Knockdown RebuildMelbourne
You own the block. You just don't love the house on it. A knockdown rebuild in Melbourne lets you keep the postcode, the school zone and the neighbours, and swap the old home for one your family actually fits. Keycon is a fixed-price knockdown rebuild builder in Melbourne with 200+ homes handed over, one team handling demolition, permits and construction, and no hidden site costs sprung on you after you sign. You'll deal directly with our director, not a sales consultant.
Registered builder · Fixed-price contracts · Knockdown rebuilds across Melbourne, Werribee, Tarneit, Point Cook, Truganina, Hoppers Crossing and surrounding western suburbs
What is a knockdown rebuild?
A knockdown rebuild, often shortened to KDR, or written as knock down rebuild, means demolishing your existing home and building a brand-new one on the same land. It's for people who love where they live but have outgrown the house: a growing family in a tired 1970s brick veneer, an investor maximising a well-located block in Melbourne's west, or a couple who'd rather build new than renovate around old bones.
The appeal is simple. You skip the hunt for land, the stamp duty on a new block, and the move away from your suburb. You keep the mature trees, the established street and the walk to the station. What changes is the home, from an old floorplan that fights your daily life to one designed around it.
Compared with renovating, a knockdown rebuild in Melbourne often ends up better value once a reno creeps past the halfway mark. Extending and updating an old home can cost as much as building new, but you're left with old plumbing, old wiring and compromises baked into the original structure. Building new means a full builder's warranty, a current-standard energy rating, and a home that's genuinely yours. If you're weighing the two, we'll give you an honest read on your specific block, even if the honest answer is "renovate."
Costs, in the open
How much does a knockdown rebuild cost in Melbourne?
Here's the number people actually search for, and we'll give it to you straight instead of making you fill in a form to find out.
The knockdown rebuild cost in Melbourne typically runs $450,000 to $900,000 all-in for a standard project, and can range from around $400,000 to well over $1.5 million depending on the size of the home, the design, and your block. A standard four-bedroom double-storey in Melbourne's middle suburbs usually lands somewhere around $550,000 to $750,000 once everything's counted. Current build rates sit at roughly $2,100–$3,900 per square metre for standard to mid-range homes, with premium custom work going higher.
That total is made up of several distinct costs, and volume builders tend to quote only the shiny one. Here's the full knockdown rebuild cost breakdown:
Demolition, usually $15,000 to $40,000, depending on the size of the old home, asbestos, and site access.
Design, permits and reports, roughly $12,000 to $35,000, covering town planning, building permits, soil tests and engineering.
The build itself, the largest slice, from $300,000 upward depending on size and finish.
Site costs, for a flat block in Melbourne's growth suburbs these typically run $15,000 to $40,000; sloping or reactive-soil blocks cost more.
Temporary accommodation, budget $15,000 to $40,000 if you're renting while you build.
Landscaping and driveways, often $10,000 to $50,000, and easy to forget at quote time.
We put every one of these in front of you before you sign. Our knockdown rebuild contracts are fixed-price, which means the figure you agree to is the figure you pay, and if something genuinely can't be checked until the old house comes down (a surprise under the slab, say), we tell you the process for handling it upfront, in writing, not after you're committed.
Prices are indicative and current as at August 2026. Book a free site assessment for a knockdown rebuild cost specific to your block.
Step by step
The knockdown rebuild process in Melbourne, step by step
A knock down and rebuild has a few more moving parts than a standard build, mostly at the front end. Here's the whole journey, and who handles what.
- 01
Free site assessment.
We visit your block, look at access, slope, orientation and services, and talk through what's realistic. No charge, no sales script.
- 02
Design and tender.
We design the home around your block and your budget, a new plan, or one of our proven floorplans adapted to fit. You get a detailed, itemised tender so you can see exactly what's included.
- 03
Demolition, permits and disconnections.
This is the KDR-specific part. Before anything's knocked down, services have to be disconnected, power, gas, water, sometimes telecommunications, and a demolition permit issued. We coordinate the demolition and the permits. The one thing to know plainly: arranging the service disconnections with your utility providers is the homeowner's responsibility, though we give you the exact list, the order to do it in, and who to call. Planning also has to satisfy ResCode setbacks and any overlays on your block; we handle that documentation.
- 04
Contracts and building permit.
You sign a fixed-price HIA contract. We lodge for the building permit and organise builder's warranty insurance.
- 05
Slab, frame, lockup, fixing, handover.
From here it runs like any Keycon build. A single-storey home typically takes 6–8 months from slab to handover; a double-storey takes 9–12 months. Pre-construction and demolition add a couple of months before the slab goes down. You get updates at every stage, and you're welcome to bring an independent building inspector to any stage, many of our clients do.
Single and double storey
Single and double storey knockdown rebuilds
Double storey
Most established blocks in Melbourne's west are wide enough for a modern double-storey knockdown rebuild, a 15-metre frontage gives you room to go up and keep a real backyard.
