General Contractor Guide for Quotations

Do it Yourself Tips for Quotations

When you have decided to have work carried out on your property, unless it is repair work, you should try and have a firm idea of what you want, this way you cannot be lead into having more work done than you really want and can afford.

Always get three quotes to see if each builder gives you the same advice and if they all include the same type of items that need doing. You should tell each tradesman what you want and not let him guess, so that you can compare the prices fairly.

Your builder will offer you advice on the work that you are considering having carried out and you will need to decide whether or not to follow this advice. It may sometimes mean the job is more expensive, but it may be more involved than you first thought. You can email us with a query at enquiries@buildadvice.com and we will try to help.

Your quote/estimate should be written and not verbal, you need to have on paper a full breakdown of prices against the items, if one of the items is not carried out, you need to know an amount to be deducted from the overall cost.

If you have any extra work carried out or if your builder comes across some unplanned work that is necessary, always get a fixed quote/estimate for the works. Never say "oh just do it" if you are having a large job carried out, ask your tradesman to include a contingency sum on his estimate/quote for any unforeseen work which may occur, he should know about any extras that may arise. (For example if you are having an extension, underpinning may be an extra). Insist, however that no spending is made on that sum without your written consent.

This way you will never go over budget. At the end of the job, the contingency sum is deducted from the final figure, if the work has not been carried out.

Check that your quote includes materials, labour and rubbish removal. It should also be clear whether your quote is VAT included or whether it needs to be added. If a Company?s taxable turnover reaches $55,000 per year then the Company must register and charge for VAT. It is illegal for you to pay cash if a company is VAT registered