RIBA Chartered
Award winning
London · Vienna · Rome
Featured in The Times
Panel at Grand Designs Live
build with tholos – builder quotes
Get Builder Quotes
Getting builder quotes sounds simple.
Send the drawings to a few contractors, wait for the prices and choose the one that looks best.
In reality, this is one of the stages where homeowners can lose the most control over a project.
If the information is incomplete, each builder may interpret the job differently.
One may include items another excludes. One may make generous allowances. Another may assume the cheapest possible specification. A third may leave half the project as provisional sums.
You still end up with three prices.
But you are not necessarily comparing the same thing.
At Tholos, we help prepare the project properly before quotations are requested, approach suitable builders and structure the process so the prices you receive are clearer and easier to compare.
When Should You Ask Builders for Quotes?
You can speak to builders at almost any stage.
Early conversations can be useful for understanding general construction costs, availability and whether the project is likely to sit within your budget.
But there is an important difference between an early estimate and a detailed builder quote.
A rough estimate can help answer:
“Is this project broadly affordable?”
A detailed quotation should help answer:
“What will this contractor charge to build this defined project?”
For the second question, the project needs to be much more developed.
build with tholos – builder quotes
What Do Builders Need to Price Properly?
The exact information depends on the project, but builders should ideally receive enough detail to understand the scope without designing major parts of the work themselves.
That can include:
- architectural and technical drawings
- structural information
- relevant approvals
- specifications
- key material selections
- a clear scope of work
- known site constraints
The better the information, the fewer assumptions the builder needs to make.
That does not guarantee every quotation will be identical.
It does mean the differences are more likely to reflect genuine differences in contractor pricing rather than different interpretations of the project.
Why Planning Drawings Are Usually Not Enough
Planning drawings are useful for explaining what the project looks like.
They are generally not detailed enough to support a reliable construction price.
A builder looking only at planning drawings may still need to guess:
- wall construction
- roof build-ups
- insulation
- structural support
- foundation requirements
- drainage
- key junction details
Different assumptions can create very different prices.
That is why detailed quotations are usually more useful once the technical design has been developed.
build with tholos – builder quotes
Structural Information Can Change the Price Significantly
Structural work can represent a substantial part of an extension or renovation budget.
Large beams, columns, foundations and structural openings are not minor details.
If they have not been resolved before builders quote, contractors may respond in different ways.
They may:
- include a provisional allowance
- make their own structural assumption
- exclude the work
- increase contingency to protect themselves
None of those approaches necessarily makes the builder unreasonable.
They are responding to missing information.
Resolving the main structural design first gives contractors a much stronger basis for pricing.
build with tholos – builder quotes
Give Every Builder the Same Information
Comparable quotations start with consistent information.
If one contractor receives more detail than another, the tender process immediately becomes less useful.
All builders should ideally receive the same core project documents.
If an important clarification is issued later, it should normally be shared with everyone still pricing the work.
This helps prevent situations where:
- one builder prices an updated drawing
- another uses an older version
- one includes an item that was clarified later
- another has never been told about it
Consistency at the start makes comparison much easier at the end.
How Many Builder Quotes Should You Get?
There is no perfect number for every project.
For most domestic extensions and renovations, a focused shortlist of suitable contractors is usually more useful than sending the project to a very large number of builders.
The objective is not to collect as many prices as possible.
It is to get useful prices from contractors who could realistically deliver the project.
A smaller group of relevant builders can also produce better engagement because they know they are taking part in a serious selection process rather than competing against twenty unknown contractors.
Choose the Builders Before You Choose the Price
It is tempting to think builder selection happens after quotations arrive.
In reality, it starts before that.
If unsuitable contractors are invited to price, even a well-prepared tender will not solve the problem.
Before requesting detailed quotations, it is worth considering whether each builder has:
- relevant experience
- suitable resources
- appropriate insurance
- good references
- availability
- the right type of project background
A strong quote from the wrong contractor is still the wrong result.
build with tholos – builder quotes
What Should a Builder Quote Include?
A useful quotation should contain enough detail for you to understand what has been priced.
