How Do I Compare Building Quotes Fairly?
Make sure every quote describes the same job before you compare the prices. Here is a simple way to line them up.
The short answer
Compare the job first. Then compare the price.
To compare building quotes fairly, check that each one describes the same work, with the same materials and finish, the same inclusions such as scaffolding and waste removal, the same VAT treatment, and comparable payment terms and warranty. Only when the quotes describe the same job does the difference in price tell you anything useful.
Most gaps between quotes come from contractors pricing slightly different jobs, not from one being honest and another not. The method below turns a pile of differently written quotes into something you can actually weigh up. For the fuller background, see our guide to comparing building quotes.
The method
Six steps to a like-for-like comparison
A sheet of paper with one column per quote is all you need.
Write down the scope you asked for
Before you read the quotes, list what you want done in your own words. This is your yardstick. If a quote covers more or less than your list, note it.
Line up the work item by item
Go through each quote and tick off what it covers against your list. A quote that is vague on one area is not necessarily leaving it out, but it is a question to ask.
Compare materials and finish
Two quotes can describe the same work using different products. Where a quote names a material, note it. Where it doesn't, ask what is intended.
Check the extras
Scaffolding or other access, skips and waste removal, making good afterwards, and any permits. These are easy to miss and can add up. See what a building quote should include.
Put every price on the same VAT basis
One figure may include VAT and another may not, or one business may not be VAT-registered. Convert them to the same basis before comparing. Our answer on whether building work includes VAT explains why.
Compare the terms, not just the total
Look at the deposit, when the rest is due, how long the price is valid, the workmanship warranty and who will actually carry out the work.
What to focus on
Differences worth a question, and differences that aren't
Quotes come in every format. Some differences change the job; others are just presentation.
Worth a question
- An item on one quote that is missing from the others
- A provisional sum or allowance instead of a fixed price
- Different materials, or none named at all
- A shorter or undefined warranty
- Prices shown with and without VAT
- A much larger deposit than the others ask for
Usually just presentation
- A single total rather than an itemised breakdown
- A typed document rather than a branded one
- Different wording for the same task
- Terms printed on a separate sheet
- A longer or shorter covering letter
When they still don't line up
Ask each contractor to price the same thing
If the quotes are too different to compare, the fairest fix is to go back to each contractor with the same short list: this is the work, these are the items I want included, please confirm your price on that basis. Most contractors are happy to clarify, and the answers tell you a lot about how they communicate.
Pay particular attention to provisional sums. A quote that carries a large allowance for an unknown can look cheaper than one that has priced the same risk in full. Ask how each allowance was worked out and how the final figure will be settled.
Once the quotes describe the same job, the lowest price may well be the right choice. Our answer on whether to accept the cheapest quote covers what else to weigh before deciding.
Beyond the paperwork
Compare the contractors as well as the quotes
The quote is only part of what you are choosing. How each contractor handled the process so far tells you a good deal about how the job itself will go. Did they turn up when they said they would? Did the quote arrive when promised? Did they answer your questions clearly, or leave you chasing?
Weigh that alongside the checks you would make on any business: insurance, reviews, references and examples of previous work. Our guide on how to vet a builder sets these out. A slightly higher price from a contractor who has been clear and organised throughout can be better value than a lower one from somebody you have struggled to pin down.
If you use Mortaro
A quotation that is easy to compare
Quotations from Mortaro are set out on one clear template, whichever contractor prices the job. Each names the appointed main contractor, describes the work and the price, sets out the 25% deposit and the balance due on completion, states the warranty terms, and is valid for 30 days. If you are comparing it with quotes from elsewhere, ask us anything and we will get the answer from your contractor. How quotations work explains the process.
Straight answers
Questions about comparing quotes
How many quotes should I compare?
Enough to give you a sense of the range without spending weeks on it. Our sister guide on how many quotes to get goes through the trade-offs.
Should I compare warranties as well as prices?
Yes. A workmanship warranty is part of what you are buying. Check its length, when it starts and who provides it.
What if one quote is itemised and the others are not?
Use the itemised one as your checklist and ask the others to confirm whether each item is included. You don't need every quote in the same format, just the same answers.
Start here
Tell us about the work you have in mind
We will confirm we cover your postcode, arrange a site visit with a contractor from our network and send you a written quotation. No charge, no obligation.