Disclaimer
The reviews presented in this new blog series "Builders Specifications and Inclusions Reviews - We ask ChatGPT" is generated using ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, and is intended solely for educational and informational purposes.
The analyses and opinions expressed in this reviews are those of the AI model and do not necessarily reflect the views of this website or its affiliates.
Given that the content in this series is AI-generated, it is important to note that while AI can process and analyse vast amounts of data, it may not always capture the full context or the most current information. Therefore, readers are advised to consult multiple sources and seek professional advice before making decisions based on the information provided.
Introduction
At Constructor, we are committed to empowering homeowners with clear, unbiased information to guide their building decisions. Understanding the nuts and bolts of builder specifications, inclusions lists, and marketing materials can be a real challenge, often leaving consumers overwhelmed and uncertain.
To address this, we're excited to introduce a new series of blog posts where we use the power of artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, to dissect and analyse the offerings of various Australian Project Builders.
This initiative aims to provide you with transparent insights, helping you make informed choices in your home-building journey.
This initiative to analyse builder specifications using AI is based on the principle of public interest. By providing you with clear and unbiased evaluations, we aim to demystify complex terminologies and practices within the building industry, making them accessible to all.
This blog series is not about dissuading anyone from choosing a particular builder but about ensuring that you, as a consumer, are fully informed.
How does this work?
We use ChatGPT to review major builders' marketing materials, standard inclusions, and specifications. You'll receive transparent, easy-to-understand insights across three key areas, along with a final builder rating from 1 (worst) to 10 (best).
Below is the exact ChatGPT prompt we used. You can apply this prompt to any builder's marketing materials to generate clear, helpful insights for your decision-making.
How AI Analysis Of Builders Specifications Serves the Public Interest
The construction industry is filled with technical words and specifications that can be difficult to understand without industry experience. Not everyone can afford a construction lawyer to review contract documentation before signing.
Our posts are intended as general guidance only—they do not replace professional legal advice. We are not qualified lawyers and do not claim to be. Always seek independent legal counsel tailored to your specific situation.
We believe this AI-driven review serve the public interest in several ways:
- Enhancing Transparency: By breaking down complex documents into understandable language, our aim is to shed light on the specifics of what builders are offering, allowing you to make comparisons and informed decisions.
- Promoting Accountability: Transparent evaluations encourage builders to maintain high standards and deliver on their promises, knowing that their offerings are subject to objective scrutiny.
- Empowering Consumers: Knowledge is power. Understanding the details of builder specifications let's you to ask pointed questions, seek clarifications, and negotiate terms that align with your expectations and needs.
Why Builder Specifications Matter, And Say A Lot About a Builder
When building a new home, one of the most important documents you’ll encounter is the builder’s specifications and inclusions list. This single document outlines everything from the materials and finishes to the fixtures and services - standard specifications (brands, materials) and allowances (site works, drainage, plumbing, insulation etc) included in your contract.
But here’s the thing: not all specifications are created equal.
A builder’s specifications tell you a lot about their values and priorities. Are they using premium materials that will stand the test of time, or are they cutting corners to keep costs low?
Do they provide clear, detailed descriptions, or do they rely on vague terms that leave room for interpretation? These details matter because they directly impact the quality, durability, and overall value of your home.
Some builders provide detailed, transparent lists, while others might leave out key details or use vague language to suit themselves. This can lead to unexpected costs, compromises in quality, or even disputes down the line.
For example, a “standard inclusion” for one builder might mean premium materials, while for another, it could be the bare minimum.
That’s why it’s important to understand not just what’s included, but how well it’s detailed and specified.
An example of vague language is wording like "reflective foil wrap" to describe a type of pliable membrane. We wrote in detail about this in a previous post which you can find in the further reading sections at the end of this post.
The Language of Specifications: Precision vs. Marketing Fluff
You might be thinking:
“Does it really matter if a builder uses marketing terms instead of technical language in their specifications?”
