Builder asking for more money than quoted? What to check first
By Build Advocate
If your builder asks for more money, start by establishing what the request is for. Is it a change you requested, an adjustment to an allowance, newly discovered work, or something the builder says was excluded? Ask for a written breakdown and compare it with the agreed scope and payment arrangements.
The request itself does not tell you whether the extra is justified. The reason, evidence and agreement matter.
Separate an extra cost from an earlier payment
A builder might be asking for a higher total price, or simply asking for an agreed payment sooner. Those are different issues.
Write down the amount, the requested payment date and whether the overall project price is changing. If the request concerns materials or a supplier invoice, ask what is being ordered and how that fits the agreed payment schedule.
Identify the reason
You changed the design or specification: Request the instruction, revised work and cost difference.
An allowance is insufficient: Request the original allowance, proposed selection or actual quantity, and adjustment calculation.
Unexpected conditions were found: Request photos or findings, the proposed solution, and relevant scope wording.
The work was excluded: Request the quoted exclusion and an explanation of who was expected to provide it.
Materials or labour became more expensive: Request the calculation and any agreed price-adjustment provision.
The builder needs cash sooner: Request the existing payment terms and the specific commitment the money would fund.
These categories help organise the discussion. They do not, on their own, determine what you are legally obliged to pay.
Gather the documents before the conversation becomes an argument
Keep the accepted quotation, contract, drawing revisions, specification, payment record and messages agreeing changes together. Make a short timeline of the instruction, work and payment request.
For example, “extra electrical work” is too broad to assess. A useful breakdown identifies the additional points, who requested them, whether they were already shown, and the materials and labour being charged.
Check the whole calculation
An alteration may add one item while removing another. Ask whether omitted work has been credited, whether the original allowance has been deducted, and whether the figures include applicable VAT and any agreed additions.
Also ask about time. A late change can affect ordering, sequencing and the finish date, even if the physical installation is small. Agree the proposed cost and programme effect together wherever possible.
Ask for a clear written explanation
You can keep the request straightforward:
“Please send a breakdown of the additional amount, the work it relates to and the relevant quotation or contract item. Please identify any instruction or allowance adjustment, credits for omitted work, and the effect on the programme. I would like to review those together before agreeing the change.”
Keep the discussion focused on the disputed items. A short list showing agreed, unconfirmed and disputed amounts is usually more useful than restarting the entire project argument in every message.
If agreement is difficult
Ask the builder to respond to the specific gaps in the evidence. A construction review can help explain scope, quantities and delivery implications. Questions about contractual entitlement, withholding payment or terminating the appointment may need legal advice based on the actual agreement.
Do not assume a general online article settles those decisions. Keep records and use the appropriate support for the issue. Citizens Advice provides guidance on problems with building work; that linked page is for England, so select your nation for the relevant guidance.
Need help understanding the request?
Build Advocate's Rescue Initial Assessment costs £225 and includes a one-hour review call. We assess the issue and available evidence, explain uncertainties and identify practical next steps. Further intervention or specialist work is separately scoped. This is construction advice, not legal representation.
If you are still choosing a builder, our guide to comparing builders' quotes explains how to identify scope gaps before appointment.