Questions homeowners ask
Do I need an owner-builder permit?
It depends on your state and the value of the work. We help you understand what's required, but compliance is the homeowner's responsibility.
What if I'd rather use a licensed builder?
My Reno HQ works with licensed builders. Many clients take our drawings and estimates to a licensed builder of record while using our product library and documentation.
How is this different from Hipages or Houzz?
Hipages is a trade marketplace; Houzz is inspiration. My Reno HQ combines LiDAR design, supplier integration, vetted trades, and milestone payments in one workflow.
What's the LiDAR scanner?
It's the 3D camera built into iPhone 12 Pro and later (and iPad Pro from 2020 on). We pair it with Metaroom — a free LiDAR scanning app — and walk you through capturing your room in about 90 seconds. Detailed instructions appear in your portal once Stage 1 unlocks.
What does Stripe Connect actually do?
Stripe Connect holds milestone payments and releases funds to trades only on the milestone sign-off you approve. My Reno HQ doesn't hold funds ourselves.
What if I get partway through and want to stop?
Stage 1 ($399, includes free library access) and Stage 2 ($699) are complete deliverables you can stop after and hand to any builder. Stage 3 is optional if you want our trade network and milestone payments.
Do you cover kitchens and laundries?
Yes — kitchens and laundries are both live verticals alongside bathrooms. You pick which room when you sign up. Each vertical has its own marketing path (/owners/kitchen · /owners/laundry), its own free guide (Kitchens & Laundries Reno Guide) and its own dedicated library volumes.
How does a kitchen renovation work end-to-end with MyRenoHQ?
Same three stages as a bathroom — Stage 1 ($399, includes free library access) is scan plus concept layout plus cabinetry direction plus appliance shortlist plus realistic budget. Stage 2 ($699) is the detailed design pack: cabinet elevations, Blum hardware schedule, benchtop spec, appliance specs by model number, splashback selection and a week-by-week schedule that includes cabinetmaker lead time and the stone template-to-install gap. Stage 3 is trade quoting and build, with milestone payments via Stripe Connect.
Why the template-then-install cadence with the stonemason?
Stone benchtops have to be templated off the actual installed cabinetry — not the drawing — because cabinetmakers level the carcasses to the highest point of the floor, so the real top surface differs from the plan by a few millimetres. Templating off the drawing means the stone arrives the wrong shape. We sequence the stonemason to arrive after the cabinetry is signed off (typically 5-10 working days before install) so the template is real, the splashback is ordered to match the actual benchtop, and nothing has to be redone.
Do you supply the appliances or do I buy them?
Both options work. We hold trade pricing with major Australian brands (Smeg, Fisher & Paykel, Westinghouse, Bosch) and can supply oven, cooktop, rangehood and dishwasher direct at the trade rate. If you have a preferred supplier or a model already on order, we spec the cabinetry around your model number rather than ours — same outcome, you decide where to buy.
Where do you operate?
Across Australia. Sign up and choose your state — the portal serves the design pack, scan guide and owner-builder reference for that state. Trade network depth varies by state as we onboard more local trades.