Builders Quote- How to Compare and When to Request a Quote for Your Renovation

Renovating your home is an exciting yet daunting time. You are investing a large sum of money into your home and you want to make sure that you get it right the first time.
 
Choosing a builder to complete your home renovation is a task that should NOT be taken lightly!
This may just be the biggest investment you make in your life, so you need to ensure that you chose your renovation builder wisely and be comfortable with your chosen builder.

On that note it is important that you understand your selected builder should NOT be selected on price alone.
 
Price will come into the decision significantly however the trust and comfort level should be up there too.
 
But that is not what I am here to talk about, I am here to help you compare your quotes like for like and advise when is the best time to ask your potential builder for a fixed price quote to complete your home renovations. 

When to Ask your Renovation Builder for a Quote
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This is important to both yourself and the builder, asking for a quote  in the initial design stages will not be worth the paper it is written on, a ball park figure can be given, however be VERY mindful that that is all it will be.
 
A builder that provides a fixed price quote at this stage will have plenty of provisional sums or terms that state the plans are subject to “final working drawings and engineering”.
 
That is like a car salesman saying you can commit to buying this amazing concept car now, however we will re price it once it gets to the show room floor before you pay and take possession.
 
Variations are certain in any renovation contract that has been signed off before engineering and final drawings.
 
It is imperative that you do get rough ballpark figures if you have a budget to adhere to, to ensure you know which way to renovate and or extend your home. However, in order to get your final fixed price quote, you need to wait until you have your final working drawings and your engineering completed. 

​Some quotes can be subject to engineering as the engineering may not affect the price too much on a smaller simpler job, however on second story addition and an intricately designed home extension, the requirement for steel beams can really blow out one’s budget.
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Also, worth noting, before you request a quote from your builder you need to ensure you have a file of pictures stored on your computer, on a Pinterest Board or saved to another social media platform. You then need to share all these images and any ideas you may have with your builder so they can quote accordingly to your specifications.

​This is especially important when renovating your home, as home renovations can be very particular to your personal taste, new built homes generally tend to use the builders standard ranges of fixtures and fittings.
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Understanding what you want from the start will also help with less budget blow outs as you will then select all your fixtures and fittings at quote stage, and it creates A LOT less hold ups during construction. 

Comparing Like for Like Renovation Builders Quotes  
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Now that you know when to present your plans to your builder for quoting it is important that you understand, if you are getting a few builders to quote, you need to understand how to read and interpret each quote.
 
 Builders quote jobs day in and day out, and unfortunately there are some unscrupulous builders out there that play on your lack of education of the construction industry. They use this lack of education to their advantage and quote your renovation job low to win the job. Once you have committed and start construction you will find PLENTY of variations, in fact you may even find these days after signing the agreement.
 
To try and avoid this you need to understand what to look for on a renovation builders quote.
 
Site Works
Has your builder included the cost of site works, demolition, and removal of debris? This can be an awfully expensive cost to be added on later. In most cases this may be a provisional sum (allowance) as it is hard to guess what is underground. Just be aware of what they have allowed and if site works is even included.

Prime Cost and Provisional Sums
Has your builder allowed for everything and not provided fixed prices for fixtures, fittings, and materials? Now, some things will need to be left out and written as an allowance, as in some cases you may not have selected the material or fixture, however there should not be many of these in your quote and IF there is, be sure to understand what price all builder has allowed for.
Therefore it is important for you to prepare and advise you builder on your desired specifications for tap ware, baths, sinks tile etc at the quoting stage so there is less unknown in your price.
 
 In a lot of cases tiles may be a provisional sum as a lot of people prefer to decide on this later.
 
Fixtures and Fittings
It is important that your builder specifies what fixtures and fittings they have allowed for, if they are very blasé about fixtures i.e. “chrome kitchen sink mixer” this could be the cheapest tap from Bunnings. You need to know the make and model so you can do your own research and compare. This is the same for ALL fixtures and fittings within the fixed price quote. Most builders will include a separate document listing these specifications and providing you with images, so you have a clear idea of what you are getting.
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Exclusions
Exclusions are items that the builder is NOT including in his quote. Things like, landscaping, fencing, mirrors in the bathrooms, and in some cases, painting are common exclusions.
If you are unsure the of what the builder is excluding the best thing to do is, ask the builder what is not included in the price. As you will be surprised at the number of things that may not have been included. 

Conclusion.....

​So, the most important thing to remember is make sure you are prepared for your home renovation in order to present to your potential builder all your ideas and inspiration. Also, you need to ensure that you do not request a fixed price final quote from the builder until you have a full set or working drawings and engineering, in some cases it is ok to have a quote subject to engineering.

Once your builder sends through your quote grab a cup of tea, sit down and make sure you spend time going over the quote word for word, so you are fully aware of what is included, what the specifications are and also what is not included.
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At Distinct Renovations we like to ensure that you get an accurate fixed price quote to stop budget blow outs from happening. We understand that your budget is important to you, we understand this and like to work with you from the initial design stages to keep both us as the builder and the designer in line with your budget at all stages.