Getting Quotes for Works

[Georgie73]

Hi

I have a fair amount of work to be done at our new house - basically it is a full renovation (electrics, gch, windows, bathroom, kitchen, woodwork - carpentry doors). I want to get quotes in from three separate companies.

Can someone tell me the best way to go about this. Basically I want to compare prices so that I am not paying too much.

I'm assuming that I list all the works out that need doing (in writing) and then ask for individual prices for each job? Is there anything that I should ask for? Re, the gch - I would want to supply the boiler, and the Kitchen, again - I would like to supply it.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Best method would be to list down all aspects of work to be undertaken and the specification you want.
If you intend to supply materials list the materials you are going to supply, it would be also helpful to the trades if you are specific about the quality, brand, model etc of materials you are purchasing, as some are not installer friendly and often add time on to the job.
Also if any of the work requires building control notification, state whether you are going to be responsible for this or if you are holding the installers responsible.
Also note that you may not save any money buy purchasing your own materials.
Other thing to consider is the removal of waste.

 

[ree]

As you said: type out a schedule - copies to each "builder".

You can supply anything, but it must be discussed before hand. Some only allow you to schedule it but they supply it.

Ask about a payment schedule - dont expect builders to finance your refurbishment with a bridging loan.

If you posted your schedule on here you might get help in doing it better?

Like the secret of a happy marriage (according to a guy in Tibet) - communicate communicate esp when stuff goes wrong.

 

[Georgie73]

OK. Lovely. I will work on my schedule and post. Hopefully any errors or omissions will be picked up.

Many thanks.

 

[noseall]

Hi

I have a fair amount of work to be done at our new house - basically it is a full renovation (electrics, gch, windows, bathroom, kitchen, woodwork - carpentry doors). I want to get quotes in from three separate companies.

Can someone tell me the best way to go about this. Basically I want to compare prices so that I am not paying too much.

I'm assuming that I list all the works out that need doing (in writing) and then ask for individual prices for each job? Is there anything that I should ask for? Re, the gch - I would want to supply the boiler, and the Kitchen, again - I would like to supply it.

Just be honest and say "I would like to cherry pick all the profit making bits out of my job and leave the tradesmen with the dross".
This may be successful as long as there is a demand for building work and not a demand for builders.

Joking apart - be very specific with your omissions etc. As with anything, the devil is in the detail. Or the lack of it.

 

[^woody^]

Don't forget to allow for the inevitable dayworks with them messing about with the stuff that you supply.

What tends to happen with these labour only quotes, is that the good builders are not interested, and you're left with the dross.

 

[Georgie73]

I think it is pretty standard to choose your own kitchen, bathroom suite etc. If I leave that to the builder I will end up with a contract bathroom and kitchen - thank you very much, but I'd rather not!

 

[mouk]

I am going through a similar thing at the moment.

Firstly write up what you want - be specific if you have a particular item in mind - say a brand of kitchen or a model of boiler (or even the fact you want gas/plastic pipes).

I would find 10-15 email addresses and send them all an email asking whether they can fit your timeframe and if so to provide a quote.

You will probably find a large number either do not respond or are too busy - in my experience the building trade must be on the upturn big time at the moment as a lot of trades are busy. For exmaple, a bathroom fitter I tried was booked up for 6 months and the plasterer I am using has a waiting time of 8 weeks.

You should also be aware that getting 1 guy in to oversee it all will cost you far more than organising it all yourself - but it will get done quicker if you get someone who can get specific trades in on specific days. I wnet down the route of project managing myself and its taking ages.

In my experience some trades don't mind me supplying my own stuff - example being kitchen fitter and bathroom fitter. They might usually mark these items up so may charge a higher labour to make up for it.

When agreeing the contract GET IT ALL IN WRITING so you have a record of what is agreed.

Agree staged payments so you do not end up stuffed if the builder stops work. You may be asked to pay some large sum upfront to pay for inital materials but if the job costs say 35,000 I would be wary of paying anything more than 5000 in the first week unless they are bringing lots of materials in straightaway.

