Project planning · Practical advice
How many quotations should you get from tradespeople?
Three comparable written quotations are a useful starting point—but the detail matters more than the count.
Start with a sensible shortlist
For a planned driveway or landscaping project, aim for around three suitable contractors to provide written quotations. This is a practical comparison method, not a legal requirement or a guarantee of a good result. Choose people who undertake the kind of work you need. Three unrelated prices are less useful than a smaller number of properly scoped proposals from appropriate tradespeople.
Give everyone the same information
Send the same photographs, approximate area, material preferences and priorities. Explain access restrictions and what you want to retain. If you ask one contractor for a complete rebuild and another for a cosmetic overlay, the prices do not answer the same question. Keep a short brief so changes can be shared with everyone who is still quoting.
Look for differences in scope
Read the preparation and drainage items before comparing the headline totals. Check disposal, edging, covers, reinstatement and aftercare. Ask whether VAT is included where applicable. If a line is unclear, request an explanation rather than assuming the cheapest proposal contains the same work. Put the answers in a simple comparison table that you can revisit calmly.
Investigate a large price gap
A substantially lower price might reflect a different method, an omission or a genuine difference in overheads. A higher figure is not automatically evidence of better work. Ask each contractor to explain their specification and assumptions. For example, one patio quotation may include removing an unsuitable base while another assumes it can remain. That difference should be resolved before choosing.
Know when more quotations stop helping
If every visit leads to a different layout, first settle the design instead of repeatedly asking new people to price an unsettled idea. When you have several clear and suitable proposals, further quotations may add little. Spend the time checking relevant work, communication and the written terms. Tell contractors promptly if you decide not to proceed with them.
Choose the proposal you understand
The aim is confidence in the scope, method and working relationship. Ask who will carry out the work and how changes will be agreed. Keep the accepted quotation and relevant messages together. A well-explained price lets you decide which parts matter to you and which can be changed if the budget needs adjusting, without quietly removing important preparation.
Is the middle quotation always the safest choice?
No. Price order is not a quality test. Compare what is included, the suitability of the proposed construction, relevant experience and how clearly the contractor answers your questions.
Your project checklist
- Prepare one brief.
- Seek comparable written proposals.
- Clarify omissions and assumptions.
- Choose on scope and confidence, not price position.
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