Issue the same information to each contractor
Prepare a dated pack with the current drawing revisions, relevant technical information, specification and the external works you want included. Make the intended boundary of the contract explicit. A quotation for a shell, a completed house and a house with pool and landscaping are different offers even if they describe the same address.
Ask contractors to state the documents they have priced. If new information is issued during the comparison, share it consistently and request the relevant updates. This avoids choosing between a newer complete offer and an older total based on fewer decisions.
Read allowances and exclusions line by line
An allowance identifies a quantity or selection that is not yet fully resolved. Ask what it covers and how the final amount will be agreed. Record exclusions and identify who is expected to supply each omitted item. A separate supplier may still need coordination with the building contractor.
Check items that can fall between packages: preparation for fixtures, appliance fitting, pool equipment, external lighting, connections and final finishes around owner purchases. Ask about delivery, storage and installation responsibilities. The aim is a complete understanding of the result, not simply the shortest exclusions list.
Compare specifications rather than adjectives
Replace descriptions such as high quality with identifiable products or performance requirements where the design team considers them necessary. Review glazing, joinery, kitchen items, sanitaryware, surfaces and equipment on the same basis. Where alternatives are proposed, ask how they differ and whether the designers need to review them.
Keep samples, schedules and approved substitutions connected to the contract information. A showroom choice can affect dimensions, preparation and installation. Confirm how those details reach the site and how the price is updated when a final choice changes the allowance.
Discuss the commercial and delivery arrangements
Ask for the offer validity, proposed programme, payment arrangements and the process for variations. Discuss which assumptions depend on owner decisions, access or unresolved information. Your advisers should review the contractual arrangements appropriate to the project and explain any questions you need to resolve.
Clarify the proposed reporting routine and how progress will be documented. If you live abroad, agree the form of updates and how approvals will be recorded. These arrangements should support a shared view of the works rather than depend on informal recollection.
Resolve differences before appointing
Build a comparison table with headings for scope, specification, allowances, exclusions, timing and open questions. Ask each contractor to clarify important differences in writing. A lower price may reflect a different method or a smaller scope; the comparison should reveal which.
When approaching First Estate Construction, send the project location and information pack, and explain whether you need an early discussion or a quotation for defined works. If drawings or selections are incomplete, identify the next information needed. A clear conversation at this stage helps turn a rough total into a proposal that can be reviewed meaningfully.
Questions to send with your quotation request
- Which dated drawings and specification have you priced?
- What is excluded, provisional or supplied by the owner?
- What quantities and product allowances are assumed?
- Are taxes and charges shown clearly?
- Which decisions or investigations are needed before the start?
- How are changes approved and priced?
- What records support progress updates and payment requests?
- Which completion documents and demonstrations are included?
Related questions: Costs & budget · The process · Villa construction