I would be very cautious of paying more - the poster above says don't expect the builder to take a loan out to fund your work - but likewise, be wary of a builder who is taking on a big job and cannot fund it. Essentially you need to meet in the middle, so as I say, staged payments so you limit your risk.

Finally, I would put something in there about deadlines and the consequences of them not completing it in time - may be a bit awkward but in my experience can be an issue. It may also be a quick way to end a contract if they mess you around.

 

[noseall]

be wary of a builder who is taking on a big job and cannot fund it.

Builders don't fund jobs - clients do.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I think it is pretty standard to choose your own kitchen, bathroom suite etc. If I leave that to the builder I will end up with a contract bathroom and kitchen - thank you very much, but I'd rather not!

That is something I would expect both as a customer and a tradesman, that the client would choose the bathroom/kitchen of their preferred choice. But you would be amazed of the number that do not and are quite clueless on design or choice available.
I often when quoting for jobs visit the property with the client, go over the design/plan, pick out anything they may have overlooked and hopefully make what I consider, improved suggestions.
Another thing to consider if you are wishing to save money, is to consider whether you purchased flat pack units or pre-built, pre-built may cost a little bit more initially but save money on erection time (ooh er matron!) or you may also consider erecting the units your self?

With regards to the electric installation, do be aware that any newly installed electrical work does require to meet up with the current standards, so if your existing installation does not, although safe, it will probably require additional RCD protection (a must for bathroom electrics and new sockets and any newly buried cable) and also an upgrade of the mains earth bonding and earthing conductors (if undersized, standard now is to have 10mm CSA earth bonding and 16mm CSA earth conductor). So you will probably hear of this or have it quoted by your electrical contractors.

 

[^woody^]

think it is pretty standard to choose your own kitchen, bathroom suite etc

Yes the customer chooses the style or type, or gives the builder an idea of what is needed and the builder gives options.

The builder does not want to quote for preassembled and you buy flat packed, or find that you have bought the cheapest nastiest units that don't assemble well, don't align or have parts missing.

Or find that you have bought the bargain showroom ex-display units and expect them to fit exactly in your kitchen.

If either of these is the case, then your concept of getting cheap quotes goes out of the window.

 

[^woody^]

Finally, I would put something in there about deadlines and the consequences of them not completing it in time

And being prevented from completing on time by the client.

It works both ways

 

[kazuya]

The problem i find with customers supplying their own materials is they will quiet often buy stuff because because it looks nice, not knowing that there's more to it than that, IE: i once had a customer buy some beautiful free standing bath taps that were supposed to pour like a waterfall into a roll top bath, however they had an old gravity fed system and the water just trickled out, took 20 minutes to fill the bath.I told them before i fitted them that would happen, but as usual the customer knows best so i fitted them anyway, two months later i was back swapping the taps.
other things are they buy the sink but no pipework, sockets but no wire, backboxes or conduit or they measure wrong and you end up having to nip to the merchants all the time sorting stuff out. or you will unpack a unit and discover its broken and because the customer bought it from the internet to save themselves £20 youve got to wait 6 weeks for a replacement

so if you want to be a project manager make sure your a good one or you find it costing you more than you think.

 

[mouk]

be wary of a builder who is taking on a big job and cannot fund it.

Builders don't fund jobs - clients do.

Course they do but I would be wary of paying large amounts upfront.

Some of the people I got quotes for were happy to incur their costs and then I pay them a fixed amount each week - with them making a profit at the end. If they can do that then it demonstrates they have the resources to run a business.

Some trades have also been happy for me to buy materials direct so they don't incur the big costs.

Basically the worst option is paying massive amounts upfront as it puts you at risk.

 

[timbowkett]

I would just like to say it's all about trust, they need to trust you to pay them and you need to trust them to carry out the work, I have been lucky but know a lot of guys that have part funded a project to then be let down for final payment all of a sudden they find issues or complain about the time taken, anything to get out of paying, maybe a business in becoming a independent holding company for the cash now there's an idea,