How to Write a Building Quote

A quote is a fixed price offer. If the customer accepts it, you're contracted to do the work for that price regardless of how long it takes (unless you have variation clauses). An estimate is an approximation — you're saying it'll cost roughly this much, subject to change. In practice, domestic customers treat any written number as a fixed price, so be careful about calling something an estimate if you intend it to be binding. For straightforward jobs where the scope is clear, give a quote. For jobs with unknowns (opening up walls, ground investigation, older properties), give a quote for what you can see and a provisional sum for what you can't.

A well-structured quote breaks the work into logical phases or categories, with a price against each. This makes the total feel more justified and gives the customer something to engage with if they want to discuss scope. A kitchen refit quote might be structured as: groundworks/demolition, electrical, plumbing, fitting, tiling, making good — with a line price against each. The customer can immediately see where the money goes.

Every quote should have an explicit list of what's not included. Common exclusions for most building jobs include: decoration and painting (unless specifically in scope), garden reinstatement, skip hire and waste disposal (if you want to be paid for it separately), structural engineer fees, building regulations fees, and any work required as a result of finding hidden defects. Getting exclusions right prevents the most common source of disputes — the customer who thought something was included that you never priced for.

The payment schedule should be agreed and written into the quote before work starts, not negotiated after. A common structure for domestic jobs: 10–20% deposit on acceptance, stage payments at agreed milestones (e.g. first fix complete, second fix complete), and a final payment on completion. For smaller jobs under £3,000, payment on completion is normal. Never start work without at least a deposit on anything over £1,000 — it confirms the customer is committed and covers your material costs if they cancel.

Work changes. Customers change their minds. You find something unexpected inside a wall. Every quote should state clearly: 'Any additional works not described above will be agreed in writing before proceeding and charged at [your day rate] plus materials.' Without this clause, you'll do variation work and then have a conversation about whether it was included. With it, you have a clear process for charging for it.

Send it by email so you have a written record of when it was sent and when it was accepted. A quote accepted by email reply ('I'd like to go ahead') creates a binding contract. Follow up within 3 days if you haven't heard back — most customers want to go ahead but haven't got round to replying, and a prompt follow-up wins more jobs than waiting.