By RenoWorks Hampshire · Published 28/10/2026
Start with a shared description of the job
Give each contractor the same room list, drawings where relevant and material schedule. Include known defects and the level of preparation you expect. A total for redecorating a room is not directly comparable if one offer includes stripping failed coatings and another assumes sound walls. Seek specialist assessment for hazardous materials, structure and regulated services rather than expecting a decorating price to resolve unknown risks.
Read what is included and excluded
Work through each trade and finishing stage. Check access equipment, protection, waste, making good, material supply and final cleaning. Identify who pays for professional inspections or approvals where needed. Highlight exclusions in a separate comparison table. Ask about anything implied by a drawing but missing from the written scope, and request a revised document when clarification changes the price or responsibility.
Separate fixed items from allowances
Look for provisional sums, product allowances, daywork and stated assumptions. Ask what quantity or specification each figure represents and how the final amount will be established. Check whether a quotation is based on inspection or photographs alone. If concealed work cannot yet be priced firmly, agree an investigation and approval process rather than accepting an unexplained promise that everything will be covered.
Check timing and payment arrangements
Confirm price validity, the proposed start window, likely duration and dependencies on your decisions or deliveries. Make VAT inclusion explicit. Ask how stage payments relate to progress and how changes will be priced and authorised. Avoid treating an informal verbal conversation as the complete record. A clear written agreement should bring together the accepted scope, responsibilities, programme and payment basis before work begins.
Make a comparison you can explain
List each offer against the same headings and record outstanding questions before choosing. Price matters, but so do the feasibility of the preparation method, communication, insurance evidence and relevant experience. Keep the accepted version and superseded documents clearly labelled. If a dispute or contract question arises, use current independent consumer advice rather than relying on a general article as legal advice about your individual agreement.
Related questions
Is an online estimate the same as a quotation?
Usually an online estimate is an early guide based on supplied assumptions. Ask the contractor to state what their document means and obtain a written project-specific scope and price before committing.
What should I do when I request extra work?
Ask for the change in scope, cost and timing in writing, and approve it through the agreed process before it proceeds. Keep the variation with the original agreement.
Further reading
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