How to read a materials quote, and what to ask before you sign.

What should be on it

• Every cabinet by size and code, not a lump sum for 'cabinets'.
• The slab count, with the seams shown on the drawing.
• Flooring and tile by the square foot, with the waste allowance and the number of cartons.
• The trims, transitions and baseboard that finish the job.
• Delivery as its own line.
• A lead time for anything that isn't stocked.

Allowances and 'starting at'

An allowance is a placeholder: a set amount for countertops or tile, to be spent later. If what you pick costs more, you pay the difference, and you find out after the contract is signed. A 'starting at' price does the same thing from the other end.

Our quotes don't use either. The quote names the product, the quantity and the unit, so what you approve is what gets ordered.

Trade price, and what we add

We buy at trade price and sell to you with a margin on top. That's how a materials seller is paid, and we'd rather say so than dress it up. The itemized quote is what lets you check it against anyone else's.

Comparing two quotes

• Same quantities: check the square footage and the waste allowance match.
• Same product: slab thickness, flooring wear layer, and cabinet box construction (plywood or particleboard) all move the price.
• Same scope: is delivery included, and are trims and transitions in the count?
• Materials and labour apart: if one quote bundles installation, ask for it split out.

If you want it installed

Installation isn't in a materials quote. If you want it, Scale Homes Build & Remodel quotes it separately, so you can compare it with anyone else's labour price. If you're using your own contractor, we send them the drawings and the material list.