Electrical quote: what it should include, 8 lines

The eight lines

The scope, in enough detail that somebody else could price the same job from it. The materials, named: which consumer unit, which charger, which fittings and how many. Labour, as days or hours with a rate, or as a fixed sum against the named scope. Whether making good is included, and whether that means plaster or paint.

Then: which certificate will be issued. Whether the work is notifiable and who notifies it. What is excluded. And VAT, stated rather than implied, along with the business's VAT number if it is registered.

Quote or estimate

The words mean different things and both are legitimate. A quote is a fixed price for a defined scope and it binds the person who gave it. An estimate is a considered guess for work that is not yet fully visible, and it will move.

Fault finding, anything behind a wall, and anything in a property nobody has surveyed are honest candidates for an estimate. A consumer unit replacement, a charger installation or a defined list of accessories are not, and an estimate offered for those is worth a question.

The variation, and when it is fair

On any job that brings existing circuits into scope, a pre-existing fault may surface. That is not the electrician's doing, and putting it right falls outside a price set before anyone knew about it.

What makes the difference between a fair variation and a bad surprise is agreeing the rate for it in advance. Ask for a line on the quote that says what an hour of remedial work costs and what happens if one is needed. Then a discovery becomes a decision with a number attached rather than a conversation at the end of the week.

Comparing three quotes

Line the scopes up before looking at any total. Three prices for a board change that differ by four hundred pounds usually differ because one includes individual protective devices per circuit, one includes surge protection, and one includes neither.

The cheapest quote missing a certificate is not cheaper. The certificate is the thing a future buyer's solicitor asks about, and having the work redone to get one usually costs more than the difference between any two of the three.

Payment

For a large job, a deposit against materials is normal and a staged payment against first fix completing is normal. Paying the balance once the certificate is issued is normal too, and easy to agree at the start.

Card and bank transfer both leave a record. Whatever the method, ask for a receipt, so the payment sits with the quote and the certificate.

Worth knowing

The chargepoint grant is £500 a socket and it is not available to somebody who owns the house they live in. It is for flat owner occupiers and for renters, with off street parking and the landlord's written consent where that applies.

OZEV electric vehicle chargepoint grant guidance, rate from 1 April 2026

Common questions

Is a verbal quote binding?

In principle a verbal agreement is a contract and in practice it is very hard to evidence. Ask for it in writing, which for a small job can simply be a text message.

Should materials be listed at cost?

They can be at cost, at cost plus a margin, or inside a fixed price. What matters is that the items are named, so two quotes are comparing the same hardware.

What if the final bill is higher than the quote?

Ask which variation it relates to and when it was agreed. A fixed quote for a defined scope should not move unless the scope did.