Lock your selections. Scope the work. Compare every quote.
Three tools. Use them before a single trade starts or prices your job.
Lock every fixture, fitting and finish before a trade quotes or orders a single item. Vague selections are the second biggest cause of budget blowouts.
Open tool →A guide to every item that should be discussed, agreed and included with each trade. These are the areas most responsible for budget blowouts and quotes that miss essential costs.
Open tool →Compare up to three quotes side by side. Price, timeframe, inclusions and red flags, all in one place before you make a decision.
Open tool →Your work saves automatically on this device. Use Save to backup or move between devices. Use Print to create a PDF for your trades or records.
Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment. Lock every selection before issuing your scope to any trade.
"No substitutions permitted without written owner approval. Where a selection is not confirmed, insert a Provisional Allowance. Never leave a selection blank when issuing a scope."
Do not issue your scope until every room is confirmed or carries a Provisional Allowance.
Confirm tile sizes and grout colours before rough-in. Confirm all fixtures before fit-off ordering commences.
| Item | Brand, model, colour, size | Supplier | Cost $ | Status |
|---|
Lock appliances before cabinetry is measured. Cabinetry lead times are typically 6 to 10 weeks. Confirm benchtop before splashback is ordered.
| Item | Brand, model, colour, size | Supplier | Cost $ | Status |
|---|
Confirm tub size and cabinet layout before rough-in. Appliance positions must be locked before tiling commences.
| Item | Brand, model, colour, size | Supplier | Cost $ | Status |
|---|
Confirm flooring type and colour before skirting is ordered or floor preparation begins.
| Room | Product, brand, spec | Colour and finish | m² | Status |
|---|
Confirm all colours before priming begins. Changes after primer mean a full re-coat and is one of the most common avoidable mid-renovation costs.
| Area | Product and brand | Colour name and code | Sheen level | Status |
|---|
A guide to the items that must be discussed, agreed and included with each trade before they quote or start work.
The items below are the most common sources of budget blowouts, incomplete quotes, and disputes on renovation sites. They are the things trades frequently exclude, assume, or interpret differently unless they are specifically discussed and agreed in writing before work begins. Use this as your discussion guide with every trade, then carry what is agreed into your full Scope of Works document.
Compare up to three quotes on price, timeframe, inclusions and red flags before making a decision.
Write down your reasoning before you appoint anyone. This becomes your record of what was agreed before work started.