Guide
What a written building quote should include
Short answer
A good building quote gives a fixed total price, not a day rate. It lists the work and the materials, says if VAT is included and says how long the price lasts. It also sets out the payment stages, how extra work is priced, the dates and who deals with approvals. Compare at least three.
Quote or estimate
A quote is a fixed price for the work described. An estimate is a guess, and the final bill can change.
Citizens Advice says to get written quotes from at least three traders. Be careful of a trader who will not put a price in writing.
Be careful of a price far below the others. It may leave out work that another builder included.
The checklist
Check that each quote covers these points. Ask the builder to add any that are missing.
- A fixed total price, not a daily rate.
- A breakdown of the work and the materials, with makes and types where they matter, such as the stone and the lime.
- Whether VAT is included.
- How long the price is valid for.
- What is not included, such as kitchens, flooring or decoration.
- Who supplies and pays for scaffolding, skips and site toilets.
- Who applies for building regulations approval and party wall notices, and who pays the fees.
- Start date, likely length of the job and working hours.
- The payment stages, linked to work done.
- How changes and extra work will be priced and agreed.
- What happens if hidden problems are found, such as rotten timber or weak foundations.
- Any guarantee on the work, and its length.
Payment stages
Link each payment to a stage of work you can see, such as foundations, walls up or roof on. Hold back the last payment until any snags are fixed.
Citizens Advice says do not pay everything up front. If a deposit is needed, keep it low, at no more than 25%.
Extras and changes
Most disputes start with extras. Agree in the contract that the builder prices any extra work in writing before doing it.
For an old Cotswold house, ask for a contingency sum for hidden problems. Agree how it will be used and reported.
Your rights
By law, the builder must work with reasonable care and skill. This is in section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
If you agree the contract at home, you usually have 14 days to cancel. If you asked the work to start sooner, you may pay for work done.
If something goes wrong, raise it with the builder first. Keep receipts, photos and dated notes.
Questions
Should a builder charge VAT?
Only if the business is VAT registered. Ask whether the quote includes VAT, so you compare like with like.
Is a verbal quote binding?
A contract can exist without writing, but it is hard to prove what you agreed. Citizens Advice says to ask for a written contract.
What if the final bill is higher than the quote?
A quote is a fixed price for the work described. You should not pay more unless you agreed to extra work. Ask the builder to explain each extra in writing.