear pattern shows up on the day. Sometimes a single visit can't settle it. Coastal homes behave differently across the seasons, and the honest recommendation is targeted monitoring before anyone spends money. What you won't get is a guess dressed up as an answer.
Is this a building or pest inspection?
No. A building or pest inspection checks for specific issues against a standard, usually at one point in time. We measure how your home is performing, moisture, air, comfort and ventilation, which is a different question. The two work well side by side, but we're not a substitute for a licensed inspection.
Do you test for mould?
We don't make determinations about mould. That's a specialist's call. What we do measure is the conditions mould needs, like elevated moisture and reduced ventilation. If the readings point that way, we'll tell you plainly and point you to the right expert.
What do I get at the end?
A plain-language report that opens with each area's status and the top measured findings, a map of every point we measured with your key readings, photos and notes from the visit, and a clear recommended next step. You also get a 3D model of your room, or your whole home, with every measured point colour-coded by reading, yours to keep.
How long does it take?
A single room or bathroom is usually one to two hours on site, depending on what we find. A whole-home baseline takes longer. Keep the space as you normally live in it beforehand, don't air it out or run the heater, so we record it as it really behaves.
What does it cost?
The two starting services, the Targeted Environmental Room Scan and the Targeted Bathroom Moisture Assessment, are $825 inc GST each. The whole-home Home Performance Baseline, ongoing tracking and before-and-after verification are priced on scope. Tell us what you're after and we'll give you a straight figure.
Which services can I book?
All of them. The two targeted assessments are bookable now. The Home Performance Baseline and Performance Verification are available by arrangement. We'll book you in and confirm your visit. Not sure which fits? Tell us what's happening at your home and we'll point you to the right starting point.
What areas do you cover?
Coffs Harbour and the Coffs Coast, and across the Mid North Coast. Further afield, we travel on request for a callout fee. Just ask.
Do I need to prepare anything?
Just keep the space as you normally live in it. Don't open all the windows or run the heater beforehand. We want to record the room as it really is, not a version tidied up for the visit.
Measure → Understand → Recommend → Verify