What should be included in a builder’s quote?
A useful builder’s quote tells you what will be built, what information it is based on, what it will cost and what remains uncertain. A detailed-looking list can still omit a major part of the job. Before comparing totals, check that the quotation describes a complete, buildable scope for your home.
Identify the documents being priced
The quote should identify the drawing and specification revisions, date of issue and any site visit or survey. If one builder priced a later design than another, their totals are not directly comparable. Ask which structural information, drainage details and selections were available. An early estimate based on planning drawings should say so clearly.
Look for these scope headings
Site setup: access, scaffold, welfare, protection, temporary support, skips and disposal.
Structure and envelope: foundations, steelwork, masonry or timber, roof, insulation, windows, doors and weatherproofing.
Services: plumbing, heating, electrics, ventilation, testing and connection to existing systems.
Internal work: partitions, plastering, joinery, stairs, finishes, making good and decoration.
External and existing-house work: drainage, ground reinstatement, repairs at junctions and alterations beyond the new room.
Handover: completion work, certification, defects process and final cleaning where agreed.
The exact headings vary with the project. The point is to make omissions visible. A line saying “all works as drawings” is only as clear as the drawings and the referenced specification.
Separate inclusions, exclusions and allowances
Ask who supplies and installs kitchens, sanitaryware, tiles, flooring and specialist items. “Client supply” can still leave installation, delivery, storage and damage responsibilities unclear. An exclusion should say what is excluded and who will arrange it.
For every provisional sum or allowance, record the assumed quantity, quality and whether fitting is included. Ask how the difference between the allowance and actual cost will be calculated, including any agreed overhead or profit and applicable VAT. Do not treat an allowance as a fixed price.
Check time, payment and change control
A quote should lead into a realistic programme and payment schedule. Ask when the builder can start, how long the works are expected to take, what work depends on design decisions or lead times, and who will manage subcontractors. Early payment for steel, scaffold or materials may be legitimate, but the purpose and evidence should be explicit.
Ask how variations will be instructed and priced before extra work starts. Record who can approve a change and whether it affects time as well as cost. A written contract helps connect scope, price, programme and payment. JCT’s Home Owner contract information shows the matters a domestic contract can record; use an appropriate agreement for the actual job.
Put the quote into the full project budget
Professional fees, approvals, client purchases and contingency may be outside the builder’s price. Our extension budgeting guide helps you assemble the whole cost. When comparing several builders, use the side-by-side quote method to identify differences in scope and allowances.
Before you sign
Ask for one revised, dated quotation that incorporates agreed clarifications. Keep the drawings and specification it refers to. If a large item remains unpriced, either resolve it or show the risk honestly in your budget. Build Advocate’s Cost & Readiness Assessment can review scope, budget and delivery risks before you commit; Complete Builder Selection compares up to three builders and their proposals.
