A fit-out quotation is only as fixed as the drawings it is priced on. Read it in this order: the drawings and revision it is based on, the bill of quantities, the provisional sums, the preliminaries, the exclusions, the programme, the payment terms, the validity date and VAT. Two quotations can only be compared once their exclusions and provisional sums are lined up; the lowest total often buys the smallest scope.
What should a fit-out quotation contain?
| Line | What it means | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of the price | The drawings, specification and revision priced | Is this the latest revision? What is not drawn yet? |
| Bill of quantities | Each item, its quantity, its unit rate | Are the quantities measured, or estimated? |
| Provisional sums | Allowances for items not yet designed | Which lines are provisional, and why? |
| Preliminaries | Site management, insurance, hoarding, cleaning, access | Is night work or a mall's working hours included? |
| Exclusions | What the price does not cover | Is the list complete, and in the contract? |
| Programme | The duration the price assumes | What happens to the price if the programme moves? |
| Payment terms | Advance, stage payments, retention | What is each payment tied to? |
| Validity | How long the price holds | What moves it after that date? |
| VAT | Charged at 15% | Is every figure shown before VAT, with VAT added once? |
What is a provisional sum, and why does it matter?
A provisional sum is a number put in for work that has not been designed yet: a feature light that has not been chosen, a kitchen extract that depends on equipment not yet ordered. It is not a price. When the item is designed, the sum is replaced by the real cost, up or down. A quotation that looks complete but carries a quarter of its value in provisional sums is a quotation that has not been priced.
How do you compare two fit-out quotations?
- Check they price the same drawings. A quotation on an older revision prices a different room.
- Line up the exclusions. Add back what one excludes and the other includes.
- Separate the provisional sums. Compare the priced work with the priced work.
- Compare the preliminaries. A low number here often means night work or a mall's rules were not priced.
- Read the programme. A shorter programme with the same scope means more people on site, or an optimistic date.
Only then compare totals. The difference is usually smaller than it first looked, and it is usually explained by one or two lines.
What are the warning signs in a quotation?
- A single lump sum with no breakdown.
- No named drawings or revision.
- Exclusions phrased as «anything not mentioned».
- Provisional sums on the items that decide the room: the joinery, the kitchen extract, the shopfront.
- A large advance payment with nothing to secure it.
- No programme, or a programme with no approvals in it.
When does a quotation become a fixed price?
When the design is finished and every line has a drawing behind it. Our terms: fixed price after design, exclusions in writing, changes only by a signed change order. Before design we give a planning range; the restaurant and office cost guides show ours.
Questions owners ask
Is a lump-sum price better than a bill of quantities?
A lump sum is fine if it rests on complete drawings and a written scope. Without a breakdown, though, every change becomes a negotiation, because there are no rates to price it from.
What is retention?
A percentage of each payment held back until the defects liability period ends. It gives the owner leverage to have defects fixed after handover.
Should the price include licences and authority fees?
It can. Either way, the quotation should say which fees are included and which are paid by the owner.
Why do quotations for the same project differ so much?
Because they price different assumptions. Line up the drawings, exclusions and provisional sums, and most of the gap is explained.
