At a glance
Give both contractors the same areas, measurements and room details.
Check preparation, junctions, exclusions and the procedure for changes.
Treat a missing item as a question, not as an included service.
Describe the same surfaces
List floors, walls, stairs and wet areas separately. A floor plan helps, but so do photographs of recesses, thresholds, skirting and exposed edges. If one quotation covers an entire bathroom and the other covers only its floor, the difference in price tells you little about value.
Ask how the area for each zone was measured or estimated. A quote issued before a site visit may reasonably be provisional; it should name the assumptions that still need checking on site.
- Which surfaces, edges and small details are counted?
- Which assumptions need a site inspection?
- How will a difference between estimated and measured area be handled?
Find out what the quote assumes about the substrate
The condition of the existing surface can change the work needed before the finish is applied. A line labelled “microcement” is therefore hard to compare without a description of preparation. Ask who assesses the base and whether repairs or levelling have been allowed for. What happens if loose tiles, cracks or moisture are found?
Do not assume that unknown repairs are already included. Request a clear base scope and a method for agreeing extra work once the substrate has been inspected.
Put matching items side by side
Copy the answers into a short table. An empty cell is a question for the contractor; it does not prove that the work has been omitted.
| Item | Check in both quotes |
|---|---|
| Scope | Zones, area, edges, skirting and terminations |
| Substrate | Assessment, preparation, repairs and exclusions |
| Wet areas | Responsibility for the build-up below the finish and drain details |
| Appearance | Agreed finish, sample and acceptance method |
| Site work | Room access, sequence of work and change procedure |
Read the exclusions as carefully as the price
Ask which tasks belong to other trades. In a bathroom, the substrate, waterproofing, drainage and junctions around fittings need clear ownership. A decorative finish does not, by itself, specify the work beneath it. Ask who designs and checks each part.
Find out how changes will be approved if the underlying surface differs from the initial assumption. A lower total may simply place more work outside that contractor’s scope.
Choose a quote you can verify
Send the same brief and photographs to every contractor. Ask for a short explanation of each difference in your comparison table, then weigh price alongside scope and risk. If essential answers depend on an inspection, make that inspection a condition of the decision instead of relying on an apparently precise total.
Keep one written record of the agreed surfaces, exclusions and answers. If the scope changes after a conversation, request an updated quotation so that the number and the description still refer to the same work.
VPD Design
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Send the surface list and photographs of the existing base. They help identify what is still needed for a comparable quotation.
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