A builder who treats your home like his own

Tom completed his carpentry apprenticeship through Sutherland Shire Council, then spent two years working under an established builder in the Southern Highlands. There he learnt to build the way he still builds today: carefully, properly and with real respect for the homes he works in.

In 2020 he started his own business, Illawarra Building Co, taking on carpentry, bathrooms and renovations. It was in the Southern Highlands that he found the work he loves most: heritage style homes, traditional details and finishes made to last. Within a couple of years the business became Oakmont Building Group, so we could take that work further across the Highlands and Illawarra, and Tom has since earned his builder's licence.

Tom started Oakmont to build the way he would want a builder to work in his own home. Turning up when he says he will. Pricing honestly. Keeping a clean, respectful site with no bad language. Finishing every detail to a professional standard. It is why he was named Business Person of the Year in 2025.

Clients often tell us how approachable he is. Tom is easy to reach and quick to reply, even at nine at night if that is what doing the right thing takes. His favourite part of every job is the last one: walking clients through their finished home and watching them see it for the first time.

Away from site, Tom lives in the Illawarra with his family, where he spends most weekends with his girls or, in true builder fashion, working on a project of his own.