Every now and then you spot a builder who’s not just making nice houses, they’re pushing the industry forward. For us, that was Jackson Digney from Enduro Builders in South Australia. He’s open about process, nerdy (in the best way) about membranes and airtightness, and dead-serious about healthy homes not as a buzzword, but as a standard.
Also, he’s our first South Australian builder on the pod. Worth the wait.
Jackson didn’t follow the neat, straight path from apprenticeship to builder’s licence. He started in accounting, worked in the marine industry, ran and sold a manufacturing business, moved states for love, turned around a struggling building company and somewhere along the way decided that if we’re going to build, we should build homes that last and keep people healthy.
“If you follow the pillars of Passive House even if you don’t certify you’ll build a healthy home.”
From boats to buildings (and why it matters)
Jackson grew up around big, complex build ships. That world instilled a couple of non-negotiables: take care of the planet you’re on, and don’t waste material or effort. When he moved to South Australia and retrained, those lessons came with him.
He’s frank about the detour into commercial construction: it was interesting, but it didn’t have soul. The pivot back to residential came after he rescued a small building company by putting proper systems in place, paying super, paying the ATO, fixing cash flow. When the owner broke the deal (hello, curved TV and white leather couch), Jackson walked and started Enduro Builders.
That backstory shows up everywhere in how he operates: values first, systems a very close second.
Systems that actually move jobs forward
Most builders say they’re organised. Jackson backs it with process:
- Trades booked a month ahead and continually reconfirmed.
- Daily site momentum is non-negotiable. “There should be something happening every single day.”
- Prioritisation conversations are direct: you’re either prioritising us or someone else and we’ve been talking about this date for weeks.
- Three-strikes policy on repeat trade issues, respectful, fair, and firm.
That approach did more than keep jobs tidy. It protected Enduro through the COVID “profitless boom”, timber shortages and all. While many scrambled, Jackson and team had materials lined up because they’d forecasted, communicated with suppliers, and held clients to realistic selection and contract timelines.
“When a site stands still, you’re not making money. Keep the site moving and the business will follow.”
Healthy homes, minus the hype
Jackson’s blunt about the stakes: Australia demolishes too many homes far too early, and too many people live in mouldy, uncomfortable houses. The waste isn’t only in offcuts during construction, it’s in prematurely replacing buildings that shouldn’t have failed in the first place.
So, what actually creates a healthy home?
The five pillars (Jackson’s plain-English take)
- Complete thermal envelope – Insulation properly installed, no gaps, no creases, continuous coverage.
- High-performance windows – Stop defaulting to single-glazed aluminium. Go double-glazed with uPVC, thermally broken aluminium, or timber.
- Thermal-bridge-free construction – The big dog of mould problems. If you miss this, you invite condensation and long-term damage.
- Airtightness – It’s the key determinant of energy performance but…
- Mechanical heat-recovery ventilation (MHRV) – …airtight without proper ventilation is a recipe for condensation and poor air quality. MHRV keeps fresh air flowing and recovers heat.
His practical advice for any builder who’s overwhelmed: if you can only focus on three right now, do thermal-bridge-free construction, complete the thermal envelope, and upgrade your windows. You’ll lift comfort, reduce risk, and slash warranty headaches.
“You don’t have to certify Passive House to live in a good house. But follow the pillars, and you’ll build one.”
The legal tailwind (and why you should care)
This isn’t just about best practice; it’s edging into liability. Jackson notes there are now pathways for homeowners to demonstrate building-fabric failure, including mould risk with WUFI analysis and a mould index threshold. Cases are bubbling away, consultancies (including Jackson’s other business) are fielding calls, and codes are tightening. The message is clear: get ahead of it now.
Culture, care and calling it early
One of the standout themes was how Jackson leads people. During COVID, he made as many mental-health check-ins as he did scheduling calls. He’ll pay a bit extra for the right way instead of the cheap way because he’s seen the true cost of callbacks when you cut corners.
And he’s pragmatic: set expectations, back good trades, and move on respectfully when it’s not clicking.
Waste you can measure (and fix)
Jackson and partners are knee-deep in an 18-month project weighing and cataloguing every kilo coming out of Enduro’s skip bins; timber, plasterboard, “maybe-recyclables”, the lot, then tracking where it goes (recycling, energy-from-waste, or landfill). The point isn’t to pat themselves on the back; it’s to get a real cost and a real plan to reduce it.
When those numbers land, we’ll get him back on to unpack it. It’s the kind of data the industry needs.
What makes a “good builder”?
We ask this in every episode. Jackson didn’t hesitate:
“Keep learning and be relentlessly open-minded. When you see someone doing it better, don’t get defensive, figure out how to emulate the good bit.”
That mindset shows. He geeks out on building science, borrows smart ideas without ego, and keeps sharpening systems that actually protect clients, trades and the business.
TGB take
Healthy homes aren’t mythical. They’re the by-product of discipline + detail: complete envelopes, better windows, no thermal bridges, airtightness with ventilation backed by a scheduling machine that keeps sites moving. Add a builder who’s values-driven, numbers-literate and calm under pressure, and you get Enduro’s formula: build once, build right, and build for health.
We’ll bring Jackson back to go deeper on condensation modelling (WUFI), code shifts, and that waste audit. In the meantime, if you’re a builder, lift your spec where it matters most. If you’re a client, ask sharper questions about what’s behind the plasterboard, not just what’s on the show floor.
Author: TGB Editorial
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