Two quotes for the same job, one for £4,200 and one for £6,800, and on paper they say almost the same thing. In 2026, with VAT at 20% and material prices still bouncing around, the difference is rarely the price at the bottom — it is what each builder has quietly left out. Learning how to read a builders quote is the single cheapest skill that protects your home and your bank balance before a single tool comes out of the van.
Quote, estimate, or quotation — know which one you're holding
The words matter more than people think. An estimate is an educated guess and is not legally binding; the final bill can drift well above it. A quote (or quotation) is a fixed price the trade is committing to, and once you accept it in writing it becomes part of a contract. If a document is headed “estimate” but you have been treating it as a fixed price, you are exposed. Before anything else, check the heading and ask the trade to confirm in writing whether the figure is fixed or indicative.
Why this single word changes everything
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, work must be done with reasonable care and skill and, where no price is fixed, for a reasonable charge. But “reasonable” is a battleground you do not want to fight in. A clear written quote turns a vague promise into an enforceable number.
The seven things every honest quote spells out
A quote you can trust does not hide behind a single line and a total. Look for each of these, and treat their absence as a question to ask, not a detail to ignore:
• A clear scope of works — room by room or task by task, not “supply and fit bathroom”.
• A labour and materials split, so you can see where the money goes.
• Named materials and specifications — the boiler model, the tile range, the paint brand, not “mid-range fittings”.
• Whether VAT is included or added on top (a 20% surprise is the most common quote shock).
• A start date and a realistic duration in working days.
• A payment schedule tied to stages of work, not a large sum demanded upfront.
• What is explicitly excluded — making good, waste removal, scaffolding, building control fees.
Decoding the costs: labour, materials, and the grey bits
Labour is usually quoted as a day rate or a job price. A day rate of £180–£300 for a skilled tradesperson is normal across much of the UK in 2026, higher in London and the South East. [STAT: verify current regional day-rate ranges for key trades]. A job price protects you from a slow worker; a day rate protects the trade if the job hits surprises. Neither is dishonest — just know which you have agreed.
Materials are where margins hide. Some trades add a mark-up of 10–20% on materials they buy on trade accounts, which is legitimate — they carry the risk and the running around. The problem is not the mark-up; it is when you cannot see it. Ask for a materials list you could, in theory, price yourself.
Watch the provisional sums and “prime cost” items
A provisional sum is a placeholder for work that cannot be priced yet — say, £800 allowed for re-wiring once walls are open. A PC (prime cost) sum is a budget for items you have not chosen yet, like £500 for taps. These are normal on bigger jobs, but they are also where the final bill grows. Pin down how many there are and what happens if the real cost lands higher.
Here is the blunt truth: the cheapest quote is almost never the cheapest job. A price that undercuts every rival by 30% is not a bargain — it is a builder who has either misread the work, is desperate for cash flow, or is planning to claw the difference back through “extras” once your kitchen is in pieces. The quote that wins should be the one that is clearest, not the one that is lowest. Pay for the trade who shows their working; they are the one who has actually thought about your job.
Red flags that should make you pause
Some warning signs are loud, others are quiet. A demand for a large cash deposit before any materials are ordered is the classic one. So is a quote with no written address, no company number, and no VAT number on a price that clearly should carry VAT. Reluctance to put the scope in writing, pressure to decide “today for this price”, and a refusal to name the actual products being fitted all belong on the same list. Check the trade's registration where the work demands it — Gas Safe for gas, a Part P competent-person scheme for notifiable electrical work, FENSA or CERTASS for windows.
Compare like with like, or don't compare at all
The mistake that costs homeowners most is lining up three quotes that describe three different jobs and picking the smallest number. If one includes making good and waste removal and another does not, you are not comparing prices — you are comparing guesses. Write a single scope of works, give the identical brief to every trade, and the numbers finally mean something.
Get the quote in writing — every time
A verbal price scribbled on the back of a business card is worth almost nothing if the job goes wrong. Ask for the quote by email or on letterhead, with the trade's full business name, address and any company number. It costs an honest tradesperson nothing to do this, and it gives you a document you can hold them to. If a trade resists putting their price in writing, that reluctance is itself the answer to whether you should hire them.
What to do in the next 30 minutes
• Pull out your quotes and check each one is headed “quote”, not “estimate”.
• Highlight whether VAT is in or out on every single one.
• Circle any line that says “allowance”, “provisional”, or “PC sum” and note them to query.
• Confirm the payment schedule is staged — and that no more than a reasonable deposit is due upfront.
• Check any legally required registration (Gas Safe, Part P, FENSA) for the trades involved.
• Save the quotes to your free Home+ home logbook so they sit next to your warranties and certificates when the job is done.
When every trade quotes off a different mental picture of your job, comparing them is guesswork. Get standardised quotes via Trade Pilot — the same scope put to vetted local trades, so the prices you get back are actually comparable and the document in your hand finally tells you the whole story. [LINK: Home+ sign-up]
Frequently asked questions
Is a quote legally binding?
Once you accept a written quote, it generally forms part of a contract and the trade should hold the price for the agreed scope. An estimate, by contrast, is not a fixed commitment.
How big a deposit is reasonable?
There is no fixed legal cap, but a deposit large enough only to cover ordered materials is normal; being asked for most of the value upfront is a warning sign. [LINK: related-guide]
Should VAT always be on a quote?
A VAT-registered business must charge VAT on standard-rated work. If a quote has no VAT and no VAT number, ask whether the trade is registered and whether the price could change.
What is a provisional sum?
It is a budget placeholder for work or items that cannot be priced precisely yet. The final figure can move up or down once the detail is known, so always ask how it will be confirmed.
