Best Builders in Napier and Hastings
We assessed 62 builders in Napier and Hastings and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 269 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 30 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Whether you want a new home built, a renovation or an extension, a good builder will give you a detailed quote, stick to a timeline, and communicate clearly when things change. Get at least three quotes, check their Licensed Building Practitioner number on the MBIE register, and ask for references from completed jobs similar to yours.
Top 5 Builders in Napier and Hastings
The top 5 builders in Napier and Hastings are #1 JJ Builders, #2 Refresh Renovations, #3 Manzis Build, #4 James Smith Carpentry, and #5 Zenbuild, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
JJ Builders Hawke's Bay
verifiedVerified★ 5.0 34 reviews +1 Top5 Score 159 -25★ 34JJ Builders coordinates multi-trade projects, including full renovations, deck and fence builds, and large-scale rebuilds, taking on the scheduling of sparkies, tilers, and plumbers so clients deal with one point of contact. Jase and the team are known for keeping jobs on time and on or under budget, including on challenging builds with multiple stakeholders.
schedule Mon–Fri 7am–5pm · Sat 7am–1pm · Sun Closed
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2
Refresh Renovations Hawkes Bay
★ 5.0 42 reviews Top5 Score 1485★ 40 4★ 2Refresh Renovations brings kitchen strip-outs and rebuilds, bathroom restorations, deck builds, and whole-interior overhauls under a single project manager, so clients deal with one team rather than chasing individual trades. Mike is named across many projects for daily on-site presence, keeping trades to schedule and resolving unexpected complications on the spot, while Sophia and Rachel guide clients through design choices and fixture selection before any work begins.
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3
Manzis Build
↓ 1★ 4.9 35 reviews +1 Top5 Score 147 +15★ 34 1★ 1Manzis Build takes on decks, bathroom strip-outs and rebuilds, kitchen renovations, doorway alterations, ramps, and full home restorations, coordinating subcontractors including electricians and plumbers under one team. Henare and Arana are named repeatedly by clients for staying in close contact throughout, walking clients through each stage and checking in after completion.
location_on 410 Avenue Road East, Hastings
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4
James Smith Carpentry Ltd - Builder
★ 5.0 30 reviews Top5 Score 1445★ 29 4★ 1James Smith Carpentry picks up bathroom renovations, window frame replacements, internal wall builds, carport construction, and flood reinstatement work across Hawke's Bay. James is noted for providing design plans and detailed estimates before starting, then guiding clients through decisions as the job progresses rather than leaving them to figure it out alone.
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5
Zenbuild Hawkes Bay
↓ 2★ 5.0 26 reviews Top5 Score 143 -15★ 26Zenbuild takes on full home renovations, recladding, deck and entrance builds, bi-fold door installations, kitchen fits, and window remediation work to LBP standards. Jesse is noted for sourcing materials including native hardwood, designing on-the-spot solutions when unexpected problems arise mid-job, and leaving sites clean and secure on completion.
Before you hire a builder in Napier and Hastings
Drawn from 181 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does it typically cost to hire a builder in New Zealand? expand_more
Standard new builds in New Zealand range from $2,500 to $4,500 per square metre for construction in 2024 and 2025. High-spec or architecturally designed homes can push past $5,000 per square metre, while provincial areas may come in closer to $2,000.
Renovation and extension costs vary widely, but a bathroom gut-and-rebuild or kitchen renovation commonly runs from $25,000 to $60,000 depending on materials and fit-out. Consent fees, site preparation, foundation variations, and subcontractor trades such as plumbing and electrical are on top of those figures, so get itemised quotes from at least three Licensed Building Practitioners before committing.
How do I know if a builder is properly licensed for the work I need? expand_more
Restricted building work, which covers structural framing, foundations, roofing, and cladding on residential buildings, must be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) under the Building Act 2004. You can verify any builder's current licence status for free through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) public register before signing anything.
Once the work is finished, your LBP is legally required to provide a Record of Work certificate, which goes to your local council and attaches to the building consent file. Reviewers in this region noted builders who handled council sign-off and consent coordination directly, which is a practical signal that the builder understands their LBP obligations.
What should a building contract cover before work starts? expand_more
The scope of work should be written in detail, including materials, finishes, and which subcontractor trades are included, because reviewers who were happiest had full visibility of what was happening and when. A clear variation process matters just as much as the original scope, since unexpected issues like out-of-square walls or concealed water damage are common in renovations and how those are priced mid-project determines whether your budget holds. Payment schedules tied to project milestones, a named day-to-day contact, a timeline with key dates, and explicit responsibility for obtaining and closing out building consents should all be written into the contract before any work begins.
What are the warning signs of a builder you shouldn't hire? expand_more
- –A builder who takes months to provide a quote and still cannot commit to a start date is a strong signal of poor capacity management.
