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How to Compare Contractor Quotations Like for Like
Three quotations for the same job are rarely for the same job. A practical method for interiors, fit-outs, civil and facade work: normalise scope, specifications, quantities, GST and exclusions before you compare totals.
The lowest total is the most misleading number on a quotation. Contractors price what they think you asked for, leave out what they think you will not notice, and name brands only when it helps them. Comparing quotations properly means making them describe the same work first — then the totals mean something.
Step 1 — Write the scope before you ask
A one-paragraph requirement produces quotations you cannot compare. A numbered scope with quantities — areas, counts, lengths — and the specification you expect produces quotations you can. If drawings exist, every contractor should price the same set.
Step 2 — Normalise line by line
- Scope: is every item in your list priced in every quotation? Mark gaps as "not quoted", not zero.
- Quantities: measured or assumed? Different quantities for the same room mean someone guessed.
- Specifications and brands: plywood grade, laminate, hardware, paint system, gypsum board, glass, cable make. Unnamed brands are the cheapest brands.
- Lump sums: ask for lump sums to be broken down; they hide quantity and rate differences.
- GST: included or extra, and at what rate. Compare totals on the same basis.
- Exclusions: electrical points, civil changes, HVAC, debris removal, society or building charges, permissions.
Step 3 — Read the terms, not just the price
- Payment terms: a large advance shifts risk to you; stage payments tied to completed work do not.
- Timeline: days to complete, and what happens if it slips.
- Validity: material prices move — how long is this price good for?
- Variation rates: the price of extra work, agreed before it is needed.
- Warranty: what is covered, for how long, and what voids it.
- Supervision: who is on site every day.
A worked example
Three quotations for gypsum false ceiling and painting in a 3,000 sq ft office (illustrative):
| Quote A | Quote B | Quote C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total quoted | ₹3.9 lakh | ₹4.6 lakh | ₹4.2 lakh |
| GST | Extra | Included | Extra |
| Ceiling board | Not named | Branded 12.5 mm | Branded 12.5 mm |
| Paint system | 1 coat putty, 2 coats | 2 coats putty, 2 coats emulsion | 2 coats putty, 2 coats emulsion |
| Cove lighting cut-outs | Not quoted | Included | Included |
| Debris removal | Excluded | Included | Included |
| Like-for-like total incl. GST | ≈ ₹5.1 lakh after adding gaps | ₹4.6 lakh | ≈ ₹5.0 lakh |
Or let us do the comparison
Sevantay Realty runs this process for customers: we write the brief, collect quotations from matched contractors in our network, normalise them, and show them to you side by side as Option A, B and C — contractor identities protected until you choose who to meet.