DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
How to get honest trade quotes in the UK and avoid being overcharged
Getting a fair price on building work is less about haggling and more about comparing quotes properly. The trouble is that quotes are often written so differently that you cannot tell which is genuinely cheaper. The real prices below give you a reference point, and this guide shows you how to read a quote and know when it stacks up.
The quick version
- Getting three written quotes is the standard advice, and it only works if each one is itemised.
- A vague one-line quote hides where the money goes and makes comparison impossible.
- Check whether each quote includes VAT, because a 20% difference is easy to miss.
- The lowest number is not always the cheapest job once extras and exclusions appear.
What people actually paid
Real prices, in people's own words
- £70,000“So far we have spent nearly £70k on: Roof replacement £25k. Asbestos removal £4k...”
- £170,000“Extension, bit of landscaping, loft and full refurb just cost us about £170ish.”
- £200,000“Friend did similar last year for just over 200k and A LOT of time spent”
- £450,000“It's cost us the best part of £450k.”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
Quotes vary because traders price the same job in different ways and include different things. One might list labour, materials, waste removal and VAT line by line, while another gives a single figure with no detail. That makes them look wildly different even when the actual work is similar. Some quotes leave out the awkward parts on purpose, like making good, disposal or connecting appliances, so the headline looks low and the extras arrive later. Whether VAT is shown or buried changes the picture by a fifth. And the real work is always in the gap between the materials cost and the finished, fitted result, which a thin quote simply does not show. Comparing prices only means something when you are comparing the same scope.
How to pay less
- Ask for three written, itemised quotes that split labour, materials and VAT so you can compare like for like.
- Give every trader the exact same brief in writing, so the quotes cover identical work.
- Check the exclusions as carefully as the inclusions, since making good and disposal are common gaps.
- Compare the quotes against the real prices below to spot anything that looks unusually high or suspiciously low.
Common questions
How many quotes should I get for building work?
Three written quotes is the standard advice, and it holds up well. Three gives you a sense of the going rate and shows up any outlier, high or low. Fewer than that and you have nothing to measure against, more than that and you are mostly repeating yourself.
How do I tell if a quote is padded?
Ask for it itemised. When labour, materials and VAT are listed separately, padding is far easier to spot, because you can sanity-check each line against the real prices below. A single lump-sum figure with no breakdown is the one to question.
Should every quote include VAT?
Not necessarily, because a trader below the VAT threshold will not charge it, while a VAT registered one adds 20%. The important thing is to know which you are looking at. Always confirm whether VAT is included before you decide, so you are not comparing a figure with VAT against one without.