Autumn Star ConstructionTable View · Cape Town · Est. 2004

Autumn Star Construction · Cape Town · Since 2004

The price you sign is the price you pay.

Construction, renovations, shopfitting and maintenance, priced from a measured bill of quantities you read line by line. One standard of work, three honest finishes.

  1. Auditbefore we price
  2. Countbefore we quote
  3. Sign,and the price holds
Scroll to build

01 Why we exist

Most builders sell you a low number. We sell you the true one.

In Cape Town the cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest job. The walls open, the "unforeseen items" appear, and by then you can't walk away.

We count before we quote. Every foreseeable item and risk is measured, priced and shown to you before you sign, contingency included, in plain sight. Then we build what you signed for.

AuditBefore we price
CountBefore we quote
SignAnd the price holds

02 The Open Ledger

One bill of quantities. Three honest options.

You see the same BoQ we price from.

Each quote comes in three tiers. The workmanship, labour and supervision are identical in all three. Only the materials and finishes change, and every rand of difference is explained, line by line.

If something genuinely changes on site, you hear about it the same day, see the cost in writing, and nothing proceeds without your approval.

Bill of quantities · Bathroom renovation · Sample
Rev A
Example bill of quantities lines by tier
ItemDescriptionTier
1.1Strip out, dispose, prepare substrateSame in all
1.2Waterproofing system to wet areasSame in all
2.1Standard-format porcelain tilesEssential
2.2Reliable standard taps and sanitarywareEssential
2.3Supplier-range vanityEssential
3.1Hand-picked trades, daily supervision, photo recordSame in all
—Changes you didn't approve in writingR 0.00

Sample lines. Your own BoQ measures and prices every item for each tier.

04 Start here

Open your Project File before we visit.

Five short questions turn an idea into a brief and a checklist. We arrive at the site visit already knowing what matters to you.

Nothing is sent until you choose to. Copy the brief, or add it to your enquiry.

What are you planning?

Choose the closest match.

05 Services

Drawn at 1:100 or at 1:5. Built to one standard.

1:100New work

You want to build or add on

Construction

New homes, extensions and second dwellings, built from a measured BoQ by trades we choose and supervise.

Completed double-storey home with Table Mountain behind
1:50Interiors

You want to change what you have

Renovations & interiors

Kitchens, bathrooms and whole homes, re-planned, visualised and costed before the first wall comes down.

  • Kitchen and bathroom renovations
  • Layout re-planning
  • Joinery and dressing rooms
  • Flooring, tiling, ceilings, lighting
  • Interior design support
Tiler setting a large-format floor tile
1:20Fit-out

You run a shop, office or café

Shopfitting

Retail, hospitality and office fit-outs, planned around your trading hours.

  • Shopfronts and glazed partitions
  • Feature ceilings and lighting
  • Counters, display and joinery
  • Offices, showrooms and spas
  • After-hours installation
Dip n Dip café at Canal Walk with hexagonal timber and mesh ceiling
1:5Detail

You own or manage property

Property maintenance

The jobs most contractors rush, handled as projects: scope, quote, photographs and sign-off.

  • Painting, inside and out
  • Roofing, roof washing, gutters
  • Waterproofing: roofs, balconies, planters
  • Tiling and plumbing repairs
  • Pool care
Waterproofer rolling membrane onto a wet-area wall

07 Projects

Drawn, priced and built. Every stage on the record.

Since 2004. Our role is shown on every project.

Case study · Shopfitting

Rejuva Spa · Seaside Village, Big Bay

Type
Spa fit-out, existing shop
Area
69.8 m² net
Rooms
4 treatment rooms, steam suite, nail bar, reception
Our role
Space planning · BoQ · Shopfitting
  1. 01 · Sketch

    The reception drawn by hand: counter, lounge and nail bar.

  2. 02 · Concept

    The brand, palette and rooms agreed on screen.

  3. 03 · Plan

    Partitions, doors and wet areas set out and dimensioned.

  4. 04 · Priced

    Eleven measured sections, every line itemised. Contingency shown, not hidden.

  5. 05 · Built

    Finished, snagged and ready to trade.

Visualised
Built

What was agreed on screen is what was built.

The olive feature walls, warm cove lighting, brass pendants and white joinery all came through from concept to handover.

