A multi-trade quotation needs clear handoffs. Give every work item a measurable scope and identify who is responsible where one trade meets another.
Break down
List trades, locations, measurable tasks and supplied materials.
Assign
Identify handoffs, preparation, testing and making-good work.
Control
Record and approve changed quantities or additional tasks.
Organize by trade, then by location
Create schedules for the actual trades in the project: carpentry, civil alterations, ceiling, painting, electrical and plumbing where applicable. Under each trade, identify the room or zone. This makes it easier to review specialist inputs while still finding the work that belongs to a particular room.
Use appropriate units for each task. Painting may be measured by area, electrical work by defined points or items, and demolition by a stated quantity or scope. Define what a point or lot includes; a unit label alone does not describe the materials and labour supplied.
Resolve boundaries between trades
Record who forms openings, repairs walls, installs supports and completes finishing after services are altered. If one contractor supplies a fitting and another installs it, identify both responsibilities. Gaps between trades can create extras even when every individual quotation looks complete.
Distinguish material supply from labour-only work. List client-supplied products and confirm who handles unloading, storage and installation. Keep testing, debris removal and protection of existing finishes explicit where they form part of the proposed work.
Manage quantities that need site verification
Some work cannot be confirmed until existing finishes are opened or the site is inspected. Mark the item provisional, give the pricing basis and explain the measurement and approval process. Do not present an allowance as a guaranteed final quantity.
Record assumptions about existing conditions and identify the decision needed before proceeding. If concealed conditions require a change, document the evidence, revised scope and amount for approval. This keeps the base quotation distinct from later discovered work.
Connect the quotation to execution controls
Align work stages with dependencies and payment milestones. For example, cabinetry measurements may depend on completed flooring or wall finishes. State the site-readiness assumptions that support the proposed sequence, without promising a timeline that ignores client decisions or other contractors.
Maintain a variation register with item reference, reason, quantity change and approval status. Reconcile the accepted base amount plus approved variations with the current project summary before issuing further payment requests.
What to include
- Every trade and room identified
- Supply versus labour responsibilities clear
- Handoffs and making-good work assigned
- Provisional quantities labelled
- Approved variations reconciled with the base scope
Worked example
Close a gap between electrical and finishing work
A service alteration can be fully priced by one trade while the repair work around it remains unassigned. Review the whole task, including what happens before and after installation.
Too vague to approve
Electrical point relocation included. Painting by others.
A clearer version
For each relocated point, identify wiring and conduit scope, cutting or chasing, installation, testing and making good. State who repairs the wall and who restores the finish. Mark any concealed-condition work provisional and record how it will be measured and approved.
This does not mean every activity belongs to one contractor. It means each activity has an owner and the client can see the boundary. Apply the same check to plumbing shifts, ceiling openings, cabinet supports and appliance cut-outs. Keep later discoveries in a variation record linked to the original item.
Sample schedule
Use these fields to organize your own scope. Add the verified quantities, project-specific rates and selected specifications before issue.
Carpentry
Room-wise cabinets and joinery
- Unit / type
- sq ft / item
- Review point
- Reference drawings and finishes
Painting
Surface preparation and specified coating
- Unit / type
- sq ft
- Review point
- Define measured surfaces
Electrical
Defined point or fitting scope
- Unit / type
- point / item
- Review point
- State wiring and fixture responsibilities
Civil / plumbing
Measured alterations and making good
- Unit / type
- item / measured unit
- Review point
- Flag unverified conditions
| Item | What to specify | Unit / type | Review point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpentry | Room-wise cabinets and joinery | sq ft / item | Reference drawings and finishes |
| Painting | Surface preparation and specified coating | sq ft | Define measured surfaces |
| Electrical | Defined point or fitting scope | point / item | State wiring and fixture responsibilities |
| Civil / plumbing | Measured alterations and making good | item / measured unit | Flag unverified conditions |
Before you send it, catch these mistakes
- Using a lot rate without describing the work
- Leaving wall repairs between two contractors
- Treating provisional quantities as fixed
- Adding work without recording client approval
Get your quotation inputs ready
Tick off what you have, then copy the list into your project notes. Use the unchecked items to guide your next site visit or client conversation.
Use this while reading. Your selections reset when you leave this page.
Frequently asked questions
What does a labour-only quotation need?
List the tasks, measurement basis and labour scope, plus who supplies materials, tools, access and consumables. Clarify supervision and making-good responsibilities.
How should unexpected work be added?
Record the reason, scope, measurement, amount and effect on the project. Obtain the relevant approval and retain it with the variation record.