Quote from builder - excessive?

ga

I received the following quote from a builder which I believe to be quite excessive. Any ideas if I'm right or are my expectations too high regarding price?

Sitting room wall knock through. Basically knocking hole 8 ft wide and about 7ft tall through loadbearing wall. - 3350

Kitchen ceiling strip, fix and expose beams. - 710

Kitchen strip/electrics and plumming (removing old kitchen) - 2150

Utility area job. Knocking doorway through loadbearing wall and building up two back entrance doors into windows. Also knocking internal wall between toilet and utility area and putting up stud wall with door. (not including old red bricks needed) - 3450

Landing ceiling to strip and fix. This space had some water damage and is about 4ft by 6ft - 550

Bathroom refit. Basically ripping out tiles all over and putting new suite in (steel supports for bath may be extra) - 1650

Mellor

I can't comment on weither the prices are good or not, but the thing i did notice is the fact that he is giving you a pretty good break down of prices. Looks like he isn't trying to hide anything. I could be wrong.

FrankGrimes

Well, it doesn't seem cheap, but it's pretty subjective. At a guess I'd imagine you'd be doing well to get that lot done for more than 30% cheaper.

But the main thing I'd say is you should be getting at least 3 quotes for every job, that way you'll know how each measures up.

antoinolachtnai

Never mind the price, feel the quality ...

I have to say it seems reasonable enough if the guy is reputable and all being done through the books and includes VAT. For example, the sitting room wall knock-through is a good bit of work in terms of organizing, demolition and plastering, and you need a good few people to show up on the day he puts the beam up. They don't give the steel away for free either.

If you are at all handy and you want to knock some cost out of it, I'd suggest you consider doing the stripping-out work and putting up the plasterboard on the ceiling yourself or get someone cheaper to do it and leave the structural and plastering work to him. (NB probably not a good idea to do the demolition work yourself although you could offer to do the removal of rubble.)

Endymion

Nothing stands out there. There allot of work involved in knocking through a laod bearing wall. Not something you'd want a muppet doing. 3000 grand price mark doesn't seem like a rip off.

First question you have to ask is, do you feel confident about the job the guy will do. If you get someone in that mess's up taking out a load bearing wall it will cost you allot more then what he's asking to fix.

Second question is price; get two more quotes for the same job. Only way you'll know if you're being taken.