The short answer? Yes, it matters—a lot. Here’s why:
- Clarity Over Confusion
The National Construction Code (NCC) and Australian Standards (AS) use precise, legally defined terms to ensure consistency and compliance. For example, the NCC specifies exact requirements for fire-resistant materials or energy efficiency ratings.- If a builder replaces terms like “NCC-compliant insulation (meets Australian Standard AS/NZS 4859)” with vague marketing phrases like “premium eco-friendly insulation,” it leaves room for interpretation. What does “eco-friendly” actually mean?
- Does it meet the NCC’s thermal performance standards (design R-Value)? Without alignment to regulatory/standards language, you risk misunderstandings—and potentially a home that doesn’t meet your expectations.
- Compliance Isn’t Optional
Builders are legally required to meet NCC and Australian Standards. If specifications use alternative terms or marketing jargon, it becomes harder to verify compliance.- For instance, a builder might advertise “heavy-duty structural beams” without referencing the AS 1684 timber framing standard. Without that technical alignment, you have no guarantee the materials will perform as promised.
- Transparency Builds Trust
Builders who align their language with regulatory standards signal professionalism and accountability. They’re saying: “We adhere to industry benchmarks, and we’re not hiding behind buzzwords.” Conversely, overly creative language can feel like a smokescreen—a way to obscure lower-quality materials, change-out materials to suit the builder or avoid commitments. - Avoiding Costly Loopholes
Marketing terms like “luxury finishes”or“high-end fixtures” are subjective and open to interpretation. Without concrete references to standards (e.g., “AS/NZS 3500.1-compliant plumbing”), you could end up with finishes that look “luxury” to the builder but feel cheap to you.- While we often assume that builders ensure compliance with standards in the homes they construct, the absence of detailed specifications can create ambiguity. Utilising clear, standardised language in building specifications eliminates these uncertainties, safeguarding against potential costly upgrades or disputes in the future.
The Bottom Line
While a touch of marketing language isn’t inherently bad, specifications must anchor key elements to NCC and Australian Standards terminology. This ensures compliance, clarity, and accountability.
Think of it like a recipe: you wouldn’t trust a cake labelled “made with premium ingredients” if it didn’t specify how much flour or what type of chocolate was used. Similarly, a builder’s specifications should tell you exactly what you’re getting—not just what sounds good to get you to sign a contract.
How AI Can Help Clear Up Builders' Offerings
Artificial intelligence has changed many industries across the board, and now it’s time to deploy it in construction. AI’s ability to process and analyse huge amounts of data makes it the perfect tool for reviewing vague or flowery builder marketing documents.
Here’s the high level overview of how we’re instructing (prompting) ChatGPT to review submitted documentation:
- Ensuring Compliance: ChatGPT cross-references builder specifications language against Australian standards like the National Construction Code (NCC) and Australian Standards (AS), flagging any discrepancies or areas of concern.
- Assessing Quality: By analysing materials and construction methods, ChatGPT helps us distinguish between high-quality offerings and potential cost-cutting measures.
- Evaluating Language Clarity: ChatGPT identifies vague or ambiguous terms in specifications, ensuring you know exactly what you’re signing up for.
- Comparing Claims with Reality: ChatGPT aggregates data from customer reviews, testimonials, and other sources to highlight gaps between a builder’s promises and their actual performance.
Our AI-Driven Review Process
To deliver the most detailed and unbiased reviews, we’ve developed a structured approach to prompting ChatGPT. Here’s how it works:
- Document Analysis: We input the builder’s specifications, inclusions lists, and marketing materials into ChatGPT for a detailed breakdown.
- Quality Review: ChatGPT evaluates the materials and methods described, assessing their quality and value.
- Language Review: The AI checks for clarity and precision, comparing the language used to industry standards to spot any red flags.
- Information Gathering: ChatGPT compiles data from customer reviews, testimonials, and other sources to provide a well-rounded view of the builder’s reputation.
- Claims vs. Reality: The AI compares the builder’s marketing claims with real-world outcomes, highlighting potential risks or areas where you might need more clarity.
