Home Renovations & Extensions in Brighton & Hove: What Does Your Builder’s Price Include?

By Liam Russell RIBA, co-founder of LRA Build

You send the drawings to three builders. Three prices come back.

One is reassuringly low.

One is somewhere in the middle.

The third makes you wonder whether they have included the house next door.

Which one is right?

Before choosing, it is worth checking whether they have priced the same work.

At LRA Build (LRAB), we bring architectural and construction knowledge together for home renovations and extensions in Brighton, Hove and across Sussex. Part of that work is helping you understand what a price includes, what remains undecided and how those decisions affect your budget.

Why can builders’ quotes vary so much?

A plan might show a new kitchen, a large opening and a set of glazed doors. It may not tell the builder which kitchen, how the opening will be supported, or what specification of doors you have in mind.

Some decisions may still be developing. That is normal.

The difficulty comes when an assumption in the price is mistaken for an agreed inclusion. You picture one thing; the builder has allowed for another. Neither becomes clearer simply because there is a total at the bottom of the page.

Differences can also reflect the builder’s approach, resources, programme and assessment of the risks. A higher price is not automatically excessive. A lower one is not automatically a bargain.

An early budget estimate is useful. Its assumptions need to be visible.

What should you check in a renovation or extension quote?

Before comparing the totals, check the scope. Useful questions include:

• What work to the existing house is included?

• Are kitchen and bathroom fittings included, or is there an allowance?

• Does the price cover decoration, flooring and making good?

• What has been allowed for heating, electrics and drainage?

• Are access, scaffolding, waste removal and site facilities included?

• Are external works, steps and landscaping included?

• What is excluded, provisional or awaiting further design?

• Is VAT included in the figure shown?

  
  

There is nothing inherently wrong with an allowance. It becomes a problem when nobody knows what it will realistically buy.

“Kitchen included” is a start. It is not quite a specification.

What can affect building costs in Brighton & Hove?

The house itself has a say.

The condition of a concealed wall, the route of a drain or the construction beneath a floor may only become clear following investigation or opening up. That uncertainty should be discussed before work starts, with an agreed approach to assessing and pricing any resulting changes.

Access deserves attention too. Getting materials into a Brighton terrace through the house is a different undertaking from unloading beside a detached property with a generous driveway.

Restricted storage, changes in level and the need to protect existing finishes can all influence how the work is organised. So can your decision to remain at home during construction.

These are practical matters. They belong in the budget and programme.

Can you get a building price while the design is developing?

Yes, provided everyone understands the level of detail behind it.

At LRA Build, we can review emerging proposals, discuss how they could be constructed and develop budget estimates based on an agreed scope and stated assumptions. As the design and specification become clearer, we can prepare more detailed pricing.

Working alongside LRA Retinue (LRAR), our architectural practice, allows us to explore design, buildability and cost together.

That might mean comparing alternative materials, testing a structural arrangement or considering whether a smaller extension with better internal alterations would achieve what you want.

Moving a line on a drawing is generally less disruptive than changing something already built.

What does “architects who build” mean for your project?

For us, it means bringing the practical questions into the design conversation early.

How will that detail be constructed? How will materials reach the back of the house? What needs to be decided before work starts? Does the proposed finish fit the budget?

These questions help turn an idea into a project that can be properly described, priced and built.

It also means keeping your reasons for doing the work in view. You might want more space, a better relationship with the garden or simply a home that is nicer to live in. The construction decisions should support that ambition.

Planning a renovation or extension in Brighton, Hove or Sussex?

A clear building proposal should help you understand what you are buying, what remains undecided and how changes will be handled.

The lowest figure may be a good offer. It may also contain less work. You need enough information to tell.

If you are considering a project, do drop LRA Build a line. We can help you explore the scope, practicalities and pricing, with architectural input from LRA Retinue where needed.

It is much easier to have those conversations while you still have a functioning kitchen.