A complete reroof or full-property roughcasting project can involve thousands of pounds, scaffolding, materials, several days or weeks of work and decisions that affect the exterior of your home for years.
Taking a little time to understand who is quoting, what they are proposing and how the project will be managed can make competing quotations much easier to compare.
1. Start with the actual scope of the project
Before comparing contractors, be clear about what you are asking them to quote. A vague enquiry can produce vague prices.
For a roof project, that might mean confirming that you are considering a complete roof replacement rather than a small repair.
For exterior walls, identify whether you want one complete elevation or a whole-property roughcasting or rendering project.
2. Check that you know who the business is
Before committing to major work, make sure you have clear information about the business you are dealing with.
Useful details include:
- Full trading or company name.
- Business address and contact details.
- The name of the person responsible for your project.
- Whether the business operates as a sole trader, partnership or company.
- How long the business has been carrying out this type of work.
The quotation, invoice and any contract should make it reasonably clear which business you are actually entering into an agreement with.
3. Ask about relevant experience
Experience should relate to the type of property and work you are planning. Installing a small repair is different from managing a complete reroof, scaffolding, strip-off and replacement.
Similarly, patching a small area of render is different from stripping and replacing full elevations.
Useful questions include:
- How often do you carry out projects like this?
- Have you worked on similar property types?
- Can you explain the proposed materials and system?
- Who will actually carry out the work?
- Will any parts of the project be subcontracted?
4. Ask for evidence of insurance
For substantial exterior work, ask what insurance the contractor carries and whether it is current and appropriate for the work being proposed.
Public liability insurance is commonly discussed for building and exterior work, but the existence of an insurance policy does not replace the need to check the contractor, scope and quotation properly.
5. Treat memberships and accreditations as supporting evidence
Trade memberships, manufacturer approvals and other accreditations can be useful, particularly where they relate directly to the proposed system or material.
They should not be treated as the only reason to choose a contractor. Check what the membership or approval actually means, whether it is current and whether it applies to the work being quoted.
6. Look at previous work — but ask useful questions
Photographs can show appearance, but they do not tell you everything about how a project was specified or managed.
When reviewing previous work, consider asking:
- Was this a full replacement or a repair?
- Was the property similar to mine?
- What materials or system were used?
- Was the project completed by the same team?
- Can recent customers provide feedback about the overall experience?
7. Pay attention to the survey
A serious quotation should normally be based on an understanding of the actual property rather than just a bedroom count or a photograph.
For a reroof, the survey may need to consider roof configuration, existing covering, access, scaffold requirements, chimneys, valleys and signs of hidden deterioration.
For roughcasting or rendering, the survey should consider wall condition, existing finish, substrate, cracking, access and the proposed new system.
8. Compare written specifications, not just prices
Two quotations with very different totals may not be pricing the same job.
One may include scaffolding, disposal, detailed preparation and particular materials while another leaves some of those items unclear.
Use our roof and roughcasting quotation checklist to compare written proposals properly.
9. Make sure materials are identified
Phrases such as “new tiles”, “new render” or “premium materials” do not tell you very much.
Where appropriate, ask for the proposed material, product, manufacturer, finish or system to be named.
That makes it much easier to compare competing quotations and understand what is actually being purchased.
10. Understand how unexpected work will be handled
Exterior projects can reveal defects that were not fully visible before work began.
On a reroof, removing the old covering can reveal damaged decking or timber. During roughcasting work, stripping loose material can expose substrate repairs.
Ask how additional work will be identified, priced and approved before it is carried out.
11. Understand the payment schedule
A written quotation or contract should explain the proposed payment structure. For substantial projects, payments may be linked to deposits, materials or stages of work.
Make sure you understand:
- What is payable before work starts.
- Whether stage payments are required.
- What each payment relates to.
- When the final balance becomes due.
- How variations or additional work are charged.
- Whether VAT is included where applicable.
Do not rely on verbal payment arrangements for a major project.
12. Read the guarantee or warranty carefully
If a guarantee or warranty is offered, ask what it actually covers and who is responsible for honouring it.
Useful questions include:
- What work or materials are covered?
- How long does the cover last?
- Are there exclusions or maintenance conditions?
- Is the guarantee provided by the contractor, manufacturer or another provider?
- What happens if the original business stops trading?
13. Do not let pressure replace due diligence
A major exterior project usually deserves enough time to read the quotation, understand the specification and ask questions.
Be cautious where you feel pushed to make an immediate decision before you have understood the scope, price and payment terms.
14. Check permissions where relevant
Listed buildings, conservation areas and substantial external changes can introduce additional planning or consent considerations.
Read our Scottish planning-permission guide for roofing and rendering and check property-specific requirements with the relevant local authority.
15. Compare value rather than simply choosing the cheapest quote
The lowest price may genuinely represent good value, but only if the scope, materials and level of work are comparable.
Likewise, a higher price is not automatically evidence of higher quality. The useful comparison is what each business proposes to do for the money, how clearly that work is specified and how confident you are in the business carrying it out.
Questions worth asking before you decide
- What exactly is included in this price?
- What is specifically excluded?
- Who will carry out the work?
- What materials or system are being used?
- What happens if hidden defects are discovered?
- What insurance applies?
- What are the payment stages?
- What guarantee or warranty is provided?
- What is the expected start window and duration?
- Are permissions or approvals something I should check?
How Scottish Exterior Quotes works
Scottish Exterior Quotes is an independent homeowner introduction service. We do not carry out the building work ourselves.
We collect information about qualifying major exterior projects and, where suitable participating specialist coverage is available, can help move the enquiry toward a home survey and quotation.
Read more about how Scottish Exterior Quotes works.