What should a decorating quote include?

01The items that should always be written down

If any of these are missing, ask. A contractor who will not put them in writing is leaving room to reduce the work later.

• Areas covered, room by room or zone by zone
• Preparation described, not just the word prepared
• Product names and finishes, with the number of coats
• Who moves and protects furniture, fittings and floors
• Access equipment: towers, scaffold or powered access, and who supplies it
• Start date, duration and working hours
• Exclusions, stated plainly

02Preparation is where quotes really differ

Sanding, filling, caulking, stain blocking, mould treatment and priming are the hours that make a finish last. A quote that says two coats of emulsion with no preparation detail is not the same job as one that lists it.

03Payment terms and what happens if scope changes

Expect stage payments on larger work rather than a large sum up front, and a written variation process so extra work is agreed and priced before it is done, not discovered on the final invoice.

04The commercial extras

On commercial and managed sites the quote should also reference insurance cover, RAMS, out-of-hours rates if relevant, and how snagging and handover will be run.