Home improvements
How to check a builder quote
Checking a builder's quote is a reading exercise before it is a pricing exercise. Work through it in order: scope, quantities, labour, materials, exclusions, VAT, then the total. Most disputes later come from something that was never written down, so the aim is to leave the quote with no unanswered questions rather than simply a lower number.
Why prices vary
Every builder writes quotes differently — some itemise fully, others give one figure for a whole stage.
Trade discounts, overheads and current workload all sit inside the price you are shown.
Two quotes rarely cover exactly the same scope unless you wrote the brief yourself.
Regional labour rates vary considerably across the UK.
What affects the price
- Scope clarity
- The more precisely the work is described, the less contingency a builder needs to add.
- Measured quantities
- Areas and unit counts you can verify yourself with a tape measure.
- Labour days
- Trades on site × days × rate, plus any labourer.
- Material grade
- Named products beat the word 'materials' every time.
- Provisional sums
- Allowances that will be adjusted later — useful, but only when labelled.
- Fees and certification
- Building control, structural calculations, electrical certificates, waste licences.
- VAT
- 20% where the builder is registered, and it should be stated.
What a proper quote should include
- Written scope by stage or by room
- Labour and materials shown separately
- Quantities for every significant material
- Named products for anything you care about the look or grade of
- Provisional sums clearly identified
- A list of exclusions
- Waste removal
- Payment schedule tied to stages, not dates
- Start date, duration and a variations process
- Insurance details and any guarantee
Common warning signs
- No exclusions listed at all — every quote has some
- A payment schedule heavily front-loaded
- Materials described only as a lump sum
- No process described for pricing changes
- Quote expires within days to force a decision
How to compare quotes
- Send the same written brief to every builder before they price.
- Build a simple comparison table: labour, materials, waste, fees, exclusions, total.
- Add the value of each quote's exclusions back in before ranking them.
- Ask each builder one question the others raised — the answers are revealing.
- Check that the programme is realistic; a very short duration often signals missed work.
When a higher price may be justified
- Full itemisation, named products and everything included
- A builder who has allowed for making good and decoration you would otherwise pay for
- Structural work, certification and building control inside the price
- Realistic contingency on a property where conditions are unknown
When a low price may be a warning sign
- Long exclusion list that returns later as extras
- Quantities lower than your own measurements
- No allowance for protection, cleaning or making good
- Programme far shorter than other quotes
Example quote scenario
Illustrative example — bathroom refit, fictional figures
- Quoted total (inc. VAT)
- £9,600
- Strip out and waste
- £800
- First and second fix plumbing
- £2,200
- Tiling, 24m² walls and floor
- £2,400
- Sanitaryware (provisional sum)
- £1,800
- Electrics and extractor
- £900
- Labour and finishing
- £1,500
This fictional quote is well structured: quantities, a labelled provisional sum and a waste line. The right question is not 'why so much?' but 'what happens if the sanitaryware I choose costs more than the allowance?'
Frequently asked questions
How many builder quotes should I get?
Three is a sensible balance. Fewer makes comparison hard; many more tends to produce quotes on different scopes and slows the project down.
What is a provisional sum?
An allowance for something not yet chosen or fully known, such as tiles or sanitaryware. It is adjusted once the actual item or quantity is confirmed.
Is a quote legally binding?
A quote is normally an offer to do defined work for a stated price, and it becomes binding when accepted. An estimate is only an indication. Check which word the document uses.
How does QuoteCheck check a builder quote?
You upload the quote or type the details in. QuoteCheck reviews labour, materials, quantities, VAT and extras against the described work and returns an estimated reasonable range, concerns, questions and a suggested target price for £9.99.
Already have a quote?
Upload it or enter the details yourself. Based on the information provided, QuoteCheck breaks down the costs and gives you an independent second opinion — an estimate, not a guarantee.
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