Builder's Quote Checklist: What to Look For

Quote or estimate: know which document you have

Citizens Advice describes a quote as an agreed price, while an estimate is an informed approximation that can change.

The label matters, but the wording and circumstances matter too. Citizens Advice says a quote is a promise to do the agreed work at the stated price, while an estimate is a rougher prediction. It also explains that a trader can normally charge above an accepted quote when the customer asks for extra work, or when extra work is identified and the customer agrees to pay for it. A vague document headed 'quotation' does not remove the need to define the work it prices.

Before accepting, ask whether the total is fixed for the stated scope, how long it remains valid and which assumptions could alter it. Material choices, incomplete drawings, inaccessible structures and ground conditions may prevent some elements being fixed sensibly. Honest uncertainty should be visible as an allowance, provisional sum or clear exclusion, rather than hidden behind a confident total. Keep the quote, clarifications and acceptance together so everyone can refer to the same version.

Check the guidance: Citizens Advice guidance before building work.

Bottom line: Confirm whether the document is a quote or estimate, what it prices and what can legitimately change.

Give every builder the same project information

Quotations are only comparable when the builders receive the same drawings, specification, constraints and expected finish.

A price based on a conversation cannot be compared fairly with one based on construction drawings and a detailed schedule. The Federation of Master Builders recommends giving shortlisted builders the same clear brief, drawings, specification, approval information, timescale, access constraints and supply responsibilities. For a Rugby extension or conversion, that may include architectural drawings, structural information, planning decisions, building control details and a schedule of windows, finishes and fittings.

Record the property address and the drawing numbers or revision dates used. If one builder prices an older drawing, the totals no longer describe the same job. State whether the home will remain occupied, where materials can be stored, how waste can leave the site and whether parking or neighbour access is restricted. These details affect the proposed sequence and sometimes the cost, so disclosing them early produces a more useful quotation.

Check the guidance: Federation of Master Builders guide to choosing a builder.

Bottom line: One shared tender pack is the foundation of a like-for-like comparison.

Check the scope, products and exclusions line by line

A clear quote states both what the builder will deliver and what the homeowner or another supplier must provide.

The scope should follow the project from preparation to handover. Look for protection, strip-out, structural work, roofing, insulation, windows, plumbing, electrics, plastering, joinery, decoration, flooring, testing, making good and waste removal where relevant. Not every project needs every item, but silence creates assumptions. Phrases such as 'complete extension' or 'all building work' are too broad unless the supporting specification defines the finish.

Products should be named by manufacturer and model where they have been selected, or described by a measurable allowance where they have not. Confirm quantities, finish, delivery, storage and installation. For windows, kitchens, sanitaryware, tiles and flooring, ask whether the quoted amount covers supply only or the complete installed item. Also check temporary works, scaffolding, skips, welfare, protection and final cleaning. They are less visible than the finished room but still need an owner and a budget.

• Ask for explicit exclusions rather than relying on what is not mentioned.
• Check whether client-supplied items still include fitting and associated materials.
• Confirm who protects occupied rooms and repairs damage caused by the agreed work.
• Identify certificates, manuals, guarantees and keys due at handover.

Bottom line: If an important outcome is not written into the scope, do not assume the total includes it.

Separate fixed prices, allowances and provisional sums

An allowance is not a final selection, and a provisional sum is not the same as a fixed price for fully designed work.

Allowances help a project move forward before every product is chosen. A quote might include a stated amount for tiles, sanitaryware or a kitchen. Check whether that figure is per item or total, whether it includes VAT, delivery and fitting, and how any saving or overspend will be calculated. An unrealistic allowance can make the quotation appear cheaper while shifting a predictable cost into the project later.

RICS describes a provisional sum as an allowance for work that is not sufficiently designed for a firm tender price. The quotation should identify the uncertain work and explain how the final amount will be established. Ask which labour, materials, overheads and related work sit inside the sum. Also ask what information or opening-up work could turn it into a fixed figure before the contract is signed.

Check the guidance: RICS guidance on provisional sums and valuing change.

Bottom line: Every uncertain figure needs a reason, a defined scope and a method for later adjustment.

Make VAT, payments and the programme unambiguous

Compare VAT-inclusive totals and tie staged payments to clear, observable progress rather than dates alone.

