Extension quotes fail their readers in both directions: some so vague that the number means nothing, some so padded with provisional sums that the number means anything. A quote is a promise with arithmetic, and the arithmetic should be readable.
Mitchell & Andrew Building Services quotes extensions across Truro to a standard worth publishing, because a customer who can read quotes hires better whoever they hire.
Stage lines make figures comparable
A readable quote mirrors the build: groundworks and drainage, structure and steel, roof, windows and doors, first fix trades, plastering, second fix, decoration, and the making-good where new meets old. Each stage priced lets two quotes disagree usefully, showing where scope or assumption differs rather than just totals shouting.
The one-line lump quote hides everything: whether drainage is included, who supplies the steel, what happens where extension meets kitchen. Insist on stages; honest builders already write them.
- Quote structured to match the build stages.
- Stage prices reveal where quotes actually differ.
- Lump sums hide scope; stages expose it.
Provisional sums, named and bounded
Some numbers genuinely cannot be fixed at quote stage: kitchen ranges unpicked, ground conditions unproven. The honest treatment is the provisional sum, named, bounded and flagged, so the reader knows which parts of the total are estimates awaiting decisions.
The trap is quotes that win on totals built from optimistic provisionals: the kitchen allowance nobody could buy a kitchen with, the glazing figure from a catalogue nobody chose. Mitchell & Andrew Building Services sets provisionals at realistic mid-range and says so, because winning a job on numbers that cannot survive contact with reality just moves the argument to month three.
- Provisionals are legitimate when named and bounded.
- Unrealistic allowances are how low quotes are built.
- Ask what each provisional realistically buys.
The exclusions that surprise
Every quote excludes something; the professional ones say what. The classic surprises live at the edges: planning and building control fees, structural engineer's design, party wall matters, unforeseen ground conditions, asbestos discovery, and decoration of existing rooms disturbed by the works.
None of these being excluded is wrong: most are genuinely unquotable or belong to other professionals. What matters is the list being written, so the project's true cost is the quote plus known extras rather than the quote plus ambushes.
Payment schedules that protect both sides
Extension payments should track visible progress: modest or no deposit, staged payments at recognisable milestones, groundworks done, weathertight, first fix complete, and a final payment on completion after the walk-round. Money follows work; work never chases money.
The schedule protects the builder too: staged certainty funds materials and crews without gambling. What the pattern excludes is drama in either direction, big upfront demands or endless retention arguments, which is exactly why serious firms prefer it.
Related pages
Questions customers ask
Why do extension quotes differ so much for the same drawings?
Usually scope and provisionals rather than greed: different assumptions about drainage, steel, finishes and allowances. Stage-by-stage quotes let you find the difference; lump sums just leave you guessing.
What is a provisional sum in a building quote?
A named allowance for something not yet decided or provable, kitchens, ground conditions, chosen finishes. Legitimate when realistic and flagged; dangerous when set low to win totals.
What payment schedule is normal for an extension?
Staged payments against visible milestones from groundworks to completion, with little or nothing up front and the final payment after the finishing walk-round. Work first, money following.
Stages priced, provisionals honest, exclusions written, payments tracking work: that is a quote you can compare, challenge and sign with your eyes open.
Mitchell & Andrew Building Services writes Truro extension quotes exactly that way. The contact page turns your drawings into one.
