How to compare builder quotes for your Melbourne project

Give everyone the same starting point

Start a quote register with the documents each builder received. Record drawing revisions, specifications and any later answers. If one builder prices an updated kitchen layout and another prices the original, the totals are not directly comparable. Send the same clarification to every builder involved in the comparison.

Ask for written quotations with enough detail to identify inclusions, exclusions and assumptions. Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends comparing at least three written quotes against the same plans and specifications. It also highlights the importance of checking references and relevant registration. See Consumer Affairs Victoria — getting quotes.

Create a side-by-side scope sheet

Use rows for work packages rather than trying to copy every page of a quote. Typical rows might include site preparation, structure, services, wet areas, joinery, finishes and external work. Add separate rows for professional fees, owner-supplied items and site arrangements where relevant.

For each builder, mark an item included, excluded, allowed for or unclear. A dash should never silently mean included. Add a reference to the page or email that supports your entry. This makes the sheet a working index of the evidence, rather than a substitute for the quote itself.

Copy this checklist into your own document and complete it from the written quotes. Empty cells do not mean included; an unanswered allowance is uncertain, not zero. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.

Use the same document revisions for each quote. If an exclusion or allowance changes the comparison, ask for a written clarification or revised quote. Keep any owner estimate clearly labelled and separate from the builder’s price. Your comparison is a decision aid; it does not replace specialist estimating or contract advice.

Turn differences into questions

Send a short numbered question list about the uncertain items. For example: does the cabinetry figure include the specified handles, internal fittings and installation? Does an appliance allowance cover delivery? Who makes good surfaces affected by service changes? Ask for the answer in writing and record whether it changes the price.

Do not add your own guessed amounts to exclusions and present the result as a firm comparison. If a missing item matters, obtain a revised quote or label your estimate clearly. Keep unresolved gaps visible until the right person has answered them.

Include costs outside the builder’s quote when you build a whole-project budget, keeping confirmed prices separate from estimates and unresolved allowances.

Discuss the working relationship

The quoting stage also reveals how communication may work. Ask who will be your day-to-day contact, how decisions will be recorded, and when progress updates will arrive. Discuss access, working hours, protection of retained areas and the process for raising concerns.

Ask previous clients about their experience of communication and changes, rather than only whether they liked the finished result. Make notes of what you heard and distinguish a reference’s account from a fact you independently checked. Avoid assuming that an attractive portfolio proves suitability for your particular scope.

Review the proposed agreement

A quote comparison is a decision aid, not a review of contract rights. Before signing, check that the proposed agreement incorporates the correct documents and resolved clarifications. Obtain appropriate contract advice where needed. Do not let an informal conversation replace a written answer about a significant inclusion.

Finish your comparison with three lists: confirmed differences, unanswered questions and reasons for your preferred option. Home Orbit can help keep that information organised and coordinate follow-up. The aim is a decision you can explain using the scope and evidence, rather than a choice driven only by the bottom number.