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  • How much info is needed for builders to quote?

    Posted by Anna Bale on January 12, 2026 at 11:55 am

    Help advice please

    how much info is needed in drawings for builders to give us a price for an extension please…

    We have an architect who has done drawings of what walls are coming down and how big extensions hopefully is going to be…but he has also added in drawings of kitchen units…am I supposed to know at this early stage what kitchen I’m having??

    My husband thinks maybe we do as builder might need to know about plumbing electrics etc to give us a price but how am I supposed to know what will go where before extensions even been built

    I’m getting soo stressed and we are only at the drawing stages of this bloody build it’s making me not want to do it at all

    Advice greatly appreciated

    Fran Scott replied 4 weeks, 1 day ago 7 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • Olivia Johnson

    Member
    January 12, 2026 at 11:56 am

    Just call the builders you have earmarked and ask them if they need this yet, you’ll probably get different answers anyway.

  • Bev Turner

    Member
    January 12, 2026 at 11:56 am

    Whilst your building does need to know where your kitchen drainage and electrics are going, initially they will provide a quote to plumb in on sink with hot and cold supplies and wire in X appliances and Y sockets…..I would recommend you have final kitchen plans complete before the builder starts onsite as the drains will need to be put I’m at the start to avoid abortive works. Where a builder makes assumptions these are called provisional sums, its important to ask the builder where assumptions are made that these are highlighted as provisional sums to you.

  • Cheryl Taylor

    Member
    January 12, 2026 at 11:57 am

    It really is down to the more detail the better but most clients are buttoning down detailed costs of the materials and appliances and finishes after the builder quotes with a budget in mind.

    Kitchen design can vary enormously and just showing the units won’t help accurately cost the materials but possibly more the labour if the builder is fitting the kitchen?

    You don’t need to know the exact kitchen you’re having as there are so many options but the architect will be denoting and this could be worth asking:

    1: is a place for a boiler being indicated?

    2 : does the sink and any other plumbing appliances get moved and add cost with new plumbing?

    3: if you have a gas pipe re-routing this to a new location can add time and money.

    The architect can effectively denote the best positioning for items that works with currently where your utilities sit I.e pipework, boiler but otherwise everything else can be designed further down the line as the majority.

    Typical kitchen company units are also a universal size, as are appliances so you’ll have plenty of room to decide further along too.

    Does that help a bit, please ask away!

  • Danielle Roberts

    Member
    January 12, 2026 at 11:57 am

    The builders I contacted want structural drawings to base the quotes on, architects plans were really only useful for an estimate. As to knowing cabinets etc – no those are finishing touches, you’ll just need to know where water/drains and gas need to be as that is important for quotes

  • Emily Green

    Member
    January 12, 2026 at 11:58 am

    Builders tend to vary how they do things so just bare it in mind when getting quotes.

    Our builder gave us a general quote for the building works and told us sockets and light fittings weren’t in the quote but gave us a per socket/light estimate. Ours was a loft conversion with shower room and the shower, toilet etc weren’t part of the quote as the prices can vary so much so we set aside a budget for how much we were willing to spend on top of the builder quotes.

  • Fran Scott

    Member
    January 12, 2026 at 11:59 am

    Yes yes and yes! If you want an accurate price you need to do a full statement of work that details everything including how many light switches; sockets etc. I found it really difficult and threw a lot of tantrums over it… but… it made comparing quotes so much easier and the build was relatively painless!!

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