How to read a builder’s quote, line by line

A builder’s quote is a document with a structure, and once you know the structure, you can read it the way a quantity surveyor does: section by section, checking that each part is present, specific, and sensible. Most homeowners read only the total. The total is the least useful number on the page, because it tells you nothing about how it was reached or what it covers.

This guide walks through every part of a typical UK quote and what to look for in each. For the costs that are often missing entirely, pair it with the 15 hidden costs in builder’s quotes.

The header: who is quoting#

Before the prices, check who the quote is from. A genuine quote from a limited company shows the full registered company name, the company number, and the registered office address. If the trading name implies a limited company but no number appears, that is the cheapest thing to verify and the first thing to check. See how to check a builder on Companies House.

The scope: what is being priced#

The scope of work describes exactly what the builder will do. Vague scope is the root of most disputes, because "fit a kitchen" and "fit a kitchen including plumbing first fix, electrics, tiling, and making good" are very different jobs at very different prices. The more specific the scope, the more reliable the price, and the harder it is for either side to argue later about what was included.

Preliminaries: the cost of running the job#

Preliminaries are the costs of running the site rather than the building work itself: set-up, welfare, scaffolding, skip hire, temporary electrics, and protection. On larger jobs they typically add 10–15% and should appear as their own section. If you cannot see prelims anywhere on a substantial quote, they are either buried in other lines or missing, and either way it is worth asking.

Labour: does it reconcile?#

The labour line should reconcile to a believable number of days at a normal regional day rate. Days multiplied by rate should land near the labour figure. If a job that should take two weeks is priced as though it takes six, the labour is either padded or absorbing materials cost that should be shown separately.

Materials: itemised and sensible#

Materials the builder supplies are typically marked up 10–20%, which is fair. The materials line should be itemised enough that you can spot-check the big items (units, worktops, boilers, windows) against retail or trade prices. A single "materials: £X" with no detail is impossible to verify.

Provisional sums and allowances#

A provisional sum or PC sum is a placeholder for an item whose specification is not yet decided. These are normal, but two things go wrong: allowances left undefined ("tiles: TBC"), and allowances set artificially low to keep the headline down. A fair quote names each allowance with a specific figure so you can judge whether it is realistic.

Overheads and profit#

O&P is the builder’s margin and business running costs: van, insurance, tools, admin, tax, and profit. It typically runs 15–25%. A quote that shows it openly is being transparent. The figure to question is one well above the normal band with no premium specification or service to justify it.

Exclusions: read this section hardest#

The exclusions section is where a good quote tells you what the price does not cover: making good, decoration, flooring, Building Regs fees, and so on. Counter-intuitively, a detailed exclusions list is a sign of a good quote, because it defines the boundaries. The quote to worry about is the one with no exclusions listed at all, because the boundaries are then undefined and open to argument.

Payment schedule#

A fair payment schedule ties payments to completed milestones, not calendar dates: a deposit (no more than 10–15%), then staged payments as defined work is finished, then a final payment on completion. Be cautious of large upfront sums, or payments for work not yet done.

VAT and validity#

Two lines at the bottom that matter more than they look. The quote should state whether VAT is included or excluded, because 20% is not a rounding error. And it should state how long the price is valid, commonly 30 days, because material prices move.

A quick scorecard#

Run the quote against this:

1. Full company details and registration number present?
2. Scope specific enough to price against?
3. Preliminaries shown (on a substantial job)?
4. Labour reconciles to days times a normal rate?
5. Materials itemised enough to spot-check?
6. Allowances and provisional sums named with figures?
7. Overheads and profit within the normal band?
8. Exclusions listed explicitly?
9. Payment tied to milestones, deposit ≤ 15%?
10. VAT position and validity stated?

A quote that ticks most of these is one you can trust the structure of, even before you judge the total. A quote that fails several is one to send back for a proper version.

Once you can read the quote, the next question is whether the numbers are fair. That is what Check the Quote does: paste or upload the quote and we check every line against current UK market rates for your postcode and flag anything above the fair range. Your first check is free. See also how to tell if a quote is too high.