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 on this page 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.
- Give every trader the same written brief, or you are comparing quotes for different jobs without realising it.
- Exclusions matter as much as inclusions. Making good, disposal and connecting appliances are the parts most often left off a cheap-looking quote.
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. Who you are dealing with matters too. A one-person outfit working out of a van has lower overheads than a larger firm with an office, a fleet of vans and staff on the books, and that difference in running costs feeds straight into the number on the page. A larger firm may also carry more insurance and back-office support, which some customers are happy to pay for and others see as dead weight. Where you live changes things again, since a trader working in a part of the country with higher rent, higher wages and more competition for their time will price differently to one working somewhere quieter, even for the same job done to the same standard. 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, from the same kind of trader, for the same kind of job.
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 on this page to spot anything that looks unusually high or suspiciously low.
- Get the quote in writing before any work starts, not a verbal figure over the phone, so there is something to point back to if the final bill drifts.
- Agree in writing what happens if the job uncovers extra work, so a genuine surprise does not turn into an excuse to pad the bill.
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 on this page. 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.
Why do two quotes for exactly the same job differ so much?
Usually because they are not actually quoting for the same job. One trader may have priced disposal, making good and a contingency for unexpected work, while another has quoted the bare minimum and left the rest to arrive as extras later. Send every trader the same written brief and ask each one to itemise, then the gap either closes or tells you something real about what each price includes.
Is a much cheaper quote ever worth taking?
Sometimes, but check what it leaves out before you accept it. A low figure that excludes disposal, making good or VAT is not actually cheaper, it is just cheaper on paper until the rest of the bill turns up. Ask the trader directly why their number is lower than the others and get the answer in writing.
Do I need a written contract as well as a written quote?
For anything beyond a small job, yes. A quote sets out the price, but a short written agreement covering start date, payment stages and what happens if extra work is found protects both sides. It does not need to be complicated, but having it in writing means a dispute over the final bill has something concrete to refer back to.