New extension · Construction

Granny flat · a second dwelling on the same property

Type
New extension, granny flat
Spaces
Living, kitchen, bathroom, built-in storage
Finish
Plastered and painted, paved side passage

Built alongside the main house with its own entrance. Inside: an open living space under a recessed ceiling with downlights, a fitted kitchen with a built-in oven, full-height cupboards and a frameless walk-in shower.

Side passage and paving
Own entrance
Living space
Kitchen
Bathroom
Connected rooms
Built-in storage

Plan a granny flat or extension

Case study · Shopfitting

Dip n Dip · Canal Walk

Type
Café fit-out in a regional mall
Feature
Hexagonal timber-and-mesh ceiling
Our role
Shopfitting

The archive

  • Granny flat · Own entranceNew extension · Construction

  • Granny flat · KitchenNew extension · Construction

  • Granny flat · BathroomNew extension · Construction

  • Beachfront residential developmentBig Bay · Procurement · Project management

  • Four-storey apartment blockTable View · Procurement · QS · Project management

  • Apartment block · street viewTable View · Procurement · QS · Project management

  • Penthouse · full-height glazingTable View · Procurement · QS · Project management

  • Double-storey home · Table Mountain viewNorthern Suburbs · Procurement · Build

  • Corner home · glazing and boundary wallNorthern Suburbs · Procurement · Build

  • Contemporary home · façade detailsNorthern Suburbs · Procurement · Build

  • Boundary wall and sliding gateNorthern Suburbs · Build

  • Slatted gate · detailNorthern Suburbs · Build

  • Apartment block · structureTable View · Procurement · QS · Project management

  • Apartment block · envelopeTable View · Procurement · QS · Project management

  • Double-storey homeParklands North · Procurement · Build

  • Contemporary homeTable View · Procurement · Build

  • Kitchen interiorTable View · Build

  • Floating stair and feature wallTable View · Build

  • Glass pavilion houseSouthern Peninsula · Build · Project management

  • Retail centreParklands · Procurement

  • Column formworkTable View · Build

  • Balcony drain · as foundNorthern Suburbs · Maintenance

  • Balcony drain · stripped to slabNorthern Suburbs · Maintenance

  • Balcony terrace · re-tiledNorthern Suburbs · Maintenance

  • Rejuva Spa · shower roomBig Bay · Shopfitting

  • Rejuva Spa · treatment room vanityBig Bay · Shopfitting

  • Rejuva Spa · guest WCBig Bay · Shopfitting

  • Rejuva Spa · sliding doorBig Bay · Shopfitting

  • Rejuva Spa · corridorBig Bay · Shopfitting

  • Rejuva Spa · service alcoveBig Bay · Shopfitting

  • Dip n Dip · seating and joineryCanal Walk · Shopfitting

  • Pool house · sketch to renderVisualisation

  • Pool houseVisualisation

  • Courtyard homesVisualisation

  • Double garage street frontVisualisation

  • Family home · aerialVisualisation

  • Courtyard · aerialVisualisation

  • Modern double-storeyVisualisation

  • Façade study · nightVisualisation

  • Residential tower · CBDVisualisation

  • Mixed-use blockVisualisation

  • Open-plan officeVisualisation

  • Office loungeVisualisation

  • Office fit-outVisualisation

  • Living room · cove lightingVisualisation

  • Dining and stairVisualisation

  • Kitchen and floating stairVisualisation

  • Retail kioskVisualisation

  • Rejuva Spa · receptionVisualisation

  • Rejuva Spa · double treatment roomVisualisation

  • Rejuva Spa · nail stationVisualisation

  • Four homes around a gardenVisualisation

  • Ink perspectiveSketch

  • Ink perspectiveSketch

  • Reception counter · hand sketchSketch

  • Street elevationSketch

  • Garages and terracesSketch

  • Double garage homeSketch

  • Pool houseSketch

  • Courtyard scheme · aerialSketch

  • Courtyard scheme · aerialSketch

  • Open-plan officeSketch

  • Spa receptionSketch

  • Rejuva Spa · general arrangementDrawing

  • Spa re-plan · treatment roomsDrawing

  • Rejuva Spa · space planDrawing

  • Four-home site planDrawing

  • Four-home 3D modelDrawing

  • Apartment re-planDrawing

  • Apartment · 3D floor planDrawing

  • Office · 3D floor planDrawing

  • Perimeter wall detail · 1:20Drawing

  • Extension roof sectionDrawing

  • Priced trade BoQ · House additionsRev A
    1. AElectrical installationmeasured
    2. BLighting installationmeasured
    3. CAccess control, AV, datanil · excluded
    4. DPlumbing & drainagemeasured
    5. +P&G 10% · contingency 10% · VAT 15%shown
    Exclusions listed in full: professional fees, main structure, making good, escalation, back-up power

