Headline article

Quotation request works: the pitfalls to avoid

07 FEV. 2019

Do you wish to undertake construction or renovation work in your home? The work budget you are going to get from various professionals is a key part of any successful project. It is therefore essential to give this stage prior to the implementation of your site special attention to avoid pitfalls and unpleasant surprises. What are the important points to check before signing your signature?

Prepare your request carefully

Structural work, electricity, plumbing, interior design ... Before consulting specialized providers, take the time to define your request as finely as possible. Establish in writing a kind of specification specifying the nature of the work you are considering, the choice of materials you want to use, the measurements of the parts or buildings concerned and, more generally, all the information that you seem relevant.

This preparatory note prepared with your words, your ideas and possibly your sketches will serve you on the one hand as a basis for discussion with professionals when you expose your project so that they establish an adapted quote, and secondly as a reference document for the follow-up of the works while allowing to optimize the interventions of the different stakeholders.

Respect the rule of 3

Renovation companies and skilled craftsmen are not lacking: do not hesitate to openly evoke your projects around you, it is rare that nobody knows, at least of reputation, the name of a company or a craftsman recognized for their competences. We know that word of mouth is the best (or the worst!) advertising for a professional. Rely on the echoes received to select a provider who inspires confidence and appeal to your entourage to guide you and establish a pre-selection.

Turn to at least 3 or 4 providers for the same project. Indeed, define with them your needs, explain your desires and requirements, listen to their proposals and finally study their quotes will take time. By throwing too much stress, you risk losing the thread. Conversely, below 3 quotes, you will not have enough elements of comparison to obtain a satisfactory overall vision of your site. In any case, do not go headlong when the first proposal is in hand.

The quote request is usually part of free services offered by professionals to encourage contact. However, it is preferable to ask for confirmation and to have you specify the prices charged for the establishment of the estimate if necessary.

An estimate works is subject to the regulations and framed by the law. Once signed, it is a firm order and legally binding. As such, it must mention several mandatory information : the price including VAT of each of the fixed services, the hourly rates of labor TTC, the methods of counting of the past time, the expenses of movement and hiring of annexed material, the coordinates of the provider, the date of emission of the quote and its period of validity, and finally the time provided for the completion of the work.

Compare the prices : a necessity

Once you have received all of your offers, make sure they are easily understandable anddescribe in detail the work to be undertaken , each item must be clearly encrypted. Be particularly wary if one of the quotes has far lower rates than the others. Whatever the craftsman or society, the prices of materials and labor are about the same. Too much price difference or surprisingly attractive prices may be a sign of forgetting (voluntary or not) a benefit.

Make the point of your side by referring to your specifications and that these different stages could generate as ancillary costs: large waste disposal, equipment rental ... On the other hand, do not focus solely on your budget requirements by choosing only on a financial criterion. Some craftsmen may suggest new materials and equipment that you have not heard of, and the cost will be different from your original budget. You can also play the competition and try a negotiation, with price arguments to support.

On the road to success

You now have all your proposals in hand, you have read them with great attention and calm, and carefully compared and analyzed. One last pro tip: take into account your feelings during your meeting or telephone exchange with the various experts approached, it is a determining element to reassure you.

A good craftsman must know how to listen to you and conscientiously study your project while being a strong proponent. Relying on your instincts will help you stop your final choice.

Are you having trouble finding qualified professionals and want to save time? We put you in touch for free and in just a few minutes with the artisans near you via our online quote request tool!

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> Renovate ... without leaving anything to chance!