Exclusions and assumptions in a house quote
Exclusions on a house quote name work the price does not cover; assumptions name conditions the price relies on. Both belong in writing. A total that looks complete until you read "client to supply kitchen" or "assumes level site" is not comparable to a quote that includes those items.
What is an exclusion on a house builder's quote?
It is work or supply deliberately left out of the price: you supply the kitchen, another trade connects the sewer, planning fees are yours, or landscaping is a separate contract. Exclusions are legitimate when they are named; they are costly when they appear only after you sign.
What counts as an assumption?
- Site is level and accessible with standard plant
- Foundations are trench fill to a stated depth
- Services connect within a stated distance of the boundary
- Finishes are from the contractor's standard range unless named
- Working hours and weather delays follow a stated pattern
Why do exclusions matter when you compare quotes?
Two totals on the same house are comparable only when exclusions and assumptions match. One quote may include the driveway; another excludes it as "client later". The lower total is not cheaper, it is narrower. List exclusions on both files before you divide by floor area.
What should you ask before you sign?
- 01Read the exclusions clause and the assumptions block, often at the end of the file.
- 02Ask for any verbal promise to appear as an inclusion or a removed exclusion.
- 03Price excluded items yourself or ask the contractor for an optional add-on line.
- 04Check whether assumptions about the site match what you know, slope, access, rock.
- 05Confirm who holds insurance and permits for work the quote excludes.
Questions on this
Is "subject to site investigation" an exclusion?
It is an assumption that may become a variation. Ask what happens if the investigation finds rock, water or contamination.
Can exclusions appear only in the contract, not the quote?
They often do. Read both before you compare totals, the quote may show the build; the contract may narrow it.
What if the builder says everything is included?
Ask for that in writing on the exclusions page. "Everything" without a list is not a scope you can hold them to.
Do flats use the same exclusion patterns?
This reading is for a house you are building yourself. Developer sales contracts for apartments follow different patterns.
Where do client-supplied items appear?
Usually under exclusions or a "client supply" schedule. Kitchen, appliances and sometimes windows are the common ones.
Read one before you buy one
The specimen shows the whole structure: status, what each payment was meant to buy, the forecast with its range, the photographic record and the limits of what was checked.