    House additions · trade BoQEvery exclusion written down before you sign

  • QS audit note · Rev 7Final
    1. 1Skirting re-priced at real supplier rateupdated
    2. 2Sanitaryware matched to supplier stockupdated
    3. 3Lintels re-quantified from drawingscorrected
    4. 4Mark-up restructured, shown per lineopen
    5. !Open items listed before final sign-offflagged
    Every revision is logged, so you see what changed and why

    Residential BoQ · revision logRev 7 · what changed, and why

  • Bill of quantities · Spa fit-out · Final69.8 m²
    1. 01Preliminaries & general15.1%
    2. 02Demolition & strip-out9.0%
    3. 03Drywall partitions8.9%
    4. 04Ceilings & bulkheads7.2%
    5. 05Doors & ironmongery6.2%
    6. 06Floor finishes6.1%
    7. 07Wall & wet finishes2.8%
    8. 08Plumbing & sanitaryware10.2%
    9. 09Electrical & lighting13.0%
    10. 10Painting5.7%
    11. 11Provisional & PC sums15.8%
    Contingency 12.5% shown before signatureEscalation nil · 9-week programme

    Spa fit-out · section summary11 measured sections · share of works

09 Why it holds together

Hand-picked, not hired off the street.

Anyone with a bucket and two workers can call themselves a contractor. The difference is who holds the trowel, and who checks the work.

Selected trades
Every tiler, painter, plasterer, bricklayer and specialist is chosen for the quality of their work and supervised to one standard. No anonymous subcontract chains.
Twenty-two years of procurement
Our roots are in buying materials for large projects: real supplier relationships, real prices and specification knowledge in every quote.
One point of accountability
One contract, one contact, one standard, from the first visit to the final sign-off.
Over three decades of combined experience
Across procurement, quantity surveying, project management, design and construction.
Eighteen trades · one standard of supervisionSelected and supervised by Autumn Star
  • Bricklayer levelling a brick courseBricklayer
  • Plasterer floating a wallPlasterer
  • Tiler setting a floor tileTiler
  • Painter rolling a wallPainter
  • Electrician testing a socketElectrician
  • Plumber fitting a basin trapPlumber
  • Joiner marking timberJoiner
  • Roofer fixing roof sheetingRoofer
  • Glaziers fitting a glass panelGlazier
  • Steel fixer tying reinforcementSteel fixer
  • Ceiling fixer fixing a suspended ceiling gridCeiling fixer
  • Waterproofer applying membraneWaterproofer
  • Concrete finisher floating a slabConcrete finisher
  • Pavers laying paving blocksPaver
  • Drywall installer fixing a partitionDrywall installer
  • Two installers mounting an air-conditioning unitHVAC installer
  • Tradesman removing skirting during strip-outStrip-out
  • Landscapers planting a new garden bedLandscaper

11 Questions

Before you call.

Do you take on small jobs?

Yes. A single tile, a leaking tap or a pool clean follows the same process as a build: site visit, written scope, itemised quote, photo record, sign-off and warranty.

What is a bill of quantities, and why does it matter?

A BoQ lists every item of work and material, measured and priced. Because you see the same BoQ we price from, you can compare options line by line and see exactly what is, and isn't, included.

What is the difference between Essential, Signature and Bespoke?

Only the materials and finishes. Workmanship, labour standard and supervision are identical in all three, and every rand of difference is explained.

Will the price change once work starts?

What you sign is what you pay. Foreseeable risks, including any contingency, are priced and shown before you sign. If something genuinely changes on site, you hear about it the same day, see the cost in writing, and nothing proceeds without your approval.

Can you help with design and plans?

We prepare sketches, CAD drawings, 3D models and visualisations so you can agree the design before it is priced. Where statutory approvals or engineering sign-off are needed, we explain who is responsible at the site visit.

What should I prepare before a site visit?

Photos of the area, any plans or approved drawings, a rough budget range and a few images of finishes you like. The Project File builds a checklist for your type of project.

Is the house in the film one of your projects?

No. The film and the sketch-to-house animation are concept visualisations that show how we approach a building. Our completed and supported projects are in Projects, with our role on each.