Custom homes, knockdown rebuilds, and renovations designed for coastal living. Built by the same people you meet at your first consultation.
We cover every stage of residential building on the Mornington Peninsula.
Architect-designed or builder-designed homes built around your block, brief, and lifestyle.
Our specialityDemolish the old, build the home you actually want. Keep your suburb. Avoid stamp duty.
No stamp dutyWhole-home transformations, internal reconfiguration, period home restoration.
Stay where you loveRear, side, or second storey additions. Seamlessly matched to your existing home.
Add space & valueSelf-contained secondary dwellings. All permits and planning managed in-house.
From $100kDual occupancy and duplex builds for investors and land-rich homeowners.
Maximise your blockHigh-performance and Passive House standard builds. Designed for the Peninsula climate.
50–90% energy savingLand sourced, design selected, turnkey delivery. Ideal for first home buyers and investors.
Turnkey"I started Stoneleaf because I was frustrated with how custom home building worked — clients handed off between salespeople, designers, and site managers who'd never met each other, with no single person accountable for the outcome. The builder they signed with wasn't the one building their home.
That's not how I work. Every client I take on deals directly with me — from the first site visit to the day I hand over the keys. My number is the one you call. My name is on the contract and on the VBA register."
"I've built on the Mornington Peninsula for 18 years. I know the coastal overlays, the council timeframes, the soil conditions, the drainage problems that don't appear on soil tests, and the trades I trust. That local knowledge saves my clients months and tens of thousands — and it's not something you can get from a volume builder's display suite."
Building a custom home is an 18-month journey. Most builders leave you to figure this out yourself. We walk every step with you.
James visits your block or existing property. We talk through your brief, your budget, your lifestyle, and what's actually possible on your specific site. No sales pitch, no glossy package. One honest conversation with the person who'll build your home.
We work with your architect or our preferred design partners to develop a concept that fits your block, your budget, and the Peninsula's planning environment. You receive a preliminary cost estimate at this stage — itemised, not a range — before you've committed to anything.
Every block is different. We assess slope, soil type, overlay constraints, and services before you've spent a dollar on design. On the Mornington Peninsula, site costs, BAL ratings, and coastal overlays affect every build. We tell you what's coming — not after you've signed.
Most new builds and significant renovations require a planning permit. Coastal overlays, vegetation protection, heritage — we know which Peninsula councils move quickly, which overlays need specialist reports, and how to avoid the delays that cost months. We manage every submission, every response, every condition.
Once design is finalised, you receive a full itemised fixed-price contract. No provisional sums hiding site costs. No variation surprises. The price in the contract is what you pay — subject only to changes you request. With costs rising 4% in 2026, locking in a price now protects you.
James is on your site regularly — not just at milestones. Your build is managed by our team, not subcontractors who never met you. Weekly photo updates. Available on his mobile. Site visits at every key stage — you're invited.
Independent inspections at slab, frame, and lock-up stages. Every trade signed off before the next begins. Any defect found by our inspection process is fixed before it becomes a problem in the finished home.
We walk through your completed home together. You receive a 6-year structural and 2-year non-structural defects warranty under the Domestic Building Contracts Act. We remain contactable after handover — this is a small Peninsula community. Our reputation is what happens years after we hand over the keys.
Every project is photographed before handover. We can show you projects matching your brief at consultation.
Four things we do differently — all of them matter when you're spending $600,000 on a home.
When you sign with Stoneleaf, you're signing with James. He's at the consultation, he visits your site regularly, and his number is the one you call when anything comes up. We don't hand your project to a supervisor who wasn't in the room when you talked about your vision. This is how we've built for 18 years — and why over 80% of our new projects come from referrals.
Volume builders advertise "from $X" packages that end up $80,000–$150,000 higher by the time you move in — once site costs, upgrades, and council contributions are added. Our contract price is fixed. If something changes that affects cost, we tell you before we proceed — not after. You see the full picture at contract stage.
Coastal overlay. Vegetation protection zone. Bushfire Attack Level rating. Reticulated sewerage vs septic. The Mornington Peninsula has some of the most complex planning conditions in Victoria. We've navigated it for 18 years. We know which councils move fast, which overlays need heritage reports, and which blocks have drainage issues that won't appear on a soil test. That knowledge saves you months and tens of thousands.
Planning permit. Building permit. BAL assessment. Developer contributions. Council engineering sign-off. We prepare, lodge, and manage every document. You receive weekly updates on progress. Clients consistently tell us this was the thing they valued most after handover — they hadn't realised how much was happening behind the scenes on their behalf.
