What should a renovation quotation include?
A renovation quotation is only useful if each line tells you what will be done, in what unit it is priced, and what is excluded. A single figure with one sentence of description is an estimate, not a quotation. In an older Amsterdam building this matters more than usual, because most surprises are hidden behind the floor, under the plaster, or in the approvals you still need from the building association.
What the quotation should contain
Start with the dull part, which is also the part that protects you. The contractor's business name and details, the address where the work happens, a quotation number and a validity date. Then the substance: a description of the work broken down by element rather than lumped together. Bathroom renovation tells you nothing. Strip out sanitary ware and tiling, remove debris, level the floor, tile walls and floor, install sanitary ware tells you everything.
The quotation must also state who supplies materials. This is where most later arguments begin. If you are buying tiles, a kitchen or sanitary ware yourself, the document should say so and should say what happens if what you supply does not fit or arrives damaged. Provisional sums should be labelled as provisional, with a note that the amount is reconciled once the final choice is made.
Finally, VAT treatment. You need to know whether the amounts shown are inclusive or exclusive of VAT, and which rate applies to which part, because labour and materials are not always treated the same way. Ask the contractor to write this out rather than assuming it, and verify it with the Dutch tax authority yourself if the amounts are significant.
The stages from site visit to final quotation
A serious firm visits first. In an old Amsterdam property a remote quotation cannot be accurate: floor build-up, joist condition, out-of-level walls and reed or softboard backing are not visible in photographs.
A draft follows, and it should name what still needs to be investigated. If the strip-out reveals a substrate different from what was assumed, that belongs in a supplementary quotation or a written variation line, not in a verbal remark after the fact. Agree in advance from what value extra work is confirmed in writing.
For buildings from before 1994 there is one step that must never be skipped: have suspected asbestos materials surveyed by a certified firm. Removing it yourself, or letting an uncertified party remove it, puts you and your neighbours at risk. Removal belongs with a certified abatement company, full stop. A quotation for an old building that does not mention the subject at all has not been prepared carefully.
How the quotation should be broken down
What you pay is driven less by some universal rate than by how the work is structured. Look at the unit on each line. Plastering, tiling and flooring are normally priced per square metre; skirtings and frames per linear metre; hanging a door or fitting a toilet per item; and unpredictable or piecemeal work by the hour. Repairs that can only be assessed after the strip-out are often done on a time-and-materials basis — if so, get the hourly rate and the way hours are recorded put in writing.
Beyond that, price follows the condition of the substrate, access, the volume of demolition and waste removal, and the standard of finish you want. In Amsterdam the logistics are rarely trivial: a narrow staircase means sheet material has to be cut down or hoisted through a window, and a skip on the street needs a permit or a road closure from the municipality. The quotation should say who arranges that and who pays for it.
Staged payment is normal in construction. A reasonable structure ties instalments to completed phases and keeps a final instalment payable after handover. A request for the full amount up front is a reason to keep looking.
Questions to ask the contractor
- What is explicitly not included in this price?
- Which lines are fixed price, and which are provisional sums or time-and-materials?
- Who supplies materials, and what happens with leftovers or breakage?
- How will extra work and hidden defects be recorded and approved?
- Who arranges debris removal and any street permit?
- Which registered business will invoice me, and is it insured? Ask for details you can check yourself.
- What guarantee applies to the completed work, and is it on paper?
Common mistakes
The biggest one is comparing quotations on the bottom line. Two quotations that differ substantially may simply contain different amounts of preparation. Compare line by line: is levelling included, is waste removal included, is substrate repair included?
Other classics: agreeing by message without a signed quotation, paying a deposit before a start date is booked, and applying for building-association consent only after the scaffolding is ordered. Anything that touches shared structure, risers, window frames or the façade needs the association's approval, and a listed or protected building needs further consent on top. Build that lead time into the plan rather than discovering it mid-project.
Frequently asked questions
Can a quotation be verbal?
It can, but it is worth nothing to you. Without a written document there is no way to establish afterwards what was agreed. Always ask for it on paper or by email.
How many quotations should I request?
Two or three is enough to see whether the firms are making similar assumptions. Beyond that you mostly lose time.
What if something unexpected is found during the work?
In old buildings that is the norm rather than the exception: rotten joist ends, damp, a substrate that will not carry the finish. Ask the contractor to report the finding in writing with a price, and approve it before work continues.
Why will a contractor not quote without visiting?
Because a quotation given blind on an old property is almost always wrong. A firm that names a figure immediately usually revises it later anyway.