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Structure & Specs

Frame Material

The frame material of your home — timber or steel — is a structural decision that affects termite resistance, build timeline, and long-term durability. It's also an inclusion where builders differ significantly, with some including steel frames as standard and others charging a premium.

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Builders Include Standard

Offer as Upgrade

Do Not Include

What is it?

Frame material refers to the structural wall and roof framing of your home. Timber framing (typically treated pine) is the traditional standard. Steel framing (usually TRUECORE® or equivalent galvanised steel) is offered by some builders as standard and by others as a paid upgrade. Both meet building code requirements but have different properties.

Why buyers compare it

Steel frames are termite-proof and don't require chemical treatment
Timber frames are susceptible to termite damage without proper barriers
Steel frames are perfectly straight and don't warp or settle over time
Some builders include steel framing as standard — a significant value difference

Is it worth upgrading?

You're building in a termite-prone area and want maximum protection

You prefer perfectly straight walls that won't warp or settle

Your builder includes steel framing as standard or at a reasonable upgrade cost

You plan to live in the home long-term and want structural durability

Your builder includes a physical termite barrier with timber framing

Steel framing is a significant upgrade cost and your budget is tight

T2-treated timber with a barrier meets your termite protection needs

Questions to Ask Your Builder

Is the frame timber or steel?If timber, is it T2-treated or standard untreated pine?What termite protection system is included — physical barrier or chemical?Is steel framing available as an upgrade, and at what cost?Does the frame type affect the warranty terms?Are there any design limitations with either frame type?

Frame Material — Typical Costs

Treated Timber Frame

Included (standard)

T2-treated pine with chemical or physical termite barrier

Steel Frame Upgrade

$3,000 – $8,000

Galvanised steel — termite-proof, perfectly straight, no warping

Premium Steel + Barrier

$5,000 – $12,000

Steel frame plus physical termite barrier for dual protection

Compare My Build Tip

If you're choosing between timber and steel, ask about the termite protection system included with each. A steel frame eliminates one termite entry point, but termites can still access other timber elements in the home. A physical barrier around the entire slab is the most comprehensive protection regardless of frame type.

Which Builders Include Frame Material?

BuilderStatusValueUpgrade Cost

Hallmark Homes

Included

H2 classification treated pine wall frames and trusses

—

Hudson Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Evoca Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses and physical barrier system

—

Simonds Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Brighton Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Coral Homes

Included

Termite resistant frames + trusses

—

Orbit Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Clarendon Homes QLD

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Metricon Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Stylemaster Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Burbank Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Stroud Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Kiba Built

Included

Prefabricated 70 x 35mm stainless steel frames (unless specified)

—

ABC Homes

Included

90mm thick stabilised timber frame throughout

—

Bold Living

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Homes by CMA

Included

Truecore™ Steel Frame And Trusses

—

McCarthy Homes

Included

Timber house frame

—

Ownit Homes

Included

90mm timber frame

—

Omni Built Homes

Included

Frames and trusses to engineer’s design

—

DARE Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Plantation Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Leonard Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

CJ Homes

Included

T2 treated frames

—

Hotondo Homes

Included

T2 Timber Frame + Trusses

—

DR Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Indigo Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

AUSMAR Homes

Included

TRUECORE® steel

—

Tapscott Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Wide Bay Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Dixon Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

OJ Pippin Homes

Included

H2F termite resistant treated structural pine frame and trusses

—

Aspect Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Vantage Building Group

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Steve Bagnall Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

P.J Burns Builder

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

CCS Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Cougar Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Ausbuild Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Value Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

MyStyle Homes

Included

Unknown

—

Austart Homes

Included

Plain concrete

—

Gemini Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Integrity New Homes

Included

Unknown

—

Emerald Developments

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Fresh Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

G.J. Gardner Homes – Gold Coast South

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Arden Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Henley Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Carlisle Homes

Included

Timber frame construction

—

Boutique Homes

Included

Timber frame + trusses

—

Kingsbridge Homes

Included

Pine wall frame + trusses

—

JG King Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Mimosa Homes

Included

MGP 10 pine 90mm wall frames and engineered designed roof trusses

—

Homebuyers Centre - VIC

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Nostra Homes

Included

Pine frame + trusses

—

McDonald Jones Homes

Included

Truecore™ Steel Frame And Trusses

—

Rawson Homes

Included

Engineered steel frames and trusses

—

Omnia Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

SOHO Living

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Beachwood Homes

Included

Timber framing and structural beams/lintels as per engineers design and relevant Australian Standards.

—

SJD Homes

Included

Predominantly timber frame construction

—

Southern Vale Homes

Included

T2 Timber Frame + Trusses

—

Fairhaven Homes

Included

Timber frame construction

—

Aston Homes

Included

MGP 10 Timber frame construction

—

G.J Gardner Homes – Melbourne North West

Included

Timber frames and roof trusses

—

Eden Brae Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Bellriver Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

New Living Homes

Included

Termite resistant frames + trusses

—

Masterton Homes

Included

Termite resistant frames + trusses

—

Domaine Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

MOJO Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Champion Homes

Included

Timber frame and engineered roof trusses

—

Montgomery Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Hibbarb Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Wisdom Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Candor Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Lily Homes

Included

Termite resistant frames + trusses

—

Fowler Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Tempo Living

Included

TRUECORE® steel

—

Kurmond Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Perry Homes

Included

T2 treated 90mm external frames with 70mm internal and 600mm eaves

—

Winton Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Trend Connection Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Casaview Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Vogue Homes