We're one of the very few builders who'll give you a straight answer before you've even called us.
Construction costs in Victoria have risen 47% since 2020 (Cotality Cordell, December 2025) and are forecast to rise a further 4% in 2026. A fixed-price contract signed now protects you from the next increase. Here are honest benchmarks for the Mornington Peninsula market.
Mid-range custom build $2,400–$3,500 /m² Architectural / high-spec $3,500–$6,000 /m² Premium / prestige $6,000–$10,000+ /m² ───────────────────────────── 200m² family home from $480k build 250m² family home from $600k build 300m² larger home from $720k build Double storey adds 15–25% /m²
Build cost excludes land, site works, landscaping, connections, and permits. We provide a full itemised preliminary estimate before you commit to anything.
Kitchen renovation $30,000–$120,000+ Bathroom renovation $20,000–$60,000 Rear extension (50m²) $150,000–$350,000 Second storey addition $250,000–$600,000+ Whole-home renovation $300,000–$1M+ Granny flat (self-contained) $100,000–$280,000 Knockdown rebuild (build) $400,000–$1.5M Duplex construction $600,000–$1.8M+
Peninsula builds include coastal compliance, BAL assessment, and council engineering — managed as part of our project fee.
Site costs (cut, fill, rock) $10,000–$80,000+ Planning permit + contributions $5,000–$30,000 Building permit $2,000–$10,000 Soil test & engineering $5,000–$22,000 Connections (water/power/sewer) $5,000–$25,000 Landscaping & driveway $15,000–$80,000+ Fencing $5,000–$20,000 Appliances, blinds, fit-out $10,000–$40,000 Contingency (non-negotiable) 10% of build cost
These are the costs that turn a "$550,000" volume builder package into a $700,000+ completed home. We itemise every one of these at contract stage. Nothing is buried in a provisional sum.
2026 Mornington Peninsula benchmarks. Actual costs depend on design complexity, site conditions, materials, and council requirements. Preliminary estimate provided free at consultation — itemised, not a range.
Every builder says they're good. What separates us is what we do in the moments they don't advertise.
A variation is a change to the agreed scope — either requested by you or required by something discovered on site (unexpected rock, drainage issue, structural finding). Our contract specifies exactly how variations are identified, priced, and approved. No variation proceeds without your written sign-off. No variation bill arrives after the fact. If something changes on your site, you're the first call — not an afterthought.
Construction timelines can be affected by weather, council approval timelines, or trade availability. We build realistic programmes and update you when anything changes. What we can control is communication — you'll always know where your build is against schedule and exactly why. We've never handed a client a surprise delay on completion day.
Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) is mandatory in Victoria for contracts over $16,000 and protects you if the builder becomes insolvent. We carry DBI on every contract. Our VBA registration (DB-U 32693) is publicly verifiable. Your home carries a 6-year structural defects warranty and 2-year non-structural warranty under the Domestic Building Contracts Act. We carry $20M public liability on all active sites.
What you build now determines your energy bills, thermal comfort, and resale value for decades.
The Mornington Peninsula's climate — coastal humidity, cold winters, summer heat — makes building performance genuinely important, not just environmentally fashionable. A home built to minimum code will cost substantially more to heat and cool than one designed with performance in mind from day one. We design for the climate your home will live in for the next 30–50 years. For clients pursuing full Passive House certification, we work with certified PHI designers.
A look at what's on the tools right now across the Peninsula.
Frame completed week 3 of 8. Windows ordered. Roof tiling commencing next week.
Electrical and plumbing rough-in complete. Kitchen installation beginning Monday.
Slab poured and cured. Frame delivery scheduled. Est. completion: 12 weeks.
These are real active builds. We update this section monthly. Our current capacity is limited — if you're planning to start in the next 12 months, reach out now.
Download before you speak to any builder. These are the questions you need to be asking.
Every cost — build, site, permits, connections, landscaping, contingency. Real ranges. No spin.
The questions that separate reliable builders from the ones who'll give you problems. Bring this to every builder meeting.
When renovation makes financial sense, when it doesn't, and how to run the numbers on your specific property.
What triggers a planning permit, how long it takes, who manages it, and what happens if council objects.
No email required. Guides open as PDF. We don't add you to a mailing list without your permission.
Families and individuals building the home they'll live in for the next 20+ years.
Melbourne buyers making the move to Peninsula living — often with strong design ambitions.
Owners who love their location but need more space, better flow, or a full transformation.
Retirees and empty-nesters building the perfect smaller home — no compromises on quality.
