THE REAL COST GUIDE
WHAT YOUR RENOVATION QUOTE SHOULD — AND SHOULDN'T — INCLUDE
The questions to ask before you sign anything, so a “surprise” never costs you thousands.
Renovation quotes can be difficult to compare. One builder gives you a number that's lower than the others. It looks attractive. But then you start asking questions and discover that some things aren't included, some selections are based on tiny allowances, and some parts of the work haven't really been priced yet. The problem isn't always that the builder is deliberately hiding something. Sometimes the quote simply isn't detailed enough to tell you what you're actually comparing. This guide is designed to help you look underneath the headline number.
01
First: A Cheap Quote Isn't Always a Cheap Renovation
The number at the bottom of a quote is only useful if you know what sits behind it.
Imagine two builders are quoting the same bathroom. At first glance, Builder A looks cheaper by $7,000. But then you discover:
Builder A: $45,000
Builder B: $52,000
Builder A has a lower allowance for the tiles.
Demolition isn't included.
Some electrical work is excluded.
The vanity allowance is minimal.
There are provisional sums for unknown work.
Several selections haven't been properly allowed for.
The two $45,000 and $52,000 numbers aren't necessarily prices for the same job.
Before you compare the totals, compare what you're actually buying.
02
What a Proper Quote Should Tell You
A useful renovation quote should make it reasonably clear what the builder is pricing.
At a minimum, you should be able to understand:
What work is included. Which rooms and areas are included.
What materials and finishes are included.
What is specifically excluded. Which items are allowances.
Which items are provisional sums.
What assumptions the price is based on.
What could cause the price to change
. How variations will be handled.
If you can't work out what the number represents, it's difficult to compare it with another builder's number.
03
Scope: What Are You Actually Getting?
Start with the scope of works.
Don't settle for a description that simply says:
“Renovate bathroom.”
Ask what's actually included.
Does the scope cover:
Demolition?
Waste removal?
Plumbing changes?
Electrical work
Waterproofing?
Tiling?
Painting?
Cabinetry?
Stone?
Fixtures?
Installation?
Final cleaning?
The more clearly the scope is defined, the easier it is to understand the price.
04
Exclusions Matter
An exclusion isn't automatically a warning sign.
There will always be things that aren't part of a particular renovation.
The important thing is that they're identified.
Ask:
What's not included in this price?
Then ask yourself whether those exclusions are costs you'll eventually have to pay anyway.
A quote can look very competitive simply because some of the work has been left outside the number.
05
Allowances: The Number Isn't the Whole Story
Allowances are used when you haven't made a final selection yet.
For example, you might not have chosen your:
Tapware
Tiles
Vanity
Appliances
Handles
Light fittings
Stone
The builder can include an allowance for those items so the project can be priced before every selection is finalised.
That's normal.
But you need to understand the allowance.
Ask:
What amount has been allowed?
What does that amount cover?
Is installation included?
What happens if my selection costs more?
A $2,000 allowance means very little if you don't know what the $2,000 is supposed to cover.
06
Provisional Sums: Ask Why They're There
A provisional sum is different from a normal allowance.
It generally relates to work where the final cost can't reasonably be established when the contract is prepared.
This can happen in renovation work because existing conditions aren't always fully known.
For example, an old house may reveal something behind a wall or under a floor that couldn't reasonably be confirmed beforehand.
That doesn't mean every uncertain item should simply be placed into a provisional sum.
Ask:
Why is this provisional? What is currently unknown?
What information would allow the amount to be confirmed?
The more you understand about the unknown, the easier it is to understand the risk you're taking.
07
What Can Genuinely Change the Price?
Some things can change during a renovation.
That's reality.
Existing conditions may be different from what was reasonably expected.
You may change your mind about a selection.
You may add to the scope.
A product may become unavailable and require an alternative.
The important question isn't whether a renovation can ever change in price.
It's how those changes are handled.
You should know what has changed, why it changed and what it will cost before committing to the additional work wherever the process allows.
08
Variations Shouldn't Be a Surprise
If you ask for something different from the agreed scope, that may create a variation.
The process should be clear.
You should be able to see: What is changing.
Why it is changing. What it will cost. Whether it affects the programme.
Then you can decide whether you want to proceed.
A variation that appears on an invoice after the work has already happened is a very different experience from one you've understood and approved beforehand.
09
Look at the Programme Too
Price isn't the only thing worth comparing.
Ask about the programme.
When can the project start?
How long is the work expected to take?
Which dates are firm?
Which dates depend on selections, suppliers, approvals or existing conditions?
Renovations have dependencies
. Waterproofing needs time to cure.
Stone can't necessarily be templated before cabinetry is installed.
Products can have lead times.
A builder who gives you an optimistic completion date without explaining those dependencies isn't necessarily giving you a better programme.
You want a realistic one.
10
Ask Who Is Actually Running Your Job
The person who gives you the quote may not be the person managing the renovation.
Ask:
Who will be my main point of contact?
Who is coordinating the trades?
Who do I speak to if something goes wrong?
How often will I receive updates?
You are not just buying construction work.
You're buying the process that gets you from the first day of demolition to the finished room.
11
Ask What Happens When Something Goes Wrong
This might be the most useful question of all.
Don't ask a builder whether there will be any problems.
Ask:
“What happens when you find something unexpected?”
Older homes can contain genuine unknowns.
You want to know how the builder handles them.
At Savvy, the commitment is straightforward:
if something changes the work or cost, we'll tell you when we find it, explain the options and make sure you understand the cost before additional money is spent.
12
The Quote Checklist
Before comparing two renovation quotes, check whether you can answer these questions:
Scope Do I know exactly what work is included?
Exclusions Do I know what's specifically excluded?
Allowances Do I know what each allowance covers and whether the amount is realistic?
Provisional Sums Do I understand which items are genuinely uncertain and why?
Variations Do I understand how changes are priced and approved?
Programme Do I know the expected start and completion timeframe and what could affect it? Communication Do I know who is actually running my job and how I'll be updated?
Unknowns Do I understand what happens if something unexpected is found?
If you can't answer those questions, you don't yet have enough information to properly compare the quotes.
13
Take This Guide to Your Builder Meetings
You don't need to use this guide only with Savvy.
Take it to every builder you're considering.
Ask the same questions.
Compare the scope, not just the total.
Look at the allowances.
Understand the provisional sums.
Check the exclusions.
And make sure you know what happens when something changes.
That's how you turn several renovation quotes into something you can actually compare.
14
Want the Short Version?
Download our 12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Building Contract.
It's designed to take with you into your next builder meeting and covers the key questions around scope, allowances, variations, programme and unexpected costs.
15
Still Confused About Allowances?
We've broken down allowances in plain English — what they are, what they cover and what you should ask before accepting one.