- Builder Rating: Based on the analysis, ChatGPT assigns a rating (1 to 10) considering factors like timeliness, cost accuracy, and quality consistency.
Why This Approach
By using AI to carry out the review for each builder, rather than having our review of each builder we can ensure you read reviews that are:
- Objective: AI provides unbiased analysis, free from human bias or external influences.
- Efficient: AI processes information quickly, delivering timely insights without sacrificing depth or accuracy.
- Comprehensive: By cross-referencing multiple data sources, AI ensures no detail is overlooked.
- A standard method of measurement: AI executes the same process for each document it reviews avoiding human input errors, bias, judgement or opinion. The blog post content will be built solely from the output of ChatGPT and does not contain any input from us whatsoever in the review of the builder.
Empowering You to Build Smarter
Our goal with this series is simple: to give you the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions. Here’s how we hope to help:
- Avoid Surprises: By understanding exactly what’s included (and what’s not), you can avoid unexpected costs or compromises.
- Promote Transparency: We’re holding builders accountable to their promises and industry standards, fostering a culture of honesty and integrity.
- Boost Satisfaction: When your expectations align with the final product, you’re more likely to be happy with your new home.
Transparency in Action: See Exactly The Prompt we use for this review
We believe transparency isn’t just a word to use in marketing material—more so it’s the foundation of trust. That’s why we’re sharing with you the exact ChatGPT prompt used to analyse builders' specifications.
By showing you the process, we want you to see there’s no hidden agenda or built-in bias in the output.
Want to review builder’s specs yourself?
Use this prompt (or adapt it to your circumstances) with tools like ChatGPT! While we've done the heavy lifting, this gives you a starting point to ask informed questions with the material you've been given to consider.
A Quick Note on “Junk In, Junk Out”
While our prompt is designed to be neutral, AI outputs still depend on the quality of the input data. For example, if a builder’s specifications or uploads are incomplete or misleading, even the best AI analysis will have gaps.
That’s why its important to combine AI with your oversight—as in, review the output to spot what machines might miss and determine the extent of validity of its statements. The more information your upload into this prompt the more thorough the output should be.
The GPT Prompt
Note: ensure you are using GPT 4o, 4.5 or o1 for this prompt for better results and analysis.
START OF PROMPT
[ChatGPT, I will provide you with various documents related to a specific builder, such as building specifications, schedules of fittings, marketing materials, and any other relevant info. Your role is to examine them meticulously, compare the stated details with Australian regulatory standards (e.g., NCC, AS), and incorporate any factual data from your knowledge base regarding this builder’s reputation or performance. Then, you will respond to a series of prompts designed to investigate the reality of building with this company—the good, the bad, and the ugly—always remaining clear, straightforward, and unbiased.
Key Reminders & Best Practices:
- Maintain Neutrality
- Emphasise factual observations. If data is lacking, state that no information is available rather than speculate.
- Reference vs. Opinion
- Differentiate verifiable references (e.g., specification quotes, consumer reviews, official sources) from your interpretive opinions.
- Stay On-Topic
- Avoid tangents or including unnecessary details. Keep the focus on the builder’s performance, compliance, and consumer impact.
- No Links, No Headlines
- Per your instructions, do not include hyperlinks or use clickbait-style headings.
- Honesty, Not Hostility
- “Calling a spade a spade” means being direct without attacking or undermining credibility with unnecessary harshness. Clarity and honesty are the goals.
- Explain your reasoning where possible
- Don't over embellish details make sure they are based in reality and supported by fact, reference to an Australian Standard or to the National Construction Code (NCC). Our preference is for concise, clear and cogent reasoning. No waffle.
Please confirm you understand before we proceed.]
(wait of response)
Now click the "PLUS" button and select the builders documents, then paste the next prompt to continue.
