Builder's price gone up since the quote? Quote versus estimate, and what to check before you pay

Citizens Advice says a quote, sometimes called a quotation or a fixed estimate, is a promise to do the work at an agreed price. An estimate is the trader's best guess, so the final bill can differ. If you were given a quote, the trader cannot charge more just because their own costs have gone up. They can charge more if there is a good reason, which the pages below describe. This follows Citizens Advice guidance that says it applies to England. It is not a decision on your contract, and it does not name or recommend any trader.

Quote versus estimate

On the 'before you get building work done' page, Citizens Advice says a quote is a fixed price, so you know the cost, and an estimate is a rough guess, so you might pay more. It also says that after you accept a quote you have a binding agreement, written or not, but that writing is what lets you prove what was agreed.

The two Citizens Advice pages do not use identical lists of exceptions. The problem page says the trader cannot charge more than the quote unless there is a good reason, and gives two: you agreed to extra work after they told you it was needed, or the price was an obvious mistake that most people would have seen. It says they cannot charge more because their costs went up. The 'before you start' page says they cannot charge more than the quote unless you asked for extra work, you agreed to extra work they said was necessary, or they made a genuine mistake writing down or calculating the price, in which case they can charge what it should have been. Read your paperwork against both descriptions. If you are unsure which one you were given, that is the first thing to check.

If you only had an estimate and the bill is much higher, Citizens Advice says you can dispute it. The final price should be reasonable. The law does not define reasonable. It says to weigh the estimate, any changes and why they happened, and things outside the trader's control, such as bad weather or materials getting more expensive. You can ask another trader for an estimate of the same work, ask a trade association if the trader belongs to one, or pay for an expert view.

The price went up: what Citizens Advice says to do

• Check the paperwork so you know whether you were given a quote or an estimate.
• If it was a quote and they have not given a reason that fits the exceptions above, tell them you will only pay the quoted price. Put that in writing.
• Do not let them push you into paying more.
• If it was an estimate, say what you think a reasonable figure is, and that this is what you will pay. Expect to negotiate. Put it in writing.
• If you cannot agree, Citizens Advice says you can use alternative dispute resolution, and that its consumer service can talk it through. This article does not predict who would win.

If the work itself is poor

Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says every contract to supply a service is to be treated as including a term that the trader must perform the service with reasonable care and skill. Section 49 points to section 54 for the consumer's rights if that term is breached. This article does not describe those remedies, because section 54 was not the page we relied on for a step-by-step outcome. Put the complaint in writing and, if you cannot agree, get advice. This is not a prediction of what a court would order.

Take the problem up with the trader who arranged the work, even if they subcontracted it. If something is dangerous, stop using it. For smelling gas, Citizens Advice gives the National Gas Emergency Service as 0800 111 999 in Great Britain. Report a dangerous building to the council. Report unsafe work through the Citizens Advice consumer service, which passes reports to Trading Standards. You do not usually report to Trading Standards direct.

Before you hire: the six steps

Citizens Advice lists six steps for homeowners in England:

• Check whether you need permission or approval, such as from the council, a freeholder, or building regulations.
• Find traders carefully. Ask for contact details of people they have worked for and speak to those people, because written references are not always genuine. Be wary of anyone who will not put a quote in writing, and of a price far below the others.
• Get quotes before you choose. Try for at least three written quotes. Some traders charge for quoting, so ask first.
• Check your buildings insurance will cover the work, and ask to see the trader's insurance, including public liability. A trader with employees must have employers' liability insurance. Professional indemnity matters if there is design work. It does not cover poor workmanship.
• Get a written contract before you tell them to start. It does not need legal language. It should say what you are paying for, timings, clearing up, materials, subcontractors and how you will pay.
• Know what to do if there is a problem. The steps above are that plan.

Paying, deposits and cooling off

Pay in a way you can evidence, and do not pay the whole price before any work has started unless you have decided to take that risk. This article does not state a maximum deposit. The Consumer Credit Act 1974 does not set one. Get a receipt for anything you do pay.

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 can make a creditor jointly liable with a supplier for misrepresentation or breach of contract on a debtor-creditor-supplier agreement. It does not apply so far as the claim relates to a single item whose cash price does not exceed £100, or is more than £30,000. It is a credit-agreement rule. It is not a promise that a debit-card payment or a bank transfer is covered. This article does not say a claim will succeed.

A 14-day cancellation right is not automatic for every builder. Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, a consumer may cancel a distance or off-premises contract during the cancellation period. For a service contract, regulation 30 says that period ends at the end of 14 days after the day the contract is entered into, unless regulation 31 applies. A contract agreed in the builder's ordinary premises, or after work has already started on site in a way that is not an off-premises or distance contract, may not have that right. Check which kind of contract you have before you rely on 14 days.

What a written quote should include

Citizens Advice says a quote should include a fixed total, not a day rate, a breakdown of the work and materials, separate costs for materials and for each part of the work, how long the price lasts, whether VAT is included, and when the price can go up, for example only if you agree extra work. If you are offered a day rate, get in writing how many days the job should take, what counts as a day, and when they need your agreement to work extra days.

Verbal quotes

Citizens Advice says not to rely on a verbal quote, and to treat a refusal to write it down as a warning. An agreement can exist without paper, but paper is what you can check later. If the price then climbs in conversation, you are in estimate territory unless the written quote says otherwise.