Itemised Quote vs Lump Sum: What to Ask Your ID Firm For

When you're getting quotes from three different firms, a single bottom-line number from each is the easiest thing to compare, and that's exactly why lump-sum quotes are so common. But a lump sum tells you nothing about what's actually included. Two firms can quote the same total figure while one has budgeted properly for the electrical work and the other hasn't included it at all, planning to add it later as a "variation".

An itemised quote breaks the total down by category (carpentry, flooring, electrical, plumbing, painting), each with its own line and its own price. That makes it possible to compare quotes properly. If one firm's electrical line is a third the cost of another's, that's worth asking about before you sign, not after work has started and something's missing.

It also makes variations honest. If you decide to add scope partway through, an itemised quote means that addition gets priced and agreed in writing as its own line item, rather than folding invisibly into an already-vague lump sum.

Ask every firm you're comparing for a full breakdown by category, not just a total. If a firm resists giving you one, or gives you a breakdown with suspiciously round numbers in every line, that's worth treating as a signal in itself.