The exact breakdown varies, but it may cover areas such as:
- site setup
- demolition and enabling work
- groundworks
- foundations
- structural work
- walls and roofing
- windows and doors
- plumbing
- electrics
- plastering
- finishes
- waste removal
- external works
A single total with no explanation gives you very little protection.
If something is later claimed as an extra, it becomes much harder to establish whether it should reasonably have been included.
build with tholos – builder quotes
Look Carefully at Exclusions
Sometimes the most important part of a quotation is not what is included.
It is what is not.
Common exclusions might include:
- decoration
- flooring
- kitchen supply
- sanitaryware
- landscaping
- utility alterations
- specialist glazing
- Building Control fees
- waste removal
There is nothing wrong with exclusions if they are clear.
The problem is when one builder excludes several major items and appears cheaper than someone who has priced a more complete scope.
Provisional Sums Need Attention
A provisional sum is an allowance for work where the final cost is not yet known.
These are common in construction and are not automatically a warning sign.
But too many of them reduce cost certainty.
For example:
Builder A may allow £3,000 for drainage.
Builder B may allow £8,000.
The total tender difference could therefore be driven mainly by different assumptions rather than actual contractor pricing.
When reviewing quotations, provisional sums need to be identified and understood.
Materials and Allowances
Builders also need to know the expected level of specification.
If the design simply says “new windows”, contractors may price completely different products.
One may allow for standard uPVC.
Another may assume aluminium.
The price difference can be substantial.
Where a final product has not yet been selected, a clear allowance or performance specification can help.
That gives builders a more consistent basis for pricing without forcing every design decision to be made immediately.
What About Kitchens and Bathrooms?
These are common areas where quotations become difficult to compare.
Some homeowners want the builder to supply everything.
Others prefer to buy kitchens, sanitaryware, appliances and finishes themselves.
Either approach can work.
The important thing is that the tender makes the responsibility clear.
Builders should know whether they are expected to:
- supply and install
- install only
- include an allowance
- exclude the item entirely
Without that clarity, headline prices can be misleading.
Site Conditions Affect Builder Quotes
The same extension can cost different amounts to build on two different properties.
Access matters.
A detached house with a driveway and direct access to the rear garden can be easier to work on than a terraced property where every material needs to pass through the house.
Other factors can include:
- parking restrictions
- limited storage space
- difficult ground conditions
- existing drainage
- nearby trees
- neighbouring structures
- whether the house remains occupied
Builders should have enough information to account for these conditions before finalising their price.
Site Visits Before Quoting
For many extensions and renovations, contractors should visit the property before submitting a final detailed quotation.
Drawings can explain the design.
They cannot always communicate every practical condition on site.
A visit allows the builder to see:
- access
- existing construction
- neighbouring conditions
- storage constraints
- demolition requirements
- practical sequencing issues
It also gives them a chance to ask informed questions before committing to a price.
build with tholos – builder quotes
Builder Questions Are Usually a Good Sign
A contractor asking questions does not necessarily mean the project information is poor.
Some questions are inevitable.
In fact, thoughtful questions can show that the builder is reviewing the project carefully.
The important thing is how those questions are handled.
If one builder identifies a genuine ambiguity that could affect the price, the clarification should normally be provided consistently to the others.
This keeps everyone pricing the same scope.
Quote, Estimate or Tender?
These terms are often used casually, but they are not always the same thing.
An estimate is generally an approximate indication of likely cost.
A quotation is usually more defined and based on a clearer scope.
A tender is a structured process where contractors are invited to price a consistent package of information.
For a substantial extension or renovation, the closer you move towards a proper tender process, the more useful the comparison can become.
Why Builder Prices Can Vary So Much
Large differences between quotations do not automatically mean someone is trying to overcharge you.
There can be many reasons.
One builder may:
- use different suppliers
- employ more staff directly
- allow more time
- include higher-quality materials
- include items others excluded
- use different subcontractors
- carry more overhead
The project may also have been interpreted differently.
That is why the total figure alone is never enough.