Single storey
A single-storey knockdown rebuild suits narrower blocks, downsizers, and anyone who wants everything on one level. Every Keycon design can be flipped, extended or re-faced to suit your block width, orientation and overlays, you're building with a custom knockdown rebuild builder, not choosing from a fixed menu. Tell us your block size and we'll tell you plainly what fits.
Why Keycon
Why choose Keycon as your knockdown rebuild builder in Melbourne
200+ homes, real suburbs, real timelines.
We've handed over more than 200 homes across Melbourne's west and beyond. Ask us for the address of a recent knockdown rebuild and you can drive past it.
You deal directly with the builder.
The person who signs your contract is the person who answers your calls. No call centre, no rotating sales consultant, you work with our director and a named site supervisor from the first visit to handover.
Fixed price, and honest about the extras.
Our KDR contracts are genuinely fixed-price, and we tell you what isn't included, service disconnections, temporary accommodation, landscaping, before you sign, not after. Transparency is the whole point; it's how we've kept building through a hard few years in Victorian construction while other builders folded.
One team for demolition, permits and the build.
You don't project-manage three separate companies. Keycon coordinates the demolition, the permit paperwork and the construction under one contract, so there's one point of contact and no gaps where jobs fall between trades.
Designs built for your block, not a catalogue.
Every floorplan can be flipped, extended or re-faced to suit your block width, orientation and any overlays. As a custom knockdown rebuild builder we design around your land, not the other way around.
A named supervisor and updates at every stage.
You get the direct number of the supervisor running your build and a clear update at each stage, slab, frame, lockup, fixing, handover, so you always know where your home is up to.
Registered, insured and inspection-friendly.
Keycon is a registered Victorian builder on an HIA contract with builder's warranty insurance. You're welcome to bring an independent building inspector to any stage, many of our clients do, and we'd rather you did.
Where we build
Knockdown rebuild suburbs we service across Melbourne
Keycon builds knockdown rebuilds across Melbourne's western suburbs and beyond. If you own a block in any of these areas, we can quote your project, and if your suburb isn't listed, ask us anyway.
- Knockdown rebuild Werribee and Werribee South
- Knockdown rebuild Tarneit and Truganina
- Knockdown rebuild Point Cook
- Knockdown rebuild Hoppers Crossing and Wyndham Vale
- Knockdown rebuild Manor Lakes, Williams Landing and Altona
Own a block somewhere else in Melbourne? Tell us the suburb and we'll let you know straight away whether we build there.
Frequently asked
Knockdown rebuild Melbourne FAQ
How much does a knockdown rebuild cost in Melbourne?+−
A knockdown rebuild in Melbourne typically costs $450,000 to $900,000 all-in, and can range from about $400,000 to over $1.5 million depending on the home's size, design and your block. That total includes demolition ($15,000–$40,000), permits and design ($12,000–$35,000), the build itself, site costs, and often temporary accommodation and landscaping. Keycon quotes all of these upfront on a fixed-price contract.
How long does a knockdown rebuild take?+−
Allow roughly 10–14 months end to end. Demolition and pre-construction (design, permits, disconnections) take around 2–4 months, then a single-storey build runs 6–8 months from slab to handover and a double-storey 9–12 months. Weather, permit timeframes and material availability can shift this, and we tell you as soon as they do.
Is it cheaper to knock down and rebuild or renovate?+−
It depends on the condition of your existing home, but once a major renovation passes roughly the halfway mark of a new build's cost, a knockdown rebuild is often better value, you get a brand-new home, a full builder's warranty and a current energy rating instead of new finishes over old structure. Keycon will give you an honest assessment of your specific block before you commit either way.
Do I need a permit to knock down my house in Melbourne?+−
Yes. A demolition permit is required, and depending on your suburb and any planning overlays you may also need a planning permit before demolition. Services, power, gas and water, must be disconnected first. Keycon coordinates the demolition and permit documentation; arranging the service disconnections with your providers is the homeowner's responsibility, and we give you the exact steps.
Can I stay in my home during the knockdown rebuild?+−
No, the existing home is demolished, so you'll need somewhere else to live for the duration. Most clients rent nearby and budget $15,000–$40,000 for temporary accommodation across the project. We flag this early so it's in your numbers from the start.
Which Melbourne suburbs do you build knockdown rebuilds in?+−
Keycon builds knockdown rebuilds across Melbourne, with deep experience in Werribee, Tarneit, Point Cook, Truganina, Hoppers Crossing and the surrounding western suburbs. If you own a block in Melbourne and want to know whether we service your suburb, ask us, we'll tell you straight away.
Who handles the demolition, me or the builder?+−
Keycon coordinates the demolition and the demolition permit as part of your project. You arrange the disconnection of services with the utility providers beforehand; we hand you the list, the order and the contacts so nothing gets missed.
Free site assessment
Ready to see what your block could become?
Tell us where your block is and what you're picturing. Our director will come out for a free site assessment, walk it with you, and give you an honest read on your knockdown rebuild cost, timeline and what's possible, no pressure, no sales script.
Monday–Saturday, 10:00am–5:30pm
Keycon Constructions · Knockdown rebuild builders in Melbourne · Registered builder · Servicing Melbourne's western suburbs and beyond.