Building the best is all that matters to Peter Maulder, and his benchmark is simple: his work must exceed the expectations of his happy clients. With a building career spanning over 40 years, Peter doesn’t hand over the keys without a final inspection — armed with a vacuum cleaner.
Odd as it may seem, this isn’t just a cleanup tool for Peter; it’s his way of inspecting every last detail. “I’ll never hand over a completed project without giving it a good vacuum,” he says.
“It’s the perfect way to confirm that the job meets my standards. If I’m happy, I know our clients will be very happy.” Peter is proudly “old school,” with a hands-on approach that won’t be changing anytime soon, even as he looks toward retirement. He was taught to do the job right the first time, and that commitment has shaped the business.
“I have high standards. It’s either perfect, or it’s not,” he explains.
Without naming names, Peter and his team have built and renovated many of Havelock North’s premier homes. Until recently, word of mouth was the only way you’d hear about Maulder Builders.
Peter never sought out the limelight; he didn’t brand his utes, put signs up on sites, or chase awards. Instead, he let the quality of his work speak for itself — admired by clients and their guests alike in over 50 exquisite homes within a 20-kilometre radius of his new Napier Road premises.
That’s not to say his work hasn’t won accolades. Awards and magazine features have highlighted his projects, often through clients or architects. But now, Peter’s comfortable sharing his story and showcasing his 20-plus team’s craftsmanship.
“We’ve always let others do the talking for us, but I believe it’s important to showcase our work a bit. It motivates the team and keeps us focused on our standards.”
A tough taskmaster, Peter passes on his exacting standards, developed over 40 years starting as an apprentice in Taranaki and later working in Hawke’s Bay with Ivan Linnell, a respected builder.
“I was lucky to have a boss who set high standards. And recently, a painter told me, ‘The thing I love about your jobs is there’s no double standard. It’s either perfect, or it’s not.’ That sums up our approach perfectly. We could work faster, but I’d rather do it right the first time.”
Peter hasn’t been on the tools himself since 2016, following a serious accident while building his “forever home” at Mohaka, where he fell through a ceiling and broke his back. After surgery and recovery in Christchurch, he transitioned to project management, overseeing teams, working with architects, and building lasting relationships with clients. Many have returned to him time and again. He’s also mentored young tradespeople, many of whom have stayed in the business or moved on to other local firms.
“People often say they can tell who’s ‘Maulder trained,’” he says proudly. A noticeable difference on Maulder sites is the absence of loud music — something Peter has insisted on for years.
“I want a professional, distraction-free environment, and I don’t think loud music belongs on a job site.”
This hasn’t deterred tradespeople from joining Peter’s team. Many, like Richard Potts have been with him for years, firstly as a builder and now as a project manager.
The crew also includes Nigel Baron, a quantity surveyor; Jill Deadman, office administrator; Rick Shuker, foreman on large builds, Barry Simmond, joinery foreman; and Peter Moeke, a former apprentice who has grown into a skilled tradesman with a promising future in the industry.
The team is thriving in a new 1,000m² facility on an old orchard, packhouse, and cool store site. This expansive space offers storage for building materials, a full joinery facility, secure client storage, and modern offices with a meeting room for clients.
Peter is also proud of his long-term subcontractors, many of whom have been with him for over 20 years, including Atlas Fibrous Plaster and Kevin Wiggins Plumbing. “Bryce from Atlas did his first job with me 40 years ago, and Kevin has done our plumbing for over 30 years. They do a great job, which is why we keep working together.”
Moving into 2025 Peter and the team continue to be in strong demand and he’s looking forward to overseeing projects for a few years to come, and that also includes his final checks with a vacuum cleaner!
