Most disputed bills come from a vague quotation rather than a dishonest tradesman. If the written price does not describe the job clearly, both sides are relying on memory. Ten minutes spent describing the work properly saves both of you an awkward conversation later.
What to send with your enquiry
The more specific your enquiry, the tighter the price can be. Vague enquiries get vague, cautious estimates.
- Photographs of the whole area, plus close ups of any problem
- Rough measurements of the room or run of work
- What you want the finished result to be
- Whether you are supplying materials
- The address, and any access or parking issues
- Dates that would not work for you
Quote or estimate?
A quotation is a fixed price for a described scope of work. An estimate is a considered best guess, used where something genuinely cannot be seen yet, such as what is under a floor. Both are legitimate, but you should always know which one you have been given.
What a good quotation contains
It should describe the work, say what is included and excluded, separate labour from materials, note who is supplying what, and give an indication of duration. If waste removal, making good or decoration are excluded, that should be written down rather than assumed.
Warning signs
Be careful with a price given over the phone for work nobody has looked at, a figure noticeably below everyone else, pressure for a large deposit up front, or a refusal to put the scope in writing. Any of those tends to end in a bill that grows.
- No written scope of work
- Large cash deposit demanded before starting
- A price that changes each time you ask a question
- No clear answer on what happens if something unexpected is found
Agreeing what happens if the job changes
Old houses hide things. Agree in advance that anything unexpected will be raised with you, with a cost, before extra work goes ahead. That single sentence prevents almost every quotation dispute.