Coffs Harbour, Australia

Still building.
Just differently.

I’m Dean Loader. After a career building homes on the Coffs Coast, I’m now helping builders work better as co-founder of Core Estimator.

A little about me

A builder’s experience. A founder’s perspective.

Dean Loader, co-founder of Core Estimator
Dean LoaderCo-founder, Core Estimator
THE BUILDING BUSINESS

Looking for Loader Building? My former business partner, Christian Bonny, continues to operate Adapt Build & Design. I’m no longer involved in the business and have no ownership interest. This is now my personal website, sharing my work with Core Estimator, my involvement with HIA, and my perspective on the building industry.

01 / The background

Experience that stays with you.

It started
on the tools.

1993 newspaper clipping headed Keeping up with trends, showing Dean Loader on the left
Keeping up with trends, even in 1993.Dean Loader, left, during his apprenticeship.
Housing Industry Association, 21 April 1993.

The way I see the industry comes from being in it. On site, across the plans, and responsible for getting the job right.

With over 30 years in the industry, I’ve worked on custom homes, architectural builds and renovations around the Coffs Coast, alongside clients, architects and trades.

It started with an apprenticeship alongside my father, a respected Coffs Harbour builder known for his eye for detail and quality work. I spent most of my 20s in Sydney, working across the Inner West and the Northern Beaches, where I lived.

Back on the Coast, I spent another 10 years with my father, then formed Adapt Build & Design with Christian. Over almost 10 years we built a strong name for bespoke renovations and architectural work, known for detail, precision, quality and client communication, and sought after by new and repeat clients.

I know what it takes to turn a set of plans into a finished home. I also know the work that happens after you leave site: pricing the next job, checking the numbers, and keeping everything moving.

That experience shapes what I do now.

30+Years in the industry
Coffs CoastWhere I built my business
Hands-onThe perspective I bring

02 / Previous work

A few of the jobs I’m proud of.

From the slab
to the handover.

A selection of homes and projects from my years as a builder. Whole houses, kitchens, bathrooms, staircases and the work on site that gets them there.

Open-plan living room with a raked ceiling, timber floors and a fireplace Kitchen with a black stone island benchtop, timber-grain joinery and dark cabinetry Timber staircase with white balustrade, viewed from above Two-storey weatherboard home with a balcony and double garage Bathroom with a freestanding bath, double basins on a timber vanity and patterned floor tiles White bathroom with a freestanding bath, hexagon wall tiles and a brass-framed mirror White kitchen with a hexagon tile splashback and open timber shelving Contemporary single-storey home at dusk, with a breeze-block front fence and a palm tree Covered timber deck with outdoor lounge furniture beside a breeze-block wall Construction site with a tracked rig, scaffolding and a worker in a hard hat Hallway with a skylight, timber floors and a green armchair in the room at the end
Blockwork walls under construction on site Dean Loader standing in front of the Quality Hotel

03 / What I’m building now

From the job site to the bigger picture.

Built from
real experience.

Better tools for the people doing the building.

I’m a co-founder of Core Estimator, software that brings plans, takeoffs, estimating and proposals together for Australian builders.

My part is the connection between the software and the people using it. I talk to builders, run demonstrations and help shape the product around what actually happens in a building business.

Explore Core Estimator
CORE ESTIMATORBuilt for builders
The Core Estimator software interface
Plans & takeoffsEstimatingProposals

04 / Staying connected

An industry I’m proud to be part of.

Off the tools.
Still involved.

Building has been a huge part of my life. I’m still involved through the Housing Industry Association, contributing to the industry that gave me my start.

HIA logoHousing Industry
AssociationLongstanding member
01

HIA member

A longstanding member of the Housing Industry Association, continuing the connection I built during my years in residential construction.

02

Northern NSW branch committee

Part of the conversation about the practical issues builders face, bringing experience from running a building business to the table.

03

Housing awards judge

On the judging panel for the region’s HIA housing awards, recognising the workmanship, detail and effort that go into a great home.

05 / Get in touch

Good things start
with a conversation.

Want to talk about Core Estimator, the building industry, or an idea worth exploring? Drop me a line.

Based in Coffs Harbour, NSW.