Owner-Builder School · 2026
The 12-point quote check
Check every trade quote against these 12 points before you sign. If a point is missing, ask for it in writing.
Every quote should show 12 points
01Your details and the site addressIt names you, the site and the date, and says how long the price holds.
02The exact scopeWhat is included, tied to the drawing numbers and revision it was priced from.
03What's excludedExclusions written down, so nothing is "assumed" later.
04Who supplies whatMaterials, fixings, bins, scaffold, access equipment and power: theirs or yours.
05Preparation and making goodSite prep, protecting your work, cleaning up, and fixing what they disturb.
06Quantities or ratesSquare metres, lineal metres or item counts, so you can check the maths.
07Allowances, clearly markedProvisional sums and prime cost items are estimates, not fixed prices. Know which is which.
08GSTWhether the price includes GST.
09Payment stagesA small deposit, then payments tied to finished work you can check.
10TimingThe start date, how long it takes, and what must be ready before they start.
11VariationsHow changes are priced, and that they are agreed in writing before the work.
12Licence, insurance and warrantyTheir licence or registration number, public liability insurance, and how defects get fixed.
Red flags Stop and ask
- A big deposit before any work starts
- One lump sum with no breakdown
- "Allow for" items with no amounts
- No exclusions listed at all
- Pressure to sign today
- A price far below the other quotes for the same scope
Compare like with like. Write one scope and ask every trade to price it. Quotes for the same job that are miles apart usually cover different work.
General information only, not legal advice. Owner-Builder School · ownerbuilderschool.com.au