The quote should state whether the contractor is VAT registered and whether VAT is included in each figure. GOV.UK says most work by builders on existing houses and flats is charged at the standard rate, although defined exceptions exist. A lower total that excludes VAT is not comparable with one that includes it. Check the arithmetic, accepted payment methods, deposit, stage values, due dates and any retention or final balance.

Payment stages should correspond to work or materials described clearly enough for both parties to recognise. Avoid a schedule that puts most of the price ahead of progress. If an advance payment covers specially ordered products, record what it purchases, who owns them, where they will be stored and what happens if the project does not proceed. Ask for receipts and keep a payment record.

The programme should include an anticipated start, expected duration and the factors that may change it. Product lead times, approvals, client decisions and genuinely unforeseen conditions can affect a job. The contract should explain how delay will be notified and how revised dates will be recorded. For an occupied Rugby home, also agree working hours, access, security, utilities and periods when kitchens or bathrooms cannot be used.

Check the guidance: GOV.UK VAT guidance for builders.

Bottom line: The cash flow and timetable should be understandable before a deposit is paid.

Agree changes before the extra work begins

A written variation process protects both parties when the design changes or hidden conditions are discovered.

Building projects can change, but the method should not be improvised each time. The quotation or contract should say who can request a variation, what information must be supplied, how price and time effects will be shown and who must approve it. The Federation of Master Builders advises that additional or changed work should be communicated and priced clearly. A brief conversation on site is easy to remember differently later.

Use a simple written variation record showing the instruction, revised scope, price adjustment, VAT, programme effect and approval date. Where urgent safety work is required, record what was found and why action was necessary as soon as practical. For non-urgent changes, wait for written agreement before proceeding. The same process should record omissions and credits when work or products are removed from the original scope.

Bottom line: No optional extra should reach the invoice before its scope, cost and time effect are agreed.

Turn the chosen quote into a written contract

A detailed quote supports the contract, but it does not replace terms for responsibilities, delay, defects, insurance and disputes.

The FMB recommends a written contract before work starts. It should identify the parties, incorporate the accepted quotation, drawings and specification, and cover responsibilities, price, variations, dates, payments, insurance, warranties, defects, snagging, delay and dispute handling. Make sure the documents agree. A carefully drafted contract can still become confusing if it refers to a superseded quote or leaves the order of precedence between documents uncertain.

Check business details and insurance directly. Record the main contact, who supervises the work and which specialist trades may be subcontracted. Agree how practical completion and snagging will be recorded, what certificates and warranties are due, and when the final payment becomes payable. Keep signed documents, invoices, variation records, photographs and correspondence in one project file.

Consumer cancellation rights depend on where and how the agreement was made, whether work has begun and whether bespoke goods are involved. Citizens Advice explains that many phone, online and off-premises service agreements carry a 14-day cooling-off period, with exceptions and payment rules where early work is expressly requested. Ask for the applicable cancellation information and take advice on your circumstances rather than relying on a general summary.

Check the guidance: FMB guidance on builder selection and written contracts, Citizens Advice guidance on cancelling building work.

Bottom line: Sign one coherent agreement that points to the final quote, drawings and specification.

Compare clarity, evidence and delivery, not price alone

The best-value quotation is the credible plan you understand, not automatically the lowest total.

Line up the three written quotes and mark every difference in scope, products, allowances, exclusions, VAT, programme and payments. Ask each builder the same follow-up questions. A cheaper quotation may be sound, but first establish whether it leaves out work included elsewhere or relies on lower allowances. Do not ask one builder to match a total until you understand whether the underlying offer is actually equivalent.

Price is only one appointment check. Review comparable work, speak to references where possible, verify insurance and any claimed memberships, and understand who will be on site. Clear explanations before appointment help show how decisions may be communicated during the project, although no checklist removes every risk.

For a first Belmax conversation, send the Rugby postcode, photographs, the intended outcome and any drawings already prepared. Say which decisions remain open and whether other suppliers are involved. A final quotation should wait until the scope can be described with appropriate certainty.

• Compare the same documents and revision dates.
• Reconcile every inclusion, exclusion and allowance.
• Check VAT and the total cash requirement.
• Review programme, payment stages and variation terms.
• Verify insurance, references and responsibility for the site.
• Resolve written questions before accepting the quote.

Bottom line: Choose the clearest credible route to the finished result, then record it properly.