Clients building duplexes, granny flats, and dual-occupancy for rental yield or future sale.
Buyers building their first home through house-and-land or a compact custom build.
Based in Dromana — working across every Peninsula postcode.
The Mornington Peninsula's planning environment — coastal overlays, vegetation protection, BAL ratings — varies dramatically from postcode to postcode. We've built across every Peninsula suburb and know what each council area requires before a document is submitted. If your suburb isn't listed, call James — we assess every site individually.
Call James to discuss your block — 0400 000 000Honest information most builders don't publish.
The answer is almost always yes for new builds — and frequently yes for extensions, particularly under coastal, vegetation, or heritage overlays. Here's how the process works, how long it takes, and who handles what.
Read article →
Site costs, council contributions, connections, landscaping, and contingency can add $100,000–$200,000 to a build that's not in the headline price. Here is the complete itemised list with real Peninsula figures.
Read article →
A Passive House build typically adds 10–20% upfront. Over 30 years, the energy savings, improved comfort, and resale premium make a compelling financial case. Here is the honest comparison.
Read article →The questions every future client asks before they're ready to call.
From first consultation to moving in, expect 16–24 months. Roughly: design development (2–4 months), planning permit (3–6 months — coastal applications take longer), building permit (4–6 weeks), construction (8–14 months depending on size and complexity). The planning permit stage is where most projects gain or lose time. We manage this entire process and give you a realistic timeline at the consultation based on your specific block and council area.
For extensions above a certain threshold, second storey additions, work visible from the street, and any work on properties with a coastal, heritage, or vegetation overlay — almost certainly yes. We assess your property's overlays at consultation, at no charge, and manage every aspect of the application including specialist reports.
A fixed-price contract means the price in your building contract is what you pay for the agreed scope — regardless of what happens to material costs or labour rates during construction. Some builders pad contracts with large provisional sums that effectively make the "fixed" price flexible. We price all known site-specific costs before the contract is signed. With costs rising 4% in 2026, locking in a price now is a measurable financial benefit.
A knockdown rebuild involves demolishing your existing home and building a new one on the same land. It makes sense when you love your location but the existing home can't be renovated economically. You avoid stamp duty on a new property (a saving of $30,000–$80,000+), stay in your area, and get a completely new home designed for your block. We manage demolition, asbestos assessment, and all permits.
If your property is in a Coastal Inundation Overlay, Coastal Change Management Overlay, or Environmental Significance Overlay, your planning application requires specialist reports — coastal hazard assessment, vegetation report, flora and fauna assessment. These add time and cost ($2,000–$8,000) to the planning stage. They don't prevent building — they shape what and how you build. We know which overlays apply across every Peninsula postcode and how to navigate each.
Volume builders offer fixed designs at $1,800–$2,400/m² — but you're selecting from a catalogue, not designing for your block. Their "from $X" advertised price typically ends up $80,000–$150,000 higher once site costs, upgrades, and council contributions are added. Custom builders like Stoneleaf build around your brief and your land. The per-square-metre rate is higher ($2,400–$3,500/m² and above) but for Peninsula blocks — often sloped, coastal, treed, or irregular — a custom approach almost always delivers a better result than adapting a catalogue design.
Under the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (VIC): 6 years against structural defects and 2 years against non-structural defects from practical completion. Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) is mandatory for contracts over $16,000 and protects you if the builder becomes insolvent. We carry DBI on every contract. Our VBA registration is DB-U 32693 — verifiable on the VBA public register at any time.
Yes — and we're experienced at it. A 2–3 metre fall adds $20,000–$50,000 in site costs. Steeper or more complex sites can add more. We assess every site before quoting and include realistic site cost estimates in the preliminary budget — not a provisional sum placeholder. We've never had a client surprised by site costs at construction stage.
Yes. We build duplexes and dual-occupancy for investors, land-rich homeowners, and families wanting two residences on one block. Feasibility depends on lot size, zoning, and council requirements — we provide a free feasibility assessment at consultation. This is one of the most underused opportunities for established homeowners on larger Peninsula blocks.
James visits your block or property at a time that suits you. We cover: your project brief and lifestyle requirements, a walk of the site (slope, access, services, overlays), design options and approaches, a preliminary budget conversation, and an honest assessment of what's achievable on your timeline. No charge. No pressure. Most clients tell us the consultation alone clarified months of confusion.
James visits your block personally. An honest assessment of what's possible — no glossy package, no pressure. One conversation with a builder who's been on this Peninsula for 18 years.