Materials
Choosing Timber Species for a Hot and Humid Climate
What holds up after ten wet seasons, what a moisture meter reading actually means, and the species we stopped specifying after one bad summer.
Workshop · Cairns City · Mon to Fri
Contact Timberapex
Timberapex builds timber frame homes and cedar saunas across Far North Queensland, and the fastest way to start is a phone call to the workshop or a quick message through the form below.
Start here
Tell us about the block and the build
The form below asks for the things we need to give you a sensible answer rather than a generic reply. Fill in what you know and leave the rest, we can work the details out on the phone.
If you already have drawings, mention that in the message and we will ask you to email them separately. If you are still at the "we have a block and an idea" stage, that is completely fine too. Most of our clients start there.
What happens after you send it
- A reply from our project manager within one business day
- A short call to confirm scope, site access and rough budget
- A site visit if the project looks like a fit, usually within a fortnight
Find us
Wharf Street, Cairns City
We are a working timber workshop, not a showroom, so expect to walk past stacks of cedar and a half-cut frame when you arrive. That is the whole point.
Contact
- +61 7 5824 7369
- timberapex@gmail.com
Opening hours
- Monday to Friday: 6:30am to 4:30pm
- Saturday: 8:00am to 12:00pm, workshop visits by arrangement
- Sunday and public holidays: closed
Visits and inspections
Come and look at a frame mid-build
There is no substitute for standing next to a joint that has been cut and test-fitted. Ring ahead and we will tell you which build is at what stage, then walk you through the workshop and the racks where the timber is drying.
For properties outside Cairns we will usually combine the first visit with a drive out together, so you get a straight answer on access, slope and whether the site suits the design you have in mind. There is no charge for the first site visit within 100 km, and a $300 fee beyond that which comes off the contract if we build.
Workshop floor, Wharf Street
Before you call
Answers to the usual first questions
Most enquiries land on one of these five, so we put them here rather than making you wait on hold to hear them.
How soon can you start?
Design and engineering slots usually open up two to three weeks out. Workshop time depends on the season, and the wet months December to March are booked earliest, so if you want a frame cut then, talk to us at least three months ahead.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. If you send plans or even a rough brief, a line-by-line quote costs you nothing. We only charge if you want a full design drawn from scratch, and that fee is credited against the build if you go ahead.
Can I supply my own timber?
Sometimes. If you have milled timber on your own block and it has been properly dried and graded, we are happy to work with it. We will test the moisture first, and we will say no if it is not ready, because building with green boards costs everyone more.
Do you handle council approvals?
We prepare the engineering and documentation and work with your certifier or private building surveyor through the approval. We do not lodge on your behalf, but we will tell you exactly what is needed so the process does not stall.
What areas do you cover?
Installation within about 400 km of Cairns, which takes in Innisfail, Atherton, Mareeba, Port Douglas and Mission Beach. Beyond that we can cut and ship the frame, and we will talk to your local crew before we commit to the job.
Not ready to call yet?
Have a look at our published rates first, then come back when you know roughly what you want to spend. It makes the first conversation a lot more useful.
See pricing
Worth a read
Two articles that save people money
We wrote these after answering the same questions on the phone too many times. Have a read before your site visit and you will get more out of it.
All articles
Materials
Saunas
What Changes When You Build a Sauna Outdoors
Drainage, ventilation, roof overhang and foundations, plus the two mistakes we see on nearly every outdoor build.
Prefer to talk
Ring the workshop and ask for Marcus
He runs the jobs and can tell you in five minutes whether what you have in mind is realistic for your block and your budget. If he is not in, leave a message and he will call back the same day.