Is your builder’s quote fair? Get it checked before you sign.
Send us your builder’s quote, or up to three for the same job. A builder with nearly 30 years on site reads every line and tells you, in plain English, whether the price looks right, what’s missing, what’s vague and what to ask before you pay a deposit.
Book a quote review: £59Book here, then send the quotes by WhatsApp or email · written review and a one-to-one call within 24 hours, usually sooner · money back if it isn’t clear
Buying a house? Most people come to us for our RICS survey review. Start there.
An independent builder quote check, line by line
Send the quote, and any drawings or spec you have. Within 24 hours you get:
- Is the price fair? Whether the total sits in a realistic range for the work described, the finish you want and where you live. If it looks high or low, we say which bits and why.
- What’s missing. The things the job will definitely need that aren’t on the quote. Making good, skips, building control, the steel, the electrics. These are where the extras come from.
- What’s vague. “As required”, “provisional sum”, “allow for”, “to client’s choice”. We tell you which lines are a price and which are a guess, and what to get pinned down.
- Red flags. Anything in the wording, the paperwork or the terms that we’d want sorted before we let a builder start on our own house.
- Deposit and payment terms. Whether the deposit and stage payments protect you, and what a fairer schedule would look like.
- Questions to ask the builder. A short list you can send straight back to them, so the gaps are closed in writing before work starts.
- A one-to-one call with Ben. The written review is what you forward to the builder. The call is where you ask the things you wouldn’t put in an email: is this fair for my area, which of these would you pick, and how hard can I push.
Compare builder quotes like for like
Got more than one quote? Even better. Start with the free comparison tool, then send them over. Putting quotes side by side is usually where the gaps show. We tell you where they’re pricing different jobs, so you can compare like for like.
The gaps are where the extras come from
Most quote disputes start with something that was never written down. We read the quote the way a builder prices a job, so you can get the gaps closed in writing before work starts.
The rewire is priced, but nothing covers making good the chased walls. Ask the builder to price it in writing now, or it arrives later as an extra.
A provisional sum is an allowance, not a price. Ask what it covers and get the engineer’s calculations before you sign.
Well above the 5-10% that is normal. Ask for a smaller deposit and payments tied to finished stages of work.
How the builder quote review works
- Book and pay. Three quick details, then card payment on Stripe. No account, no subscription. One job, one fee.
- Send your quotes. The next screen gives you a WhatsApp and an email link with your reference already filled in. Send the quotes, plus any drawings, spec, engineer’s calcs or photos.
- Written review and a call within 24 hours. Ben Murrell reads every line himself, writes it up, then rings you to talk it through.
- Refund if it isn’t clear. If what comes back doesn’t give you a clear answer, you get every penny back. No forms, no quibble.
Got a deadline to sign, or a builder pushing you to decide? Add it in the form under “deadline” and we’ll move you up.
What to send
The more we can see, the more useful the review. Send whatever you have:
- The quote or quotes. PDF, photo of a paper quote, screenshot of an email or WhatsApp. Up to three for the same job.
- Drawings or plans, if there are any. Architect’s drawings, planning drawings, even a sketch.
- A spec or schedule of works, if you wrote one or the builder sent one.
- Engineer’s calculations, if structural work is involved.
- Photos or a short video of the area. The room, the wall coming out, the roof, the back of the house.
- A line or two about the job. What you want done, the finish you’re after, your rough budget and your postcode area.
- Any terms or contract the builder has asked you to sign.
Questions first? WhatsApp us.
Is this builder quote too high, too low or too vague? Common red flags
These come up again and again. None of them automatically means a bad builder, but every one is worth sorting before you sign.
- One line, one number. “Rear extension: £38,000.” You can’t compare it, you can’t check it, and you can’t fairly part-pay it if things go wrong.
- Provisional sums on the big unknowns. Foundations, steels and drainage priced as an “allowance”. Whatever it actually costs is what you pay.
- “As required” and “allow for”. Open-ended wording that turns into an open-ended bill.
- No making good. The work is priced, but nothing covers plastering, filling and decorating afterwards.
- No mention of building control or the engineer. If it doesn’t say who is handling it, it’s probably you.
- Big deposit up front. 5-10% is normal. A large slice of the job paid before anyone is on site is a warning sign. Established builders usually have accounts with their merchants.
- Payments by date, not by progress. Stage payments should follow work you can stand and look at, not weeks on a calendar.
- VAT not mentioned. A quote that goes quiet on VAT can grow by 20% at invoice time.
- Much cheaper than the others. Usually missing scope, not a bargain. Compare what’s excluded before you compare the totals.
- A cash discount. No receipt, no paper trail, no warranty worth having.
- Pressure to sign this week. Good builders are busy. They don’t need you to decide this afternoon.