Do Not Automatically Choose the Cheapest Quote
The lowest price is attractive for obvious reasons.
But first you need to understand why it is lower.
Sometimes the cheapest contractor genuinely has a more efficient operation.
Sometimes they have missed something.
Sometimes their quotation excludes significant work.
And sometimes they are pricing aggressively to win the project and relying on variations later.
The correct question is not:
“Who is cheapest?”
It is:
“What am I actually getting for this price?”
What If One Quote Is Much Lower Than the Others?
This deserves investigation.
Imagine receiving:
Builder A: £88,000
Builder B: £105,000
Builder C: £109,000
Builder A may have found a genuine saving.
But before assuming you have just saved £17,000, check whether:
- anything is excluded
- allowances are unusually low
- structural work is included
- VAT is included
- materials are equivalent
- all drawings have been priced
- the programme is realistic
A large gap can be a bargain.
It can also be a warning that you are comparing different scopes.
What If Every Quote Is Too High?
This is frustrating, but it is also useful information.
If several suitable builders independently price the project above budget, the market is telling you something.
At that point, the answer may be to review the design rather than endlessly search for someone willing to quote much less.
Potential adjustments might include:
- simplifying structural elements
- reviewing materials
- reducing non-essential work
- phasing parts of the project
- changing specifications
Making those decisions before construction is far easier than cutting costs reactively once work has already started.
Clarifying Builder Quotes
Once quotations are returned, there may be questions that need resolving before a meaningful comparison can be made.
For example:
- Is scaffolding included?
- Is decoration included?
- What does the kitchen allowance cover?
- Does the price include VAT?
- What is excluded from the structural work?
- Are provisional sums realistic?
Builders may then need to issue revised quotations after clarification.
That is normal.
The objective is to get the proposals onto a sufficiently similar basis before choosing a contractor.
Getting Quotes Is Only Half the Process
Collecting prices is not the difficult part.
Understanding them is.
A useful builder selection process usually follows this sequence:
- Prepare the project properly.
- Identify suitable contractors.
- Give them consistent information.
- Allow them to inspect the property.
- Answer tender questions.
- Receive quotations.
- Clarify exclusions and assumptions.
- Compare the offers properly.
- Select the preferred builder.
- Put the agreement into contract.
Skipping the comparison stage can undo much of the work that came before it.
What Happens Once You Have Chosen a Builder?
Selecting the preferred contractor is not quite the end of pre-construction.
Before work starts, the final scope, contract sum, drawings and responsibilities should be properly recorded.
Any important tender clarifications should carry through into the agreement.
You want the project being signed for to be the same project that was priced.
Client experience
"
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. We had a vision for our home but no idea how to realise it. Tholos Interiors took complete ownership of the project — every detail was considered, every decision explained. The result exceeded everything we had imagined.
– Lawrence Ipsum, Homeowner · London –
Frequently Asked Questions
How many builder quotes should I get?
There is no fixed number, but for many residential projects a small shortlist of suitable contractors is enough to create useful competition without making the process unnecessarily large.
Can I get quotes from planning drawings?
You can obtain rough estimates, but detailed quotations are generally more reliable once the technical and structural information has been developed.
Why are my builder quotes so different?
Different scopes, exclusions, provisional sums, specifications, labour costs and interpretations of the project can all create substantial variation.
Can Tholos help me get builder quotes?
Yes. We can help prepare the project, identify appropriate contractors, issue consistent information and support the quotation and tender process.
Ready to Get Meaningful Builder Quotes?
If your project is properly developed and you are ready to find out what it will cost to build, Tholos can help take it to suitable contractors in a more structured way.
The aim is not simply to collect prices.
It is to obtain quotations that are clear enough to understand, compare and use when choosing the contractor who will actually build your project.
Disclaimer:
This article is part of a series created by our dynamic marketing team for informational purposes only. While we strive to review all content thoroughly, occasional oversights may occur, even after publication. Therefore, we cannot accept liability for any interpretations or use of the information provided. For the most up-to-date information or to report any discrepancies, please contact us at hello@tholos-architects.com.
Start your project