Reading and comparing a renovation quote in the Netherlands, line by line

Start with the description

The price is usually at the bottom, but the important part is above it. A good quote describes what will be done, with which materials and to what level of finish. "Renovate bathroom" in one line says little. "Remove and dispose of existing tiles and sanitary ware, waterproof the walls, wall tiles to the ceiling, concealed cistern with wall-hung toilet" says much more.

Put the quotes side by side and tick off each item. If something is missing from one quote, its low price may not really be low. ACM ConsuWijzer, the Dutch consumer authority, puts it this way in its quote checklist: compare the terms as well as the price.

Also look at quantities. Does the quote say how many square metres of wall will be plastered or tiled, how many sockets are added and how many metres of pipe are replaced? Without quantities you cannot check whether two firms assume the same space. A few square metres of difference in a bathroom tiled to the ceiling soon adds up. If in doubt, ask for a floor plan or sketch showing what will be done. That also helps later, when you want to check during the work whether something was agreed or not.

• Demolition and removal of rubble and old materials.
• Preparing the substrate, such as levelling or plastering.
• Plumbing and electrics: how many points, where and in which material.
• Finishing: tiles to what height, sealant, skirting, painting.
• Cleaning up and a clean handover.

Fixed price or estimate

This difference decides what you pay if the job turns out harder. According to ACM ConsuWijzer, with a fixed price you usually pay nothing extra, even when the work is more difficult than expected. If there is less work, the contractor does not have to lower the price either.

An estimate (richtprijs) is a best guess. The contractor must warn you in time if it will cost more. If they do, you pay for the extra work. If they do not warn you in time, ACM ConsuWijzer says they may charge at most 10 percent more. If there is less work, you only pay for the hours and materials actually used.

Provisional sums and open choices

A provisional sum (stelpost) is an estimated amount for something not yet chosen, such as tiles, sanitary ware or a tap. It is useful if you want to choose later, but it makes comparison harder. A quote with low provisional sums looks cheaper, while the final price rises once you choose what you really want.

So ask, for each provisional sum, what that amount buys and what happens if you choose something more or less expensive. Is the difference settled? With or without a mark-up? The fewer provisional sums, the firmer the price. At Parus we prefer to choose the materials with you before the quote is final.

Extra work: when do you pay more

Extra work (meerwerk) is work that is not in the quote. Sometimes it comes from a change you want, sometimes from something uncovered during demolition, such as a rotten joist or an old pipe. According to ACM ConsuWijzer, the contractor must warn you before the extra work causes costs. If they do not, or do so too late, in many cases you do not have to pay for it.

A good quote says up front how extra work is agreed: in writing, with a price, before it is done. Ask about it if it is missing. In an older home it is wise to discuss the risks beforehand, for example in the floor, the pipework or asbestos in homes built before 1994.

Do not forget reduced work (minderwerk). If you decide halfway to drop an item or do it yourself, ACM ConsuWijzer says that with a fixed price the contractor does not have to lower the price unless that was agreed. With an estimate you only pay for what was actually done. A good quote therefore also says how reduced work is settled. Record every change, more or less, in a short email with the description and the amount, and keep it with the quote.

VAT on the quote

In the Netherlands some work on homes older than two years carries 9 percent VAT (btw) instead of 21 percent. According to the Belastingdienst, the Dutch tax authority, this covers insulating, painting, plastering and wallpapering. For insulation the low rate applies to labour only. For painting and plastering it covers materials too.

If a contractor combines work at 21 and 9 percent, the tax authority says they must split it in the quote and invoice. Check that the quotes you compare are both including or both excluding VAT. Read more in our guide to VAT and subsidies for renovation.

Planning, payment and terms

A quote without planning is only half a quote. Ask when work can start, how long it takes and what the delivery times for materials are. One contractor saying two weeks for a full bathroom and another saying four may be working with different drying times. That is no detail: tiling too soon on a damp surface causes cracks later.

Also look at the payment stages, the size of any deposit, the guarantee and the general terms. Ask whether the firm belongs to a disputes committee. Only sign when you understand everything. A question costs nothing now, an unclear agreement costs a lot later.

How to compare fairly

Make a simple table with, for each quote, the items, the type of price, the provisional sums, the VAT, the planning and the payment stages. Fill in the gaps by asking. Only when the descriptions match does the price difference mean something. Often the cheapest quote turns out to cover less work, or the most expensive one solves a problem the other missed.

At Parus the quote follows a site visit, with all work written out. Read the free site visit: what happens for what that involves, and what determines renovation cost for what drives the price. Want to put our quote next to another one? Get in touch. You will hear from us within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions