Every week we ask the same question: what makes a good builder? In this conversation with Anthony Hickey, Director of Two Tone Constructions the answers come thick and fast, not as theory, but as lived experience.
Anthony’s a third-generation chippy who’s turned hard early lessons into a clear operating system for quality projects and a healthy business. If you’re a builder trying to raise the bar technically and commercially, this one’s for you.
From cubby houses to custom homes
Anthony grew up with sawdust in his veins.
“Most of the family photos were in khaki,” he laughs. “Dad, Grandad, my uncle, all chippies. I had hammers and saws around me from day one. I was building cubby houses and skate ramps with the same tools I use now.”
Footy tempted him for a while, and he picked up work as a PT straight out of school. But the pull back to building was strong, even after a rough first crack at an apprenticeship.
“I never got properly signed up. I was getting yelled at, not learning much. It left a sour taste.”
He eventually joined his dad on the tools and found the standard that would shape his career:
“He was old-school, attention to detail, step-by-step, do it right. That ‘helicopter parenting’ on site became my default setting.”
Turning setbacks into standards
Plenty of builders will recognise the next bit: first jobs that feel overwhelming, the late-night knot of anxiety, the nagging imposter syndrome.
“At the time it feels like the world’s against you,” Anthony says. “But those challenges are where the growth is. Nothing’s a mistake if you’re constantly learning.”
One line he carries onto every project:
“The standards you walk past are the standards you accept.”
It shows up in small habits: whiteboard notes for defects, reviews at each stage, and a discipline around fixing the little things before they snowball.
The shift that changed everything: community and coaching
Anthony draws a hard before/after line in his business: pre-Live Life Build and post-Live Life Build.
“I started by listening to Dwayne’s podcast. His story gave me hope. Joining the community, coaching, systems, being around builders who actually share that changed not just my business, but my life.”
The big unlock? Control. Not in the rigid sense, but in the practical sense: boundaries, client education, and the pre-construction discipline that prevents pain later.
“Anxiety is often just the feeling of not having control. Systems, process, communication all those small levers turn the pendulum quickly.”
Doing it right starts before site
For Anthony, quality is set long before frames go up.
Pre-construction collaboration is non-negotiable:
- Educate clients on cost drivers and trade-offs early.
- Work with designers on buildability e.g. “tweak something upstairs to save steel downstairs.”
- Set expectations around scope, programme and decision-making.
On site, it’s the one-percenters, the stuff you never see after plaster:
“We review what worked and what didn’t on every job. The goal is to be a little better next time, every time.”
His favourite shift in the industry? Tools that tighten tolerances and make quality repeatable:
“Dad had a plumb bob he trusted more than his level,” he jokes. “Now the boys are running lasers everywhere. If it’s calibrated, you can’t go wrong.”
Open hands, not closed fists
Anthony’s social posts tell the story: walkthroughs, details, decisions, no smoke and mirrors.
“There are no secrets. We share what we do because the goal is better outcomes for clients and better projects for the industry.”
That openness extends to peers:
“It’s not my job to have all the answers,it’s my job to find them. Lose the ego. Ask. Learn. Adjust.”
The Live Life Build set-up helps here, with both builder and architect lenses in the room:
“Dwayne and Amelia give you a rounded view, how a detail lands for the builder, the architect and the client. You make better calls with that perspective.”
Where builders can raise the bar, fast
Two practical areas Anthony thinks will move the needle for most crews:
1) Weather-resistive barriers and condensation management
He’s big on WIB systems and cavity battens essentially making the shell watertight before cladding and roofing.
“Water ingress is the big risk. Nail your envelope and you prevent a world of pain.”
2) Business skills (yes, really)
Like many, he started as a gun carpenter who didn’t yet know his numbers.
“I wasn’t tracking costs. I didn’t understand overheads. I was shaving margin to win jobs I shouldn’t have priced that way. Coaching fixed that. Without it, I probably would’ve packed it in.”
It’s a point we hear often at TGB: we train trades, but we don’t train owners. If you’re feeling that gap, you’re not alone and you don’t have to white-knuckle it.
Joy back on the tools
As the business matured, Anthony clawed back space for the part of building that first hooked him: making things.
“A good day is starting on a subfloor and finishing with something you can see and touch. I’ve set up support so I can be on the tools two days a week with our apprentices. I teach, they grow and I keep my hands in it.”
It’s a healthy picture: business structured well enough to choose where you add the most value, without losing the craft that feeds you.
Biggest lesson (and a bit of permission)
“Surround yourself with the right people and you can do just about anything. Be open. Be vulnerable. Share the problem and it halves. No two custom jobs are the same, so there’s always a curly one and there’s always someone who’s done it before.”
If you’ve been carrying the weight solo, consider this your nudge.
The Four C’s: Anthony’s framework for a good builder
Anthony didn’t arrive with buzzwords; he arrived with a field-tested filter:
“For me, a good builder is the Four C’s.”
Communication — clients, architects, your team. Clear, early, often.
Collaboration — design and pre-con, suppliers, subs. Listen first; your answer might not be the best answer.
Consistency — systems, checklists, stage gates. Same standard, every time.
Care — from a $30k bathroom to a $2m architectural home. “We leave a bit of ourselves in every project, blood, sweat and tears.”
Pin that to your site board and your sales deck. It works both ways.
TGB Take
What we loved:
- The link between pre-construction and less stress later.
- Treating WIB/condensation as a first-order quality issue, not an afterthought.
- The business literacy honesty, lots of builders will see themselves in that story.
What to try this week:
- Run a 30-minute post-stage review with your team: what worked / what didn’t / what we’ll change.
- Map your pre-con flow on one page: who, what, when, how decisions are made. Share it with the next client.
- Book a numbers session: true overheads, break-even, margin discipline. (If you can’t do it alone, get help.)
Want to ask Anthony something?
He means it when he says his DMs are open:
“Part of my purpose is helping people through the challenges I’ve had, even if it’s just to lend an ear.”
Go follow Two Tone Constructions and keep an eye on the details he shares, you’ll pick up a trick (or ten).
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