A fixed part and a per-unit part
Every line in a quote has two parts. A fixed part per job, covering travel, preparation and the minimum for any visit, and a per-unit part that depends on how much there is to do: square metres of painting, linear metres of kitchen units, or the number of sockets, taps or lamps.
That is why grouping several small jobs into one visit usually works out better than booking them separately: the fixed part is shared between them.
What each line includes
In our quotes every line says what it includes. Usually that is travel, buying the materials, the materials themselves, the tools needed and labour.
When the client chooses the item, such as a lamp or a tap, the line may state a maximum shop price. If you prefer a more expensive model, the difference is adjusted.
What the price depends on
- The type and amount of work: painting one room is not the same as painting a whole flat.
- The materials: the brand, model and finish you choose.
- Access: the floor, whether there is a lift and whether the home is lived in while we work.
- The starting condition: a textured (gotelé) wall needs skimming before painting, and a leak must be fixed before covering the stain.
- What we find once we open up: sometimes one fault hides another. If that happens, we explain it and quote it before carrying on.
What to check in a quote
- What each line includes and excludes. For example, a line for painting walls and ceilings usually excludes doors, windows and skimming textured walls.
- Whether prices include VAT. Our quotes are shown without VAT and the 21% is added on a separate line.
- How long it is valid. Ours are valid for 7 days, because material prices change.
- That removing or changing one line can change the cost of the others, because the fixed part is shared between them.
How to get a more accurate quote
- Tell us everything you want done, even small things, so we can group it into one visit.
- Send photos, both wide and close up. Good photos make the quote more accurate.
- Give rough measurements: metres of wall, window width, number of sockets.
- Tell us the floor, whether there is a lift and whether the home is lived in.
Why we prefer to quote each job
An hourly rate or a starting price looks simpler, but the final price ends up depending on the same things: what needs doing and the state of the home. We prefer to give you a written quote, with every line itemised, before we start.