Capability · Strata works
Strata works run the way an owner expects.
Common-area rectification, defects, planned capital works, and committee-coordinated upgrades on Sydney strata buildings. Quoted, documented, and reported in a format committees can actually approve.
What strata works actually involve
Strata building work in NSW sits under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and (for newer high-rises) the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020. Work on common property requires committee approval, often a special resolution, and — for major works above the by-laws threshold — a formal motion at general meeting. The trades doing the work need licensing, insurance, and documentation appropriate to the scope. We work to that framework: detailed quotes that strata managers can table, certificates and warranties addressed to the Owners Corporation, and a single point of contact for the strata manager throughout the job.
Where strata jobs go wrong
Most failed strata projects fail before site work starts — through incomplete scope, no defect register, no inspection record, or a builder who can't issue documentation in the format strata managers need. Then on site, the failure modes shift: poor access coordination with residents, no after-hours protocol, weak hazardous-materials handling on older buildings, and minimal photographic record of what was repaired versus what was found. We close those gaps with a standard strata-works pack: pre-start defect register with photos, scope by location, sign-off per item, post-completion record. The strata manager gets the same pack we keep on file.
How Varloch runs strata jobs
We start with a site walk and a written scope addressed to the Owners Corporation, not to an individual lot owner. Documentation includes the certificate of currency for our public liability and HBCF (where applicable), licence details (373007C builder; 479776C plumbing), and a scope-by-scope breakdown the committee can approve in tranches. On site we coordinate access through the strata manager or building manager, work to the after-hours and weekend rules the scheme has set, and maintain a daily access register. On older buildings (1980s and earlier) we run hazardous-materials assessments before any disruption to original fabric — asbestos sheet in eaves and sub-floors, lead paint on heritage joinery, vinyl asbestos tile under modern flooring — and we hold the licensed-assessor and licensed-remover relationships needed to handle them properly.
Plumbing and waterproofing in strata buildings
Most strata defects we're called on involve water — failing balcony waterproofing, common-area drainage that's overwhelmed in storms, planter beds without functioning subsoil drainage, hot-water plant rooms that have aged out, hydraulic risers with corroded connections. Because plumbing is in-house at Varloch (NSW Plumbing Contractor 479776C), we self-perform the diagnostic, the rectification, and the certification on most strata water defects. That keeps the documentation chain clean — one trade, one set of certificates, one warranty.
Frequently asked
Do we need a special resolution to engage Varloch?
Depends on the scope and value. Routine maintenance under the strata manager's delegated authority typically doesn't; capital works over the scheme's by-laws threshold usually do. We can provide the quote in a format that supports the motion (scope, options, comparable quotes if requested, references).
Can you work on heritage-listed strata buildings?
Yes — heritage restoration is one of our core capabilities. Work on a strata building with a heritage listing or in a Heritage Conservation Area still needs to meet the SoHI or CMP requirements of the heritage approval. We coordinate with the council heritage advisor and (on State Heritage Register items) the Heritage Council.
How do you handle access and resident disruption?
We agree the access protocol with the strata or building manager before the job starts — work hours, noise periods, lift bookings, dust containment, after-hours emergency access for residents. Daily access register, sign-off per resident-impacting work item.
Do you provide HBCF cover for strata works?
Required for residential building work over $20,000 where the builder is contracted to the Owners Corporation as principal. We carry HBCF coverage on every job that meets the threshold and the certificate is included in the documentation pack to the Owners Corporation.
How do you price strata jobs — lump sum or cost-plus?
Most strata jobs are lump sum once the scope and defect register are agreed. For investigation work (we don't know what's behind the wall until we open it), we sometimes propose a small cost-plus phase to do the investigation, then a fixed-price phase for the rectification. Committee gets to approve each phase separately.
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Tell us about your site.
We do an initial conversation either over the phone or on site — your call. No deck, no sales pitch. Just a look at what you’re trying to do and an honest read on whether we’re the right team for it.
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NSW · Residential construction
