How Many Quotes to Get for Building Work, and How to Get Good Ones
Why three is the usual advice, when fewer or more makes sense, and how to make sure the quotes you get can actually be compared.
The short version
Three quotes is the usual advice, and a sensible starting point. What matters more is that every quote is for the same job.
For most domestic building work, getting three written quotes gives you enough to see what a fair price looks like without taking up weeks of your time or every builder's. One quote gives you nothing to compare against. Two can leave you unsure which one is out of line. Three usually shows a pattern.
The number is less important than the quality. Three quotes for three slightly different jobs are harder to compare than two quotes for exactly the same one. The work you put into briefing builders clearly, and asking each of them for the same things, is what makes the comparison meaningful.
This guide explains when fewer or more quotes make sense, how to brief builders so their quotes line up, what to compare when they arrive, and what to do when the prices are far apart.
Why three
What each extra quote adds, and what it costs
The first quote tells you roughly what the job might cost and, just as usefully, what it involves. A good builder will explain things at the site visit that change how you think about the work.
The second gives you a comparison. If the two are close, you have a reasonable idea of the going rate. If they are far apart, you can't yet tell which one is unusual.
The third usually settles it. Two prices that are close and one that is well above or below shows you where the middle is, and gives you specific questions to ask about the outlier.
Beyond that, each extra quote adds less and costs more. Every quote means a site visit, a conversation and time spent reading and comparing. Builders also give up time to visit and price your job without charge, and some will decline if they know a job is being put out to a large number of firms. Our guide to the time cost of doing it yourself looks at how quickly this adds up.
Adjusting the number
When fewer is fine, and when a fourth is worth it
Three is a guide, not a rule. The right number depends on the job and what you already know.
One or two can be enough
- A small repair where the cost of waiting is higher than any saving
- A builder you have used before and trust
- A specialist job with few firms who do it
- A strong, recent recommendation for similar work
- When the first quotes are close and well explained
A fourth may be worth it
- A large project such as an extension or full re-roof
- Quotes that are far apart with no clear reason
- A scope you are still unsure about
- One builder has raised something the others missed
- You are not comfortable with any of the builders so far
Who to ask
Choosing which builders to ask for a quote
A quote is only worth having from a builder you would actually be willing to hire. It is easier to do some basic checks before the site visits than to discover a problem after you have spent time comparing prices.
Before asking for a quote, check that the builder does your kind of work, covers your area, and can show you something of their track record: reviews, examples of similar jobs, or a recommendation from someone you trust. Our guide to vetting a builder sets out the fuller checks you can make once you have a shortlist.
Where the builders come from also shapes the process. Going direct to builders you have heard of, using a directory, and using a network that appoints a contractor for you each work differently, and each involves a different amount of your own time. Directories, networks and going direct compares them.
Try to ask builders of a broadly similar kind. A quote from a one-person firm and one from a large company with its own office staff can differ for reasons that have little to do with the quality of the work. That is not a reason to avoid either, but it helps to know why the prices differ before you compare them.
Getting it right
How to get quotes you can actually compare
The effort goes in before the visits, not after the quotes arrive.
Write a short brief
What you want done, any materials or finishes you have in mind, the access to the property and when you would like the work to happen. Half a page is plenty.
Give every builder the same brief
Send it before or hand it over at the visit. If one builder suggests a change, ask the others to price it too, so everyone is quoting for the same job.
Be there for the visit
You will learn a lot from how each builder looks at the job and what they ask. Our guide to questions to ask at a site visit gives you a list.
Ask for the same format
A written quote describing the work, materials, price, VAT, what is excluded, payment terms, warranty and how long the quote is valid.
Be open that you are comparing
Builders expect it. Saying so up front is fair and tends to produce clearer quotes.
Agree when to expect each quote
Ask each builder when their quote will arrive. Whether they keep to it tells you something about how they will run the job.
When they arrive
Six things to compare besides the price
The total is the last thing to look at, not the first.
The scope
Is each quote for the same work? Read the descriptions side by side and note anything one includes and another doesn't.
