Senior Builder · Hibiscus Coast · 25+ years
Bruce Hawthorne.
Qualified Builder.
Ready to start now.
A senior pair of hands you can trust for full-time or subcontract, renovation work for building companies north of the bridge.
I've been building for over 25 years across residential and commercial work. I'm an NZQA-qualified carpenter, and renovations are where I do my best work.
I've run my own jobs, managed sites, mentored younger builders, and worked alongside plenty of good crews. These days, I'm not trying to build a company of my own. I'd rather turn up, help run the job properly, and leave knowing it's sorted.
If you're a building company that needs a senior pair of hands you can actually trust on site, that's me. Full-time, part-time, or a trial run to see how it fits.
"I'm comfortable taking responsibility for running a site. But if you need a senior builder to slot into the crew, get stuck in and help keep the job moving, I'm just as happy there too."
No ego. Just doing what's best for the job, the team and the client.
Renovations are where I'm strongest, but I've got depth across the whole build.
I know every trade well enough to keep a job moving, and I know when to hand off to the specialist. Where I'm not the right person, I'll make sure the right person is doing it.
- Renovations, refurbishments, alterations
- Kitchens, bathrooms, decks
- Windows, doors and aluminium joinery
- Cladding (including cedar and straw bale)
- Leak and weathertightness fixes
- Framing, roofing, claddings, flashings
- Site management and collaborating with sub trades
- Council inspections and compliance pathways
- Design input and problem solving where it's wanted
- Connecting indoor and outdoor living, backed by a landscape design and build background
Indoor–outdoor deck · sketch to finish
"He cares about what he does, and you can see it in the detail. That's the advantage of having him on your team."
"Bruce renovated our bathroom and laundry. He led the whole project from design to build and sorted out all the other tradesmen. He knew exactly what did and didn't need consenting. A great experience start to finish."
Filmed for Create Renovations, where Bruce ran the build. The clients say it better than he would.
"Bruce would come to us and say, look, there's a way of doing this, it'll cost a bit more but it will pay off in the end.
The drainage was one of those. A boring thing to spend money on because you can't see it, but it really paid off for us.
Everything was just really great quality, and Bruce did an amazing job.
It's the little details too, like the powerpoint he put inside the bathroom cabinet so your toothbrush charges out of sight.
It's made the house so much more functional. It looks miles nicer, but it works much better as well."
I've got a knack for spotting problems and, if required by the main contractor, a way of resolving them. Design issues, engineering, compliance, the lot.
On the compliance side, I've got a solid understanding of what needs consenting and what doesn't. That way I can keep a job moving, saving the client money, while flagging early the things that genuinely need sign-off, so no nasty surprises at inspection time.
When you're renovating, you can only x-ray vision so much when you pull things apart and find what the last builder left you. That's where my experience earns its keep. Seamlessly blending old to new is the ultimate result.
Spotted the problemBeforeAfter"The plans had a width too narrow. I picked it up before we started, not after."
Sometimes the client knows what they want, but they can't quite picture how it will all come together. My job is to help them see it, sort the details, and then build it right.
Onehunga
75m² house extension and 73m² renovation
Mt Eden
100m² premium extension & renovation to an adjoined villa
Blockhouse Bay
120m² pool house — including truss design, fabrication and construction
Castor Bay
Deck rebuild and renovation
25+ years on the tools
Residential and commercial, NZQA qualified. Across building, demolition, landscaping and horticulture. Not much I haven't seen.
I run your job like it's mine
I've owned a business, so I get what's at stake. Put me on a corner of your operation and you can stop thinking about it.
I solve problems, I don't create them
Design, engineering, compliance. I spot it early and I sort it.
If required, I can handle council inspections
I can facilitate Council inspections and compliance pathways, working alongside the licensed builder where consent requires it. Inspector, photos, emails, sign-off coordination — handled.
I lift the crew
I enjoy mentoring younger builders. Bring me on and your team gets better, not just your job.
No ego, no drama
I take direction, I work clean, and I've got your back.
- NZQA Carpentry Certification
- GST registered
- Site Safe Passport
- St John First Aid Level 1
- Certificate of Horticultural Practice (Bay of Plenty Polytechnic)
- Certificate in Advanced Landscape and Design Technology (Unitec)
- Cladding and aluminium joinery specialist
Happy to go full-time or exclusive to one builder, can start part-time so you can see my added value, and if I collaborate well with your company, let's keep it going.
North of the bridge through to Warkworth, ideally within about half an hour of my home. Well stocked van with own tools. Specialist tools hired as needed.