- –Estimates that come in significantly below market rates without explanation can indicate costs will escalate sharply once work starts, as one reviewer found their landscaping estimate understated by nearly 90 percent.
- –No LBP licence number offered upfront, or reluctance to put one in writing, means restricted building work may not be legally supervised.
- –A project manager who sends tradespeople to your home without notifying you first indicates the site is not being properly coordinated.
- –Pressure to remove a negative review in exchange for completing a quote is a serious red flag about how disputes during a build will be handled.
- –Vague contracts with no variation process mean any change to scope becomes a point of conflict with no agreed basis for pricing.
What should you ask before hiring a builder? expand_more
- –Ask for their LBP licence number and check it yourself on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) public register before signing any contract.
- –Ask who your day-to-day contact will be and how often you will receive progress updates, since reviewers rated builders most highly when there was a named person keeping them informed throughout.
- –Ask how variations are priced and approved, including whether you will receive written confirmation before any out-of-scope work proceeds.
- –Ask which subcontractors will be on site, whether they are vetted and managed directly by the builder, and who is responsible if a subtrade causes damage or delays.
- –Ask who is responsible for obtaining building consents and booking council inspections, and confirm that is written into the contract.
- –Ask for two or three references from projects similar in scope to yours, and specifically ask those referees whether the final cost matched the original estimate.
Also recommended builders in Napier and Hastings
Ranked 6 to 10 on the same public review record.
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6
Coast Construction HB Limited
★ 5.0 26 reviews Top5 Score 1425★ 25 4★ 1Coast Construction steps in fast on time-sensitive jobs, covering fence and gate builds, deck and pergola construction, roofing, flooring, and leak damage repairs while coordinating plumbers and carpet layers so clients deal with one team. Scott and Kendal are named for walking clients through what work is required and why at each stage, then actively asking for feedback before the job is closed out.
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RHL Build Hawke’s Bay
↓ 2★ 5.0 16 reviews +1 Top5 Score 1385★ 16RHL Build gets decks, pergolas, fencing, and safety rails built to a finish that multiple clients describe as exceeding what they expected. Adam walks clients through options and pricing before starting, and the same households keep coming back across different projects rather than shopping around each time.
location_on 192Twyford Road, Twyford, Hastings
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8
Pro Build Hawkes Bay
↓ 4★ 5.0 14 reviews Top5 Score 137 -25★ 14Pro Build gets home renovations, carport builds, and retail fitouts across the line on time and within quote, with Damian noted for spotting design changes mid-project that save clients money. Tradespeople who work alongside them on-site flag the organisation and attention to detail as what sets the team apart from other builders.
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9
Total Home Solutions
↓ 3★ 4.4 31 reviews Top5 Score 1355★ 22 4★ 5 2★ 1 1★ 3Total Home Solutions coordinates bathroom renovations, kitchen rebuilds, structural repairs, and post-flood rebuilds, bringing together builders, painters, and other trades under a single point of contact. Project managers including Tim, Blair, and Brent are named repeatedly for keeping clients updated through photos and messages throughout the job, even when clients are overseas.
location_on 207 Saint Aubyn Street East, Parkvale, Hastings
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10
Drinkrow Homes – Custom Home Builder Hawke’s Bay
↓ 3★ 5.0 15 reviews Top5 Score 1345★ 15Drinkrow Homes builds custom new homes, rural off-grid homes, and extensions, with Jesse and Michelle directly involved from first meeting through to final walk-through. Repeat clients across multiple builds point to accurate pricing, on-time completion, and weekly updates that kept owners informed even when living outside Hawke's Bay.
location_on 10 Lopdell Lane, Eskdale Drive, Napier
About this ranking
What the 10 builders listed above hold, at the 30 September 2026 check.
We first assessed builders in Napier and Hastings in July 2026 and have rechecked the ranking twice since. Two different businesses have held first place; JJ Builders has held it since August 2026. Manzis Build and Zenbuild have been in the top 5 at every check. Across the 14 locations we assess builders in, the 140 businesses listed have a median rating of 5.0, and one-star reviews are 2.2% of their total.
What has changed since July 2026? expand_more
- Sep 2026
Scoring method updated. Refresh Renovations entered the top 5 at #2. James Smith Carpentry entered the top 5 at #4. Pro Build left the top 5, down to #8. RHL Build left the top 5, down to #7. Coast Construction returned to the list at #6.
- Aug 2026
New first place: JJ Builders. JJ Builders entered the top 5 at #1. Pro Build entered the top 5, up from #9. Drinkrow Homes left the top 5, down to #7. Total Home Solutions entered the list at #6.
- Jul 2026
First check. Manzis Build #1.
How are the top builders in Napier and Hastings chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for builders in Napier and Hastings. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out, and a business whose main Google category is a different trade is held back until a person has checked what it does. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for builders in Napier and Hastings. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.