What Happens If the Price Goes Up?
An agreed price shouldn't move for the same work. It can move when the work changes. Here is how to tell the difference and what to do.
The short answer
A fixed price shouldn't rise for the same work. It can change when the work does.
If you accepted a quote for a clearly defined job, the contractor generally can't charge more for that same work simply because it cost them more than they expected. The price can legitimately change when the work changes: you ask for something extra, a genuine unknown is uncovered and the quote allowed for it, or a provisional sum is settled at its real cost. In each case you should be told why, and asked to agree, before the extra cost is run up.
If you are told the price is going up, pause, ask for the reason and the figure in writing, and check it against your quote. This is general information, not legal advice.
Telling the difference
When an increase is usually fair, and when it usually isn't
Usually a fair reason
- You asked for extra or different work
- A hidden problem was uncovered that nobody could reasonably have seen
- A provisional sum turned out higher than the allowance
- The price was given as an estimate, not a quote
- The quote said how certain costs would be adjusted
Not usually a reason on a fixed price
- The contractor underpriced their own quote
- The job took longer than they planned
- Materials cost more, where the quote didn't allow for it
- Extra work was done without your agreement
- Items that should reasonably have been included
What to do
If you are told the price is going up
Ask what has changed
Get a clear explanation of what the extra is for and why it wasn't in the original price.
Get the figure in writing
Ask for the cost and any effect on timing before agreeing. A short email is enough.
Check your quote
Look at what the quote included, any exclusions and any provisional sums. See what is a provisional sum?
Agree, or don't, before the work goes ahead
If it is genuinely extra, agreeing it clearly saves both of you a surprise at the end. If you don't accept the reason, say so calmly and in writing.
Keep a record
Note what was said, when, and by whom, and keep all messages and revised prices together.
Where it gets harder
If you can't agree
Most price questions are settled by a straightforward conversation once both sides look at what was agreed. If that doesn't work, put your position in writing, referring to the quote, and give the contractor a chance to respond.
It also helps to separate the two questions: is the extra work needed, and is the price for it fair? You may agree with one and not the other, and dealing with them separately often makes the conversation easier. If the work is urgent, you can agree for it to go ahead while you settle the price, as long as that is confirmed in writing.
Where no price was agreed for a piece of work, consumer law generally expects a reasonable price rather than any figure the contractor chooses. Citizens Advice offers free guidance on disputes with traders. For how changes should be handled in the first place, see variations and extra costs and who pays for extra work?
If the price you were given was an estimate rather than a quote, the position is different; see is an estimate legally binding? and can a builder change the price after quoting?
Throughout, keep the tone factual. Most contractors want to finish the job and be paid, and most price disagreements are settled once both sides are looking at the same documents.
Before work starts
Three ways to keep the price steady
A clear scope
The more precisely the work is described, the less room there is for disagreement about what the price covered.
Honest allowances
Where something can't be seen, a realistic provisional sum is better than a hopeful one that grows later.
An agreed way to handle changes
Agree at the start that nothing extra is done without a price and your go-ahead in writing.
If you use Mortaro
Changes come through us
On a job we coordinate, you keep talking to us while the work goes ahead. If something changes, you can ask us the questions before you agree to anything, and we get the answers from your contractor. If you are unhappy with how something has been handled, tell us and we raise it with your contractor on your behalf. See how it works and putting things right.
Straight answers
Questions about price increases
Can a contractor stop work until I agree to pay more?
It depends on the circumstances and what was agreed. Keep talking, keep it in writing, and get advice from Citizens Advice if you reach a standstill. This is general information, not legal advice.
What if materials went up in price after I accepted?
On a fixed-price quote, that is normally the contractor's risk unless the quote said prices could be adjusted. Check the wording of your quote and any terms attached to it.
Is it reasonable to ask for evidence of a cost increase?
Yes. If the price is going up because of an allowance or materials, asking to see how the figure was worked out is a fair request.
Start here
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