- No company details. A first name and a mobile number isn’t a business you can chase if it goes wrong.
Want to check a builder quote yourself first? Try our free builder quote checker, or read builder quote red flags and how to check a builder’s quote.
Ben Murrell
I’m a carpenter by trade and I’ve spent nearly 30 years on UK building sites, from council refurbishments to London townhouse renovations. I’ve priced jobs like yours from the builder’s side, so I know where the gaps usually are and what the work really involves.
I never quote for the work I review and I take no referral fees. So there’s nothing for me to gain by telling you a quote is too high, or too low. I’ll just tell you what I’d tell a mate.
What homeowners say
20 five-star reviews on Google so far, and growing — from buyers and homeowners Ben has helped.
“Thank you very much for the detailed advice regarding the kitchen and lounge wall; it was incredibly helpful and gave me a much clearer understanding of the structural requirements and building regulations involved.”
“I highly recommend the team at Chat to your builder. I contacted them and Ben came back to me immediately despite it being Easter Sunday! His advice was absolutely spot on and gave a list of red flags and items that needed attention on a retaining wall that was being built. With the knowledge and experience of Ben I was able to create a strong case with the builder to rectify and re-do substandard workmanship. Have complete confidence in the guys here.”
“Great service, Ben was really useful and thorough in his responses.”
Read every review on our Google Business Profile → Been helped by us? Leave a review.
What this review can and can’t do
We can
- Explain each line of the quote in plain English
- Say whether the total looks realistic for the work described
- Spot missing items, vague wording and risky payment terms
- Compare up to three quotes like for like
- Give you a list of questions to put to the builder in writing
We can’t
- Visit the property or measure anything
- Give you our own quote. We never quote for the work
- Recommend, vet or refer you to a builder
- Give legal advice on a contract or a dispute
Full detail in our terms.
£59 for up to three quotes for one job
£59 for one job, including up to three quotes for it. One payment, no subscription, no upsell. Written review plus a one-to-one call within 24 hours. If we can’t give you a clear answer, you get every penny back.
For context: getting a quote wrong usually costs far more than £59, whether that’s a missing steel, a provisional sum that doubles or a deposit you can’t get back.
Builder quote review: questions
Is my builder’s quote fair? Can you really tell from the quote?
For most domestic jobs, yes. A quote shows what is included, what is left out, how it is priced and what the terms are. We compare that with what the job really involves and what it typically costs in your area. Where something can only be judged in person, like the depth of foundations or the state of a hidden beam, we say so and tell you who to ask.
How do I know if a builder’s quote is too high?
Look at what the price covers before you look at the total. A quote that seems too high often includes things the cheaper ones leave out, like making good, skips, building control or the steel. A quote that really is too high usually shows it in the rates, the allowances or the margin on materials. In the review we tell you which lines look high, which look low, and why.
Can you compare builder quotes for the same job?
Yes. £59 covers up to three quotes for one job. Putting quotes side by side is usually where the gaps show, so we tell you where they are pricing different work and how to compare them like for like.
What should I send?
The quote, or up to three for the same job, plus any drawings, spec, engineer’s calculations and a few photos. A paper quote photographed on your phone is fine.
What deposit is normal on a building job?
A deposit of 5-10% is normal, or nothing at all. Established builders have credit accounts with their merchants. Anything much higher before work starts is worth pushing back on, and stage payments should follow finished work, not dates on a calendar.
How quickly will I hear back?
Within 24 hours of receiving your quotes, usually faster. If you have a deadline to sign, tell us when you book and we will prioritise it.
Who checks my builder’s quote?
Ben Murrell, a builder for nearly 30 years. The person who reads it is the person who rings you.
Will you tell me which builder to pick?
We will tell you which quote is clearer, more complete and fairer on payment terms, and what we would want sorted with each. On the call you can ask which we would be happier with. The final choice stays yours.
Will you recommend a builder or give me your own price?
No. We never quote for the work, refer you to anyone or take referral fees. That is what keeps the review independent.
Is this legal advice?
No. We tell you what a builder would expect to see in a quote and contract. For a dispute or a contract you are unsure about, speak to a solicitor.
I’ve had my RICS survey back and I’m getting quotes for the repairs. Which do I book?
If you have not exchanged yet, start with the RICS survey review. It tells you what is urgent and what it is likely to cost, which is what you need to negotiate. Once you are getting quotes for the work, book a quote review.
What if I’m not happy?
If the review does not give you a clear answer, you get every penny back. No forms, no quibble.
Useful first: free builder quote checker · how to check a builder’s quote · is my builder ripping me off? · stage payments to builders · RICS survey review
Check the quote before you sign it
Book in under a minute. Pay on Stripe, send your quotes by WhatsApp or email, and get a written review and a call within 24 hours.
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