It’s the sting in the tail of so many renovations. When that dream kitchen, extension or refurbishment doesn’t turn out to be the quality job you were expecting.

Most of us would like to think that we are capable of settling building disputes without any outside help. However, inevitably, the large sums of money involved will sometimes cause confrontation and there needs to be some further recourse than simply having an argument with the builder.

It can be incredibly emotional. So what do you do when a building dispute turns sour? Where do you turn?

First up, make sure you only do business with a qualified, licensed supplier because then it makes it easier to take disputes down an official channel.

For example, professional building associations like the Master Builders Association or the Housing Industry Association offer free mediation services for people using their members.

Taking your case to an industry body can be stressful and time consuming, but if you’ve paid for a service you feel wasn’t up to standard, then you need to do something about it.

Each state also has an industry body you can turn to: The Building Services Corporation for NSW, The Housing Guarantee Fund  for VIC, Office of Fair Trading division of the Department of Consumer Affairs for SA, Builders Registration Board  for WA, Queensland Building Tribunal for QLD, and The Department of Consumer Affairs for TAS.

If the dispute is over cost, keep in mind cost overruns are not always the builder's fault, but they can be anticipated by the builder. Don't pay if a contractor has hiked up the total at the last minute. This is illegal. Permission to take on the more expensive option should be sought before amending the bill. These disputes should be taken to the industry bodies.

Finally, there is arbitration, a more costly process which could involve legal representation, independent reports and so on to back up your case.

While building disputes will always occur, it does seem to me that selecting a reputable builder properly licensed by the State authority is a critical first step.