Quotation Terms

These terms sit alongside our terms and conditions and apply to every quotation we issue.

Estimates and quotations are not the same thing

We are deliberate about the difference, because it matters:

• A quotation is a fixed price for a defined scope of work. Provided the scope does not change, the price does not change.
• An estimate is our best assessment where the work genuinely cannot be pinned down in advance — a fault that has to be traced, for example. We will always tell you when something is an estimate rather than a quotation, and why.

If we can give you a fixed price, we will. We do not use “estimate” as a way of leaving the price open.

How long a quotation lasts

30 days from the date of issue, unless it states otherwise. Beyond that we may need to requote — material prices and professionals’ availability both move.

What is included

Every quotation sets out:

1. The work to be done, described specifically rather than generally
2. Whether materials are included, and to what specification
3. Preparation and making good, where relevant
4. Removal and disposal of waste arising from the work
5. The total price, and whether VAT applies
6. Anything specifically excluded

If something you were expecting is not on the quotation, ask before accepting. It is a great deal easier to add it then.

What a quotation assumes

Unless we have said otherwise, we have assumed that:

• The property is structurally sound in the areas we are working on
• Existing services — water, electricity, drainage — are in serviceable condition
• Reasonable access is available, including for materials and parking
• What we could see when quoting is representative of what is behind it
• No asbestos or other hazardous material is present in the working area

Where a quotation is based on photographs or a description rather than a visit, it is necessarily based on what we were shown. We will say so on the quotation.

When a job turns out differently

Sometimes it does. A wall opens up and the timber behind it is wet. A floor comes up and the subfloor is not level. Wiring turns out not to match what the fusebox suggested.

When that happens, in this order:

1. We stop.
2. We tell you what we have found, with photographs.
3. We set out the options — including doing nothing, or doing the minimum necessary — with revised costs for each.
4. Nothing further happens until you have chosen.

You will not receive an invoice containing work you did not agree to. The only exception is where immediate action is genuinely necessary to prevent injury or significant further damage, and we will contact you as soon as we reasonably can.

Variations you ask for

If you would like something added or changed once work is underway, tell us and we will price it before doing it. Small additions are often free while someone is already there with the tools out — we will tell you when that is the case.

Materials

Where we supply materials, the quotation states the specification. Substituting a different product, whether for availability or cost, needs your agreement.

You are welcome to supply your own materials. In that case we cannot be responsible for their suitability or for defects in them, and we will tell you before starting if we think a supplied material is going to cause a problem.

Prices we cannot fix

A very small number of things genuinely cannot be quoted in advance: tracing an intermittent electrical fault, for instance, or finding the source of a leak inside a structure. For those we will agree an hourly rate and a maximum spend before we start, so the cost is capped even though the time is not known.

Accepting a quotation

In writing — a reply to the email is enough. Accepting forms a contract on our terms and conditions, including your 14-day right to cancel.