Line up two or three renovation quotes item by item before you decide which one is the best fit.
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Use this checklist when you have two or three written quotes and need to work out which one is the best fit for your project, not simply the lowest number. Quotes for the same renovation often differ because they price different things: one includes demolition and skip bins, another assumes you will arrange them; one has a $3,000 provisional sum for tiling that looks cheap until the real tiles cost $7,000.
How to use it. Tick each item for each quote. Any unticked item is either a risk or a cost you will need to add yourself. Ask the builder to fill the gap in writing before you compare prices.
Worked example (illustrative). Quote A is $52,000 including GST and covers demolition, waste and a $4,000 tile allowance. Quote B is $47,000 but excludes waste removal (say $1,500) and allows only $2,000 for tiles you expect to cost $4,000. Adjusted, Quote B is $47,000 + $1,500 + $2,000 = $50,500, much closer than it first looked.
Limits. The checklist does not tell you whether a builder is good. Check the licence register, ask for addresses of completed jobs you can look at from the street, and read the contract before you sign. See how to compare builder quotes for the full method.
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Step-by-step licence and registration checks for builders and trades in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and other states, what the register tells you and the red flags to look for.
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A practical method to compare two or three Australian renovation quotes like for like, normalising GST, allowances and exclusions, with a worked comparison.
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How the Australian Consumer Law guarantees and state statutory warranties protect homeowners on renovation work, the time limits in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, and how to use them.
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What prime cost items and provisional sums mean in Australian building contracts, how overruns and builder's margin are charged, and how to check allowances before you sign.
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The most expensive renovation mistakes in Australia, from unlicensed builders and oversized deposits to missing insurance, with the regulators and official sources in each state.
