What a clear quote includes
- The business, and the people doing the work. Licences belong to individuals, so names let you check each person on the PGDB register.
- A description of the job. What will be done, where, and to which fixtures or pipes, in words you can match against what you asked for.
- The products. Brand, model and size of anything supplied, such as a cylinder, tap or toilet, so two quotes can be compared.
- Fixed price or estimate. The word matters, because it changes what you can be charged.
- What's not included. Making good walls or paving, taking away old fittings, electrical work and any council fees.
- Consent. Whether the job needs a building consent, and who will apply for it.
- Certificates. Which documents you'll get at the end, such as a Gas Safety Certificate for gas work.
- Deposit and payment. How much is due up front, and when the rest is due.
- Timing. When the work can start and how long it should take.
- GST. Whether the prices include it.
Quote or estimate?
Consumer Protection draws a clear line. A quote commits the business to a set price for the job you've described. Once you accept it, the provider can't charge you more than that unless you agree to extra work or the scope changes while the job is underway.
An estimate is the business's best guess at the cost, based on skill and past jobs. The final bill can come in higher or lower, though Consumer Protection says it should generally land within 10 to 15% of the estimate. If you're given an estimate, ask the tradie to tell you before they go past it.
Deposits and quote fees
There's no legal requirement to pay a deposit when you accept a quote. If one is asked for, Consumer Protection's guidance is to pay no more than 10% of the total cost.
Some businesses charge to prepare a quote. That's allowed, but they must tell you before they do it, so ask when you book the visit.
Bigger jobs: $30,000 and over
Plumbing in a building counts as building work under the Building Act. For residential building work of $30,000 or more including GST, the contractor must give you prescribed disclosure information and a checklist before you sign, and the contract must be written and dated. Below that figure, you're still entitled to the disclosure and checklist if you ask, and failing to provide them when required can bring a fine of up to $2,000.
Whatever the price, and whether the contract is written or spoken, the law implies warranties into a residential building contract, such as the work being done in a proper and competent manner. You can also notify defects within 12 months of completion, and the contractor must fix them within a reasonable time.
Warning signs in a quote
- Only a spoken number. You have nothing to compare, and nothing to point to if the bill grows.
- No names. A business name alone won't tell you who holds the licence.
- "Estimate" when you asked for a fixed price. Fine if you know, but the final figure can move.
- A large deposit before anything starts. The law doesn't require a deposit at all.
- Silence on consent or certificates for gas work or a cylinder replacement, where the paperwork is part of the job.
- Pressure to accept today. A fair quote will still be fair tomorrow.
- Big promises in small print. Under the Fair Trading Act, a business can't mislead you, and fine print can't fix a misleading overall impression.
Comparing two quotes
Line them up item by item. Check both cover the same products, the same scope and the same paperwork. A lower quote that leaves out removing the old cylinder, the consent or the gas certificate may not be lower once those are added. If one tradie has spotted something the other missed, ask the other about it before you choose.
After the job
When residential building work is finished, the contractor must give you, in writing, copies of the insurance policies covering the work, any guarantees or warranties that apply, and any maintenance information you need.
Your Consumer Guarantees Act rights sit alongside that. The work must be done with reasonable care and skill, be fit for purpose, be finished in a reasonable time, and cost a reasonable price if no price was agreed. If a fault can be fixed, you can require the business to fix it within a reasonable time; if it refuses or drags its feet, you can have it fixed elsewhere and recover the cost, or cancel. Disputes you can't settle can go to the Disputes Tribunal.
Ask these before you accept
- Fixed price or estimate: which is this?
- What isn't included?
- Will you check with me before doing anything that adds to the price?
- Does this job need a building consent, and who applies?
- Which certificates will I get when it's finished?
- Who will do the work, and who supervises them?
- How much deposit, and when is the rest due?
What we would do
Get it written, get it itemised, and get the word quote or estimate on the page. Then read the gaps: what's missing usually matters more than the total. If two quotes don't cover the same work, ask both tradies to price the same scope before you choose, and go through our quote checklist with each one if you'd like a second look. For a fresh quote from an authorised tradie who specialises in your kind of job, ask us to match you with one.