tennanseed.LANDLORD OPERATIONS · PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
How to Compare Contractor Quotes for Property Repairs
Compare repair quotes on scope, costs, dates and exclusions before approving work. Includes a practical quote-comparison checklist for landlords.
Start with the same brief
Two totals are only comparable when they describe substantially the same job. Give each contractor the reported symptoms, the location, the intended result and any constraints you know about. Separate facts from assumptions: “water appears beneath the sink after use” is different from declaring which part has failed.
Ask whether the price covers investigation, a temporary measure or the permanent repair. If the cause needs diagnosis, agree how that stage is priced and how any further work will be authorised. Do not imply certainty that the available information cannot support.
A quote-comparison checklist
| Check | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Scope and result | What exactly will be repaired, replaced, tested and made good? |
| Materials | Which parts, quantities or specifications are included? Are alternatives subject to approval? |
| Labour and visits | How many visits are assumed? Does the estimate include investigation and return attendance? |
| Tax and total | Is tax included, and is the total in the same currency? Do not assume every contractor has the same tax position. |
| Exclusions | Are disposal, parking, access equipment, making good or further faults excluded? |
| Dates | What is the proposed start, expected duration and quote-validity period? |
| Payment and changes | What are the payment stages and how must variations be approved? |
| Suitability | What credentials, insurance or specialist competence are appropriate for this particular work? |
A lower price can describe less work
Imagine two fictional quotes. Quote A is £220 for investigation and tightening a connection, with parts and a return visit extra. Quote B is £340 for replacement of the specified fitting, parts, testing and making good. These are not two prices for identical work. First ask which scope addresses the problem, then compare suitable offers.
Keep assumptions and exclusions beside each quote rather than burying them in an email thread. If the contractor revises the price or brief, retain the earlier version and identify which version you approve. Do not leave two different “approved” totals in circulation.
Questions to send before approval
Thank you for your quote for [repair reference]. Before I decide, please confirm: 1. The work, materials and testing included. 2. The complete price, currency and tax treatment. 3. Exclusions or assumptions that could change the price. 4. Proposed start, duration and how long the quote remains valid. 5. Payment stages and the process for approving extra work. 6. Any relevant credentials, insurance and completion documents. Please identify the current version of the quote in your reply.
Record an explicit decision
Once you choose, record the approved quote version, scope, amount and decision-maker. Confirm appointment and access arrangements separately where needed. If the scope changes, agree the variation before treating the earlier approval as permission for additional work.
In TennanSeed Enterprise, the contractor submits an itemised quote against the job brief and a separate property-team manager approves it. The current contractor’s latest eligible quote is used; earlier versions remain available for reference. Approval records a decision in the software. It does not transfer money, replace a building contract or independently verify the contractor.
Do you always need three quotes?
There is no universal quote count for every repair. Follow any rules applicable to your ownership, management agreement or procurement process. A genuinely urgent situation may first need competent assessment and immediate action. Do not let a routine comparison exercise delay necessary safety measures.
What should happen after approval?
Keep the approved scope visible to the people carrying out and checking the work. Record delays, changed arrangements and agreed variations. When the work is finished, compare the actual result against the scope and retain appropriate evidence before confirming completion. The next guide provides a checklist for that handover.
Keep the next step visible.
TennanSeed brings property repairs, contractor quotes and completion records into one workspace. Core is free; contractor jobs require Enterprise. See the current plan details before subscribing.