---
title: "James Thornton | KnockdownRebuildCost Author"
description: "James Thornton — Quantity Surveyor & Cost Analyst. James has spent 15+ years analysing residential construction costs across every Australian capital ci..."
source: KnockdownRebuildCost
sourceUrl: https://kdrcost.com/authors/james-thornton
lastUpdated: 2026-05-31
citationUrl: https://kdrcost.com/authors/james-thornton
---

# James Thornton

James Thornton — Quantity Surveyor & Cost Analyst. James has spent 15+ years analysing residential construction costs across every Australian capital ci...

Quantity Surveyor & Cost Analyst

Maintains suburb-level cost databases covering 735+ suburbs and 8 capital cities. Validates calculator models against Rawlinson's, HIA, and ABS data quarterly.

Led estimating team for 40+ residential projects annually. Developed internal benchmarking tools used across 3 state offices.

© 2026 KnockdownRebuildCost. A Hustle Ventures product.

## About

## Professional Experience

## Key Achievements

## Publications

## Education & Qualifications

#### Guides

#### Company

## Key Points

- Contributed cost data to the Rawlinson's Australian Construction Handbook (Editions 31–33)
- Built the composite cost model behind HomeBuildBudget — validated against 4 independent industry sources
- Suburb-Level Cost Variation in Australian Residential Construction HIA Housing Summit Conference Paper, 2023
- KDR Process Guide
- KDR Costs by City
- KDR vs Renovate
- Demolition Costs
- How We Calculate
- Data Sources
- Privacy Policy

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*Source: [KnockdownRebuildCost](https://kdrcost.com/authors/james-thornton)*