You get three quotes for your bathroom: $19,000, $32,000, and $44,000. The cheapest one is tempting, and that is a normal reaction. But the lowest quote often turns into the biggest bill by the time the job is done. Here is why.
A low quote often leaves things out
When a quote comes in well under the others, the first thing to check is what it does not include. The price can look small simply because half the job is missing from it.
Common things left out of a cheap quote are tiles, the waterproofing certificate, rubbish removal, and a realistic allowance for the items you pick, like the vanity, tapware, and shower screen. Some quotes set these allowances very low so the headline number looks good, then charge you the real cost once you choose. The $19,000 quote can quietly become $30,000 the moment you start making selections.
A higher quote that lists everything is often the cheaper one in the end, because there are no surprises hiding inside it.
The corners you cannot see
The riskiest savings are the ones behind the walls. Waterproofing is the clearest example. Done properly to the Australian Standard, it adds cost and takes time to cure. A cut-price job can rush it or skip parts of it, and you will not know until water damage shows up a year or two later. By then the repair means stripping the bathroom back to the start.
There is a legal side too. In NSW, plumbing, electrical, and waterproofing work must be done by licensed trades, and waterproofing valued over $5,000 requires a licence. A quote that comes in far below the rest sometimes reflects unlicensed work. That can void your home insurance and leave you with no protection if something goes wrong. Skipping the things you cannot see is one of the most expensive renovation mistakes people make.
How a low quote becomes a high invoice
Cheap quotes are often vague on purpose. A vague quote leaves room for extras, and extras are where the price climbs. Each change, or each “we found a problem,” becomes a variation, and variations get added to the final invoice one by one. Many homeowners who chose the lowest quote end up paying as much as the middle quote would have cost, sometimes more, and with more stress along the way.
A clear, itemised quote protects you from this. When the scope is written down in detail, there is far less room for the number to drift.
Cheap labour, expensive rework
Skilled trades cost more because the work lasts. Rushed or unskilled work shows up in lippy tiles, uneven grout, a shower that pools water, or silicone that peels in months. Fixing poor work usually costs more than doing it once properly, because someone has to undo the first attempt before redoing it. Paying twice is the most expensive way to renovate.
What a fair quote looks like
A good quote is easy to read and leaves little to guess. Look for these signs:
- An itemised breakdown that lists what is included and what is not.
- Realistic allowances for tiles, tapware, and fittings, not token figures.
- The waterproofing certificate included as standard.
- A licence number you can check with NSW Fair Trading.
- A payment schedule based on progress through the job, with a fair deposit rather than half the total up front.
A quote like this is the one you can trust to hold, even when it is not the lowest number on the page.
How to compare quotes properly
To compare fairly, make sure every builder is quoting the same job. Give them the same list of what you want, and ask each one directly what their quote leaves out. Read the exclusions as closely as the inclusions. Check that each business is licensed. And treat a quote that is far below the others as a warning sign worth questioning rather than a bargain to grab.
You can see the standard of our finished work in the project gallery and read more about how we handle bathroom renovations across NSW from quote to completion.
Want a quote you can actually trust?
An honest, itemised quote saves you money and stress, even when it is not the cheapest one you receive. If you are planning a bathroom renovation in Campbelltown, Camden, Narellan, or anywhere across the Macarthur region, contact Final Finish C&B Services for a clear price with nothing hidden.