1. Document Upload / Overview (don't paste this into GPT, just adding it here for context)
[Here’s the full building specification, schedule of fittings, and any marketing information for ‘[insert Builder Name].’ Analyse it in detail. Your response should be honest, with no sugarcoating or fluff, and no links or headlines. Please confirm once you have fully absorbed the information.]
(After ChatGPT confirms, proceed.) or, you may have to ask "Have you fully absorbed the information provided to you?"
2. Quality Review (don't paste this into GPT, just adding it here for context)
[First, tell me your thoughts on the overall quality of the building specification and inclusions list. Specifically, address:
- The materials and methods described (are they high-quality or cost-cutting?).
- The value for a prospective purchaser (does this look fair and transparent or potentially inflated?).
- Any notable omissions or red flags.
- Be direct. Avoid bias and don’t sugarcoat. No fluff, no headlines, no links. Just a clear breakdown.]
(After ChatGPT responds, copy and paste this output into your document under the header "Quality Review")
3. Language Review (don't paste this into GPT, just adding it here for context)
Note: Make sure to turn on "Search" before hitting enter on this prompt.
[Now, compare the language used in these specifications to the language typically found in the NCC, Australian Standards, and regulatory codes. Is the text clear and concise or vague and open to interpretation? Point out any terminology that raises concerns about potential loopholes or misunderstandings.]
(After ChatGPT responds, copy and paste this output into your document under the header "Language Review")
Note: you can always pause on a section and ask questions like "Are there additional wording choices here that need attention? If so, explain their significance.”
4. Gather & Prepare (don't paste this into GPT, just adding it here for context)
Note: Make sure to turn on "Search" before hitting enter on this prompt.
[Next, I want you to gather all the information you have about this builder (from these documents and your broader knowledge base) for a detailed analysis. Do not produce any written output yet—simply confirm once you have organised your internal analysis.]
(This ensures ChatGPT has thoroughly processed the data without prematurely revealing insights. When ChatGPT is ready, move on.)
5. What They Say vs. What They Do (don't paste this into GPT, just adding it here for context)
[Based on the company’s self-presentation (marketing, specification language) versus public or online information (reviews, complaints, testimonials), identify areas where the builder’s claims may not align with what they actually deliver.
- Highlight biggest risks for consumers.
- Pinpoint sections of the specification that could be unclear or prone to issues.
- Explain why these are potential concerns, clearly and without bias.No fluff, no headlines, no links, no hedging. Just call a spade a spade.]
(After ChatGPT responds, copy and paste this output into your document under the header "What they say vs what they do")
6. Rate the Builder (1–10) (don't paste this into GPT, just adding it here for context)
[Finally, rate this builder on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent. The main criteria for your rating:
- Ability to deliver on time
- Ability to deliver to cost (accuracy of estimates, minimal overruns)
- Consistency of high-quality work
- Provide a brief rationale for your rating. Keep it straightforward and fact-based.]
END OF PROMPT
Thats it!
We’ve included highlighted sections to help you prepare a structured document before running the prompt. First, create a blank template with these predefined sections.
As you progress through the prompt and generate outputs, paste each result into the corresponding section of your document.
This step-by-step approach allows you to create and refine your review of each builder.
Conclusion
Follow along as we take a look at the offerings of major project builders, starting with our first AI-driven review on M e t r i c o n dropping shortly.
Your home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, and we’re here to ensure it’s built on a foundation of transparency, quality, and trust.
That said, we also want to be upfront about AI’s role in this process. While AI has incredible potential, we’re still in the early stages of fully understanding its long-term benefits.
We believe AI is a powerful tool, particularly for tasks like data analysis, spotting trends, and organising complex data sets for human review. However, it’s not without its limitations.
One of the biggest challenges with AI is the “junk in, junk out” reality. The quality of the output depends heavily on the data the model is trained on. And since most AI models are closed-source, it’s often impossible to know exactly how accurate or reliable their outputs are.
That’s why we’re using AI as a tool—not a replacement for your own judgement. Our goal is to harness the strengths of AI while staying mindful of its limitations.
Further Reading
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
Anthony Painter
