Getting quotes for your project
How to find good firms, compare their prices fairly and avoid the common traps.
Getting quotes
How to find a good builder
A fair price starts with comparing the same job across several firms.
- Ask for three quotes from the same drawings. Without a shared specification, each firm prices a different job.
- Check each firm before you invite it. Look it up at Companies House, ask to see its insurance certificate, and speak to a recent customer. TrustMark, the government-endorsed scheme, lists registered firms.
- Compare what is included, not just the total. Our quote checker shows how a quote compares with our estimate and what it leaves out.
Before you accept a quote
- Get at least three quotes for the same drawings, so you compare like with like.
- Check what's excluded: drainage, steel beams, skips and making good are common gaps.
- Ask for a written programme and a payment schedule tied to stages of work, never a large upfront payment.
- Check the firm's insurance and ask to speak to a recent customer.
- Hold back a contingency of around 10%. Our calculator includes it.