What your quote should cover
- The name of each person doing the work, so you can look them up on the PGDB register. Search by first and last name: the register doesn't recognise business names.
- Which kind of figure it is. A quote fixes the price once you accept it, while an estimate is only the business's best guess.
- What's included and what isn't, and the parts or model going in.
- Any charge for the quote itself. A business has to tell you about that before it prepares one.
- The deposit, when the rest is due and how to pay.
- Whether the work needs a building consent, and who will apply.
- The paperwork you'll get: a Gas Safety Certificate after gasfitting, and any certificate of compliance or code compliance certificate the job needs.
- When the work starts and roughly how long it will take.
Why these items matter
Consumer Protection says that once you accept a quote, the business can't charge more unless you agree to extra work or the job changes. With an estimate, the final price should generally land within 10 to 15% of the figure. You don't have to pay a deposit by law, and if you're asked for one, Consumer Protection suggests no more than 10%.
Plumbing and drainlaying count as building work. For residential building work of $30,000 or more, including GST, the contractor must give you set disclosure information and a checklist before the contract, and the contract must be written and dated. Below that amount, you can still ask for both.
PGDB suggests one question for every tradie: what documents will I receive when the work is completed?
Slow down if
- Nobody can tell you who will actually do the work.
- The name you were given doesn't show a current licence on the register.
- The job is suddenly urgent and needs a large deposit today.
- You're told gas work needs no certificate. Every gasfitting job needs a Gas Safety Certificate once it's connected.
- There's no written quote, only a figure said out loud.
For the detail, read plumbing quotes explained and certificates of compliance. If you'd rather start again, we can match you with an authorised local tradie who does your kind of job.