Included

H2F termite resistant treated structural pine frame and trusses

—

Baygrove Designer Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated frame and roof trusses

—

Kaplan Homes

Included

90 x 45mm super size timber frame studs

—

Crystele Homes

Included

70mm pine wall frames, trusses and floor joists

—

Practical Homes

Included

H2F termite resistant treated structural pine frame and trusses

—

Eagle Homes

Included

Unknown

—

Dream Scope Homes

Included

H2 termite-treated pine Frames and trusses

—

Arcadia Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Homes By DJ Jones

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Ellis Developments

Included

LOSP treated timber

—

MasterBuilt Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Bundy Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Arden Vale Homes

Included

Frames and trusses to engineer’s design

—

G&P Builders

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

McLachlan Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Weeks Homes

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Metro Homes

Included

Pine wall frames (Wind Velocity Class. N1)

—

Kookaburra Homes

Included

H2 Termite Resistant Timber

—

Coast Life Homes

Included

H2F termite resistant treated structural pine frame and trusses

—

CSB Homes

Included

H2F termite resistant treated structural pine frame and trusses

—

Everyday Homes

Included

Termite resistant frames + trusses

—

Infinite Homes

Included

H2 classification treated pine wall frames and trusses

—

King Homes

Included

Termite resistant frames + trusses

—

Malpress Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Stonewood Homes

Included

Termite resistant frames + trusses

—

Bennic Homes

Included

—

Movinda Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Verona Homes

Included

Frames and trusses to engineer’s design

—

Clarendon Homes NSW

Included

Hybrid Framing System with both timber and steel

—

Arli Homes

Included

Timber pine frame MGP10

—

Metronest Homes

Included

MGP 10 Timber frame construction

—

Oxame Homes

Included

MGP 10 Timber frame construction

—

Melbourne Homes

Included

Unknown

—

5AB Homes VIC

Included

Unknown

—

5AB Homes SA

Included

Unknown

—

Hudson Ridge Builders

Included

Timber wall frames to Australian standards

—

Langdon Building

Included

Prefabricated timber framing & roof trusse

—

Lane Housing Co

Included

H2 classification treated pine wall frames and trusses

—

Arkadian Homes

Included

Timber framed walls at 450mm centres

—

Oasis Building Group

Included

—

McMaster Designer Homes

Included

90mm timber frame

—

Highmark Homes

Included

Timber framing according to Australian Standards

—

Hearty Homes

Included

Unknown

—

Sessions Builders

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Colmac Homes

Included

H2 classification treated pine wall frames and trusses

—

Legend Homes

Included

T2 Timber Frame + Trusses

—

Key Homes

Included

T2 Timber Frame + Trusses

—

Allworth Homes

Included

Superior framework

—

Garraway Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Hosies Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Redink Homes

Included

Pine frame + trusses

—

Ultra Living Homes

Included

Pre-fabricated timber frames throughout

—

Neptune Homes

Included

Timber frame + trusses

—

Costa Homes

Included

H2 classification treated pine wall frames and trusses

—

Better Built Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Vision Homes

Included

TRUECORE® steel

—

Tullipan Homes

Included

T2 - Termite resistant treated pine frames and trusses

—

Oakworth Homes

Included

Engineered timber frames and trusses

—

Green Homes

Included

Engineered timber frame and roof trusses H2 Treated

—

Bluetongue Homes

Included

Termite resistant treated structural timber framing

—

Meridian Homes

Included

Unknown

—

Homes By ZAC

Included

90mm structural wall framing throughout, with termite treatment

—

Provincial Homes

Included

Unknown

—

Avia Homes

Included

Termite-resistant H2F blue treated pine timber frame and trusses

—

Kline Homes

Included

90mm H2 pine timber frames & H2 pine trusses to engineers specifications

—

Ridgewater Homes

Included

Unknown

—

Central Property

Included

MGP 10 Timber frame construction

—

Paul Gray Builders

Included

T2 Timber Frame + Trusses

—

Twomey Homes

Included

90mm structural timber frame

—

Xircon Homes

Included

Pine framing to walls and roof as per engineer’s requirments

—

Oakridge Living

Included

TRUECORE® Steel Frames

—

Hunter Homes

Included

H2 classification treated pine wall frames and trusses

—

Related Guides

What Are Inclusions vs Upgrades?

Understand the difference between standard inclusions and paid upgrades in a new home build.

Hidden Costs Builders Don't Mention

Discover the costs that builders commonly exclude from their advertised 'from' prices.

Upgrade Costs Guide

Full breakdown of common upgrade costs across all categories in Australian home builds.

What to Compare Before Signing

The essential checklist of what to compare between builders before you sign a contract.

Compare Frame Material Across All Builders

Use our free comparison tool to see all inclusions side-by-side and find the best builder for your needs.

Compare All Builders

Frame Material

What is it?

Why buyers compare it

Is it worth upgrading?

Questions to Ask Your Builder

Frame Material — Typical Costs

Which Builders Include Frame Material?

Related Guides

What Are Inclusions vs Upgrades?

Hidden Costs Builders Don't Mention

Upgrade Costs Guide

What to Compare Before Signing

Compare Frame Material Across All Builders

Compare Builders with Frame Material Included

Related: Structure & Specs

Compare by Region