Choosing a builder: how to compare quotations for your home

Choose experience that fits your project

Look for completed work similar to what you need. A bathroom refit, a whole-house refurbishment and a new build involve different practical challenges. Ask which parts the builder handled, how the work was organised and whether you can speak to a recent customer about their experience.

Photographs help you discuss the finish you want, but they cannot answer everything. Ask how the builder dealt with changes, protected occupied rooms and kept the customer informed. If a business mentions a trade membership, check it with the organisation rather than relying on a logo alone.

Give each builder the same information

Send the same brief, drawings and product choices to everyone you ask to quote. Include the finish you expect, the work you will organise yourself and practical constraints such as access or staying in the house. If your plans change after a site visit, share the revised information with the other builders too.

Ask what remains unresolved before pricing is complete. It is reasonable for a builder to flag a concealed condition or an undecided fitting. What matters is knowing which parts have been assessed, which are assumptions and what would need to happen before a firm scope can be agreed.

Compare the detail beside the total

Make a simple comparison sheet with a row for each main part of your job. For a bathroom, that might cover removal, preparation, plumbing, electrics, waterproofing, tiling, fittings, decoration and waste. For a refurbishment, add the relevant structural work, plastering, joinery and making good.

Mark each item as included, excluded or unclear. Check VAT where applicable and identify allowances for products you have not chosen. Ask whether the price is a quotation for a defined scope or an initial estimate, and record what could change it. An unclear item needs an answer before it becomes a price comparison.

Ask how the job will run

Find out who your main contact will be, who will be on site and how different trades are coordinated. Talk through working hours, access, security, protection of furniture and clearing up. These details matter when the building site is also your home.

Ask about the proposed start date, expected sequence and anything that could affect the programme. For work that needs building regulations approval, agree the application and inspection responsibilities. Planning permission and building regulations are separate checks, so a planning decision alone does not settle the building control position.

Guidance: GOV.UK: Building regulations approval.

Put the agreement and changes in writing

Citizens Advice recommends checking insurance and getting a written contract before committing to home improvements. Ask for evidence of the cover relevant to your project, and check with your home insurer about the proposed work. Record the agreed scope, payment stages, materials, timing and the process for raising concerns.

Agree how additional work will be described, priced and approved before it proceeds. If you change a product or request another task, ask what that means for the cost and programme. Keep those decisions with the quotation so there is a shared record rather than several different recollections.

Guidance: Citizens Advice: Before you get work done on your home.

Make the decision you can explain

A useful final question is: could you explain why you chose this builder without mentioning price first? You should understand the scope, feel comfortable asking questions and know how decisions will be handled. If one quotation is much lower, ask what accounts for the difference. A clear answer is more useful than a reassuring phrase.

Choose once the outstanding questions are resolved and the written agreement reflects what you expect. That gives you a practical basis for judging progress and discussing any issues as the work moves forward.