A tender package for builders costs £1,045 with us, and it is for projects that already have approved drawings. It is a specification and a schedule of works that builders can price, so that quotes cover the same job.
The reason is simple. Give three builders a set of drawings and a conversation, and you get three different quotes for three different jobs: one includes the kitchen, one assumes a cheaper window, one leaves out the drainage. A written specification and schedule turn the quotes into a comparison you can read. This article explains what the package contains, why it protects you, and the rules about price and quality that apply when you hire a builder.
What the package contains
The £1,045 covers two documents. The specification says how things are to be built and with what: brick, mortar, insulation, windows, finishes, in plain terms. The schedule of works lists the tasks in order, from site set-up through groundworks, structure, roof, services and finishes, with a column for each builder's price. Both are written against your approved drawings, so they match what the council and building control have seen.
The package works well after planning and building regulations approvals, since it prices what has been approved. Building work to a design that changes during the build is the commonest cause of cost increases, and tendering against fixed documents limits that.
Why quotes need a common basis
A quote from a builder is a promise to do a defined thing for a defined price. If the definition is loose, so is the promise. Typical gaps are items left as "provisional" or "by others", allowances for fittings that are lower than anything you would choose, and silence on things like scaffold, skips, making good and clearing up.
| Without a schedule | With a schedule |
|---|---|
| Each builder writes their own scope | Every builder prices the same list |
| Gaps hidden in the wording | Missing items show as blank lines |
| Price changes argued on site | Extras are priced against the schedule |
| The smallest total may be the least complete | Totals compare like with like |
Photo: sludgegulper, BY-SA 2.0
What the law gives you as a customer
A homeowner who hires a builder is a consumer, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies. Section 49 treats every contract to supply a service as including a term that the trader must perform it with reasonable care and skill. That is a floor, and the specification sets the standard above it: what "good" means in this job.
Price is covered by section 51: where the contract does not fix a price or say how it is to be fixed, the consumer pays a reasonable price. A schedule with prices fixes the price in writing, which is a stronger position than arguing about what is reasonable at the end.
Health and safety duties are covered by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. According to the Health and Safety Executive, a domestic client's duties normally pass to the contractor on a single-contractor project, or to the principal contractor where there is more than one.
Using the package to choose
Ask each builder to price every line, to list what they have excluded, and to name any allowances. Then look at the gaps before you look at the totals. The quote with the smallest total is often the one with the most blanks.
The figures in this article, and where they come from
Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 implies a term that every contract to supply a service is performed with reasonable care and skill.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49Under section 51 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, where no price is fixed the consumer pays a reasonable price.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 51Under CDM 2015, a domestic client's duties normally pass to the contractor, or to the principal contractor on projects with more than 1 contractor.
Source: HSE, Domestic clients: roles and responsibilitiesA full-plans building regulations application gets a decision within 5 weeks, or 2 months with the applicant's consent.
Source: GOV.UK, Building regulations approvalYou will usually get a completion certificate within 8 weeks of finishing the building work, as long as it complies.
Source: GOV.UK, Building regulations approvalA council has 8 weeks to decide a non-major planning application from the day after it receives it.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Development Management Procedure Order 2015, article 34
Questions people ask
When should I order a tender package?
After planning permission and building regulations approval, so the documents match what is approved. Ordering earlier risks pricing a design that then changes. The package is for projects with approved drawings.
Does the package pick the builder?
No. It gives you a document to send to builders you have chosen, and a way to compare what comes back. The choice and the contract are yours.
How many builders should I ask?
Three is usual. More makes the comparison harder without adding much. Ask builders who have done similar work and can show it.
What if the builder's quote leaves things out?
That is what the schedule shows. A blank line is a question to put to the builder before you sign, not after. Anything that stays outside the contract is a cost you carry.
Do I need building regulations drawings first?
Yes, ideally. The specification is written against them. Building regulations drawings start at £825 inc survey, and the full rear extension package is £1,685 inc survey.
Tender Package for Builders: from £1,045
What you get
- Specification
- Schedule of works builders can price
- Written against your approved drawings
The total you pay, fixed in writing before you commit. Council fees are separate and paid to the council. Prices checked 24 October 2026.
How our tender package for builders service works