How do I know if my builder’s quote is fair?

A quote can only be judged against the scope it covers, the rates behind it, and what it leaves out. Comparing headline totals between builders tells you very little — the cheapest quote is often the one with the most missing from it. An independent review sets the figures against current market rates and identifies what has been excluded.

Should I sign my builder’s own contract?

Most homeowners sign a contractor’s own terms without review. Those terms are written to protect the contractor, not the client — typically around variations, payment, delay and defects. A standard form such as a JCT Homeowner contract is usually a better starting point, and the specific amendments matter.

When is the right time to have a quote reviewed?

Before you sign. Once a contract is executed, your leverage is largely gone and changes become variations — priced by the contractor, at their discretion. The review is designed for the window between receiving quotes and appointing a builder.

Builder’s Quote & Contract Review | £1,250

A written position on what you are about to sign.

Quotation review

Your builder’s figures set against current market rates for comparable work — and, more importantly, what the quotation does not include. Provisional sums, prime cost allowances and exclusions are where budgets quietly fail.

Contract review

The terms you are being asked to accept, in plain language: payment, variations, delay, retention and defects. Most homeowners sign a contractor’s own terms without a second look. Those terms were not written for you.

Programme sense-check

Whether the timescale you have been given is credible against the scope, the sequence and the specification — and where the pressure points are likely to fall.

Written risk report

A concise, plainly written document setting out what I would question, what I would negotiate, and what I would not sign without amendment. Yours to use however you wish.

Advisory call

Forty-five minutes to walk through the report together, answer your questions, and agree what you want to raise with your builder before signature.

What this includes

Independent review of quotation and cost breakdown
Review of proposed contract terms and amendments
Programme credibility assessment
Written risk report
45-minute advisory call
Fee credited against a retainer taken within 30 days

What it does not include

Site visits or physical inspection
A formal RICS cost plan or QS measurement
Negotiating directly with your contractor
Contract administration once works begin
Ongoing advice beyond the call

Each of these is available — through the advisory retainer or a full appointment. This review is deliberately narrow, so that it is fast, fixed in price, and easy to say yes to.

Before you sign anything.