The most common mistakes when requesting a renovation quote are giving a vague scope, sending different information to each builder, hiding what you already know about the property, not saying how it will be used or when it must be ready, asking for a price per metre and accepting lump sums. A clear written brief with photos, measurements and priorities, sent identically to each builder, produces quotes you can actually compare.
Is your scope too vague?
“I want to renovate the flat” can mean anything from new paint to a complete overhaul. Faced with that brief, one builder will price the minimum and another the maximum, and you will receive two quotes that cannot be compared. The fix is simple: go room by room and say what you want to change and how deeply. Floors? Bathroom down to the pipes? Kitchen units only, or the walls behind them too?
You do not need to know the technical solution. You need to know the outcome you want in each room. Our page on cost factors explains why the depth of work matters more than the number of rooms.
Are you sending each builder different information?
If one builder visits for an hour and another sees three photos on WhatsApp, their quotes will reflect what each knew. Comparing them is then a comparison of information, not of builders. Prepare one pack — written scope, measurements, photos, timing, how the property is used — and send it to everyone. Answer questions from one builder in a way you would be happy to share with the others.
Our guide on how to measure for a quote lists what to include.
Are you hiding what you already know?
Some owners keep quiet about a known leak, a dispute with the community or an old repair, hoping for a lower quote. It rarely works. The problem appears during the works, the quote changes and trust suffers. If you know about damp, cracks, previous leaks, asbestos-cement elements or community restrictions, say so. A builder who knows can price it, investigate it or tell you that a technician is needed first.
Have you said how the property will be used and when?
Two details change a quote more than owners expect. The first is use: whether you will live there, let it or use it for a business. It affects the specification and, under AEAT conditions, the VAT rate; see VAT and grants. The second is timing: a fixed date before a rental season or a move changes how the work is organised. Say both at the start.
Are you asking for the wrong kind of answer?
Asking “how much per metre?” invites a number that will change after the visit. Accepting a quote with a few large lump sums gives you nothing to compare or to manage changes with. Ask instead for an itemised quote: chapters, lines, units, quantities, descriptions, VAT shown separately, exclusions listed. Our page on the itemised quote shows what that looks like. And ask each builder the same written questions about what is included.
Are you letting the first quote set the scope?
Another common pattern is to ask one builder first, receive a quote, and then send that quote to others asking them to “beat it”. The first builder’s assumptions — which pipes are renewed, which finishes are included, what is excluded — then become everyone’s assumptions, and any gap in the first quote is copied into the rest. Sharing a competitor’s quote can also put the conversation on price instead of content.
It is better to write your own brief first, based on what you want, and send that to everyone. If a builder’s visit reveals something important that you had not considered, update the brief and send the update to all of them. That way the scope belongs to you, not to whichever builder happened to answer first, and the quotes you receive are answers to the same question. If you are not sure how deep each room needs to go, a first assessment from photos can help you write the brief before you ask for full quotes.
What does a good request look like?
- Town, type of property, approximate age.
- Rooms in scope, with what to change and how deeply.
- Measurements and photos, including fuse board, pipes and access.
- Known issues: leaks, cracks, community rules.
- Use of the property and timing.
- Finishes in mind, even roughly.
- A request for an itemised quote with VAT and exclusions shown.
Send that to us through the form or WhatsApp, and to anyone else you are asking. For gotelé-specific requests, gotelé removal cost lists the photos that matter most.
Official sources
Bauman Raymond Attila · Presupuesto Reforma · Avenida Antonio Belón 3, Marbella. Last reviewed: 05/11/2026.
