Checking a bathroom quote: what is not included

A quote for sanitaryware and fitting does not always cover the complete bathroom renovation. Stripping out, pipework, surface preparation and finishing may be charged separately.

Before accepting, work through the whole renovation. Who will strip out the room, who will install the pipes and who will finish it afterwards? Check what the quote covers for each job and budget for any work another contractor will do.

Check for missing items

Check stripping out and rubble removal, removing old adhesive and tiles, pipework and the soil stack, electrics, ventilation, floor repairs and waterproofing. Costs by job gives indicative prices for these items.

Check smaller items too, such as recesses, sealant, painting, parking and carrying materials upstairs. Ask how the contractor will discuss it with you if stripping out reveals a hidden leak or rot.

Work may be excluded from the quote. For your budget, you still need to know what must be arranged and paid for separately.

Be specific about extra work

Ask how the contractor will warn you if extra work is needed. For building works, that warning must be written and unambiguous from 1 January 2024. This is mandatory law for private clients, with no transitional provisions: it also applies to older contracts. Agree the price, work and effect on the schedule before it is carried out.

Different rules apply to a fixed price and an estimate. If there is a dispute, have the agreement and whether the contractor warned you in time assessed. A vague general caveat is no substitute for an agreed price.

Use the same drawing

Give the retailer, contractor and installers the same drawing with dimensions and connection points. Specify who will do each part. This lets you discuss where their jobs meet using the same bathroom plan.

Moving a pipe does not automatically include repairs to plaster, tiles and paintwork. Ask who will finish that work and when the next contractor can start. The order of the work shows which stage depends on which.

Include excluded work in your budget

List known exclusions as separate amounts alongside the quote. Keep a reserve for unexpected work after stripping out too.

You are then comparing the cost of getting the room ready to use, rather than only the sanitaryware price.

What to do now

• work through the cost items and mark anything missing from your quote
• give the retailer, contractor and installers the same drawing with dimensions and connection points
• add the excluded items as separate lines in your own budget