A renovation company estimate is a commercial document, not an engineering one. Its purpose is to win the job — which is exactly why the lowest quote at the start so often becomes the highest bill at the end.
Problem
The renovation market runs on a simple mechanism: clients compare quotes by the single number at the bottom of the page. A company that wants to win needs that number to be low. There are a dozen ways to lower it without lowering the actual cost — and all of them are entirely legal.
This is not about fraud. It is about the fact that a quote and a final cost are two different documents, and the gap between them only becomes visible in week 4-6, when changing contractor is practically impossible.
The typical spread on the Polish market in 2026 runs 20-40% above the original quote. On a 90,000 PLN renovation that is 18,000-36,000 PLN that was never in the budget.
Solution
9 clauses to check before you sign
1. A lump sum with no scope annex. A line reading renovation of a 58 m² flat, 84,000 PLN lump sum means nothing. A lump sum is only safe when a detailed scope of works is attached to the contract. Without it, any work not described is additional work — billed separately.
2. Line items marked as required or to be agreed on site. That is a blank cheque. Every such item needs either a unit price or a capped amount. If a contractor will not quote an hourly rate for additional work, that refusal is itself the answer.
3. No preparation or strip-out works. Removing tiles, stripping old fittings, sheeting off the rest of the flat, debris removal and a skip. On a 60 m² flat that is realistically 4,000-11,000 PLN. If you cannot see those lines in the quote, they are not in the price.
4. Client-supplied materials kept out of the total. An 84,000 PLN quote looks better than a 132,000 PLN one when tiles, fittings, doors, flooring and lighting sit outside it. Always ask for the quote in two parts — labour and materials — plus a combined total.
5. Quantities measured differently than you assume. Floor area, wall area and developed area are three different numbers. Painting a 60 m² flat means roughly 170-200 m² of wall and ceiling surface. Check the unit behind every line.
6. No clarity on VAT. Renovation of residential premises under the social housing programme carries 8%, but not on everything and not always. The difference between 8% and 23% on 90,000 PLN is 13,500 PLN. The quote has to state plainly whether the figure is net or gross, and at which rate.
7. Materials costed with no technical waste allowance. Tiles need a 10-15% cutting allowance (20% on diagonal or herringbone layouts), laminate 7-10%, paint 10%. An estimate that counts exactly as many square metres as the room has is understated by definition.
8. A payment schedule tied to time rather than stages. The clause 40% after two weeks protects the contractor. The clause 40% on sign-off of the electrical and plumbing first fix protects you. Payment should always be tied to an accepted, verifiable stage of work.
9. No penalties and no warranty terms. A contract with no late-delivery penalty means delay costs the contractor nothing. The market standard is 0.1-0.3% of contract value per day of delay and a minimum 24-month warranty on building works.
How to compare quotes so the comparison means something
Three quotes are only comparable when they cover the same scope. Write one scope description and send it to every contractor, instead of asking each of them for a renovation quote. Then the price difference tells you something about the contractor rather than about what each of them silently assumed.
The second condition: have your own independent estimate before you open the quotes. Without it the lowest offer always looks like the best one — and it is usually the one that grows the most.
Red flags worth walking away from
- Refusal to break a lump sum into line items - A deposit above 30% before work starts - No tax registration, no liability insurance, or no willingness to sign a contract - A price far below the other two quotes for identical scope - Pressure to decide immediately because of an available slot
Checklist
- Demand the lump sum broken into line items with quantities and unit prices
- Check that strip-out, debris removal and the skip are in the quote
- Fix a unit price for every item priced as required
- Ask for the combined total: labour plus materials, not just one part
- Verify the measurement units — floor, walls and developed area are different numbers
- Confirm the VAT rate (8% or 23%) and whether the figure is net or gross
- Tie every payment to an accepted stage, not to elapsed time
- Put a late-delivery penalty and a minimum 24-month warranty in the contract
