Renovation quotes: the line items that must appear
A comparable renovation quote is organised by chapters with a measurement and a unit price on every line, so that two offers can be compared metre by metre rather than as two global figures.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- Every line needs a unit of measure, a quantity and a unit price.
- A full renovation has 8 to 12 chapters.
- A 20 per cent gap between offers usually hides a different scope.
- Reserve 8 to 12 per cent for contingencies.
Two quotes of 68,000 € and 84,000 € do not tell you one is dearer. They tell you both need reading, and for that they have to be written so they can be.
The chapters
Demolition and waste disposal. Building work. Plumbing and drainage. Electrics and communications. Climate control and ventilation. Internal and external joinery. Tiling and floor finishes. Painting. Kitchen. Sanitaryware and taps. And a final chapter for cleaning, builder's work in connection and site safety. Each with its lines, and each line with a unit, a quantity and a unit price.
| Chapter | Weight | Usual unit |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition and waste | 5 to 8 % | m² and skip |
| Building work | 12 to 18 % | m² and m³ |
| Plumbing and drainage | 8 to 12 % | point and linear metre |
| Electrics | 8 to 12 % | point and consumer unit |
| Climate control | 6 to 12 % | unit and metre |
| Tiling and floors | 10 to 15 % | m² |
| Joinery | 12 to 20 % | unit and linear metre |
| Kitchen and sanitaryware | 15 to 25 % | unit |
Where overruns hide
In lines with no measurement, such as complete electrical installation for 9,000 €, which does not say how many points are included. In materials with no reference, where tiling at 18 € a square metre and at 45 € look identical on paper. In builder's work in connection that is never priced. And in waste disposal, which on an island with shipping costs is not a minor line.
Comparing two offers
Put them side by side chapter by chapter and compare unit prices rather than totals. If one allows 34 lighting points and the other 22, the difference is scope, not price. If one includes the kitchen and the other does not, likewise. Where the measurements match and the unit prices differ by more than 25 per cent, then there is a real difference worth asking about.
Issuing every tenderer with the same starting document, with measurements already defined, is the only way to obtain genuinely comparable offers.
What else must appear
The programme with start and finish dates. A payment schedule tied to milestones, avoiding advances above 30 per cent. The terms for variations during the works, which must be approved in writing before they are carried out. Guarantees. And a contingency reserve of 8 to 12 per cent, raised to 15 in older properties, because what appears when a floor comes up cannot be foreseen from outside.
Frequently asked
+What must each line contain?
A unit of measure, a quantity and a unit price, plus the material reference where relevant.
+How many chapters does a full renovation have?
Between 8 and 12, from demolition through to final cleaning and builder's work in connection.
+How do I compare two offers?
Chapter by chapter on unit prices, having checked that the measurements are the same.
+How much should I reserve for contingencies?
Eight to twelve per cent, and up to fifteen in older properties.
+What advance is reasonable?
No more than 30 per cent, with the balance tied to verifiable milestones.
Sources
- 1Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE (August 2026)
- 2Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE (August 2026)