Materials and specification
Named products and grades, or vague terms like 'to match existing'. Differences here often explain differences in price.
What is excluded
Scaffolding, waste removal, making good and permissions are common items that can be in one quote and missing from another.
VAT and payment terms
Whether VAT is included, the size of any deposit, and when the rest is due. Compare totals on the same basis.
Warranty and insurance
How long the workmanship warranty lasts, when it starts, and whether current public liability insurance has been shown.
Timing and validity
When the builder could start, how long the job should take, and how long the price holds.
Far apart?
What to do when the prices don't line up
Quotes for the same job often differ, sometimes by a lot. Overheads, how busy each builder is, the materials they have allowed for and how they have judged the risks of the job all play a part. A spread on its own isn't a problem. An unexplained one is worth a conversation.
Start with the scope. Most large differences come from one quote including something another has left out, or from different materials. Go back to each builder with specific questions: 'Does your price include scaffolding?', 'Which tiles have you allowed for?'. The answers usually close most of the gap.
Don't rule out the cheapest quote automatically, and don't assume the most expensive is the best. Our answer on whether a very cheap quote is a bad sign explains how to judge a low price. For a fuller method, the guide to comparing building quotes goes line by line, and what a building quote should include gives you a checklist to hold each one against.
If a builder won't clarify what their price covers, that tells you something too. What to do if a builder won't put a quote in writing covers the more extreme version of the same problem.
A builder who visits and prices your job is giving you their time without charge. Only ask for quotes from builders you would genuinely consider, and when you have decided, let the others know. A short message is enough, and it is remembered. You may want to call on the same builder for another job one day.
Timing
How long the process takes
Getting three quotes rarely happens in a week. Arranging visits around builders who are working on other jobs, and then waiting for quotes to be written up, can take several weeks on a larger project. Smaller repair work usually moves faster.
It helps to start earlier than you think you need to, particularly for work you would like done at a particular time of year. Our answer on how long a builder should take to quote gives a sense of what is reasonable for different sizes of job.
Check how long each quote is valid for. Material prices can change, and a builder can't be expected to hold a price indefinitely. If you need more time to decide, ask whether the quote can be extended rather than assuming it will still stand.
For a short answer to the headline question, see how many quotes should I get?, and for the wider process of choosing a builder, start at our guide to choosing and checking a building contractor.
If you use Mortaro
A clear quotation you can compare with any other
Mortaro coordinates domestic building projects. We appoint one contractor from our network for your enquiry, arrange the site visit, and prepare the contractor's price as a clear written quotation that names them. The work is carried out by that independent main contractor, who holds the insurance and provides the workmanship warranty.
The quotation is free, carries no obligation, and is valid for 30 days, so there is time to compare it with others on the same basis. On smaller jobs such as repairs and rooflights we aim to have it with you within about 48 hours of the visit; larger work can take longer to price properly. Because contractors in our network price at trade rates, your quotation is comparable to going direct, though we won't claim it will always be the cheapest.
How quotations work explains what yours will set out.
Straight answers
Questions about getting quotes
Do I have to get three quotes?
No. It is a sensible default, not a rule. For a small urgent repair, or a builder you already know and trust, one or two may be enough. For a large project, a fourth can be worth it.
Should I tell builders I'm getting other quotes?
Yes. Builders expect it, and being open about it is fair. It doesn't need to be a negotiating tactic, simply a statement of how you are going about it.
Is it acceptable to share one builder's quote with another?
It is better not to share one builder's prices or detailed proposals with their competitors. If one builder suggests something useful, describe the change in your own words and ask the others to price it.
What if a builder never sends the quote?
It happens, often because the builder is busy or has decided the job isn't for them. A polite reminder after the date they gave is fair. If there is still nothing, move on. How a builder handles quoting is a fair preview of how they would handle the job.
Should I pay for a quote?
Most domestic building quotes are free. On complex projects, some firms charge for detailed surveys or design work. If there is a charge, it should be agreed in advance and you should know exactly what you get for it.
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Tell us about the work you have in mind
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