What a realistic programme looks like for a 40 to 100 apartment building
How long does it take to build an apartment building in Sydney?
A realistic construction programme for a Sydney apartment building of 40 to 100 apartments over one or two basement levels runs in phases that follow the structure of the building rather than a calendar. Excavation, shoring and basement structure come first and depend on ground conditions and the number of basement levels. The concrete frame follows at a rate set by the floor plate and the crane, with precast concrete shortening the cycle where the design allows it. The envelope, services and fit-out then overlap floor by floor, and the last months are taken by common areas, landscaping, commissioning and the occupation certificate. The programme is set at pricing, written into the contract, and tracked against a construction schedule the developer sees. What moves a programme is rarely the building itself: it is latent ground conditions, wet weather, changes to scope, and the time taken to close out consent conditions and certification at the end.
The phases in order
Site establishment and demolition. Excavation, shoring and basement structure. The frame, floor by floor. Envelope and roof. Services rough-in, then fit-out floor by floor. Common areas, lifts and landscaping. Commissioning, inspections and the occupation certificate.
What decides the frame cycle
The floor plate size, the crane, the structural system and the trade resourcing. Precast walls and floors can shorten the cycle materially where the design is regular enough to suit them; Calibre's Westpoint project in Liverpool was delivered in precast for exactly that reason.
Where programmes slip
Ground conditions that differ from the geotechnical report. Extended wet weather during excavation and structure. Scope changes after the frame starts. And the close-out: consent conditions, certifier inspections and authority connections at the end of the job are the most common cause of a late occupation certificate.
What a developer should ask for
A programme with the critical path shown, the assumptions written down, and a monthly report against it. A builder who cannot show the critical path has not planned the job.
Reviewed September 2026. Regulatory settings in New South Wales change; confirm the current requirements with your certifier and solicitor.
Related questions
Does a bigger building take proportionally longer?
No. Structure runs floor by floor, so a taller building of the same floor plate adds roughly a cycle per floor. Two towers over one basement can run in parallel once the basement is out of the ground.
What about the defects period after handover?
It starts at practical completion and runs for the period in the contract. Statutory warranties under the Home Building Act run separately from the completion date.
Can the programme be accelerated?
Sometimes, at a cost: additional shifts, more crane time, or a change of structural system. It is a pricing conversation, not a promise.
Discuss a site.
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