Should we ask for breakdown of materials

[OtterL]

Hi, we are having a small cloakroom and en-suite refurbished - everything ripped out and re done. When the builder/ bathroom fitter quoted, he put down £900 for materials plus VAT so £1,100 in total. This was to include a skip, but there wasn’t enough for a skip so a man in a van came and got the ripped out cupboards etc. Not sure how much he charged but say £200 and that leaves £900 for grout, floor ply and plastic waste fittings (and as most things are going in the same place, he’s left the old fittings in place).

It seems like a huge amount of money to spend on materials, even bearing in mind the cost of everything has risen lately. this is the first time we ve used a builder - is it usual for the builder to provide a detailed breakdown/ invoices to evidence the materials spend at the end of the build? Not sure what people usually do so would be good to hear from someone with experience! Thanks in advance.

As a rough guide, the quote builders give is 50% materials and 50% labour.

So it really depends on how much he's charged you for the labour too

What I've found in the past is ripping things out is expensive due to the amount of labour involved. So I've done most of it myself to keep costs.

So a large amount of your quote will be labour if they are ripping stuff out first before doing it up.

Sorry I wasn’t very clear - he has quoted separately for labour which is several thousands. The figures I ve mentioned are purely for materials.

IME builders don't give a breakdown of the materials.

Prices of a lot of materials, particularly timber and plaster have rocketed recently though.

@OtterL

Sorry I wasn’t very clear - he has quoted separately for labour which is several thousands. The figures I ve mentioned are purely for materials.

In that case, it sounds about right.

Thanks, yes I heard the price of wood had rocketed. Our materials are mainly grout and tile adhesive for two small rooms so was struggling to add it up, given a bag of grout is £22 in topps tiles and he used 1/4 of one bag grouting the floor in the cloakroom - they are both tiny rooms!

The time to ask for a materials breakdown would have been before you accepted the job really, you've accepted the quote for them to start work. I work in the construction industry and prices for things have really gone through the roof lately, although it is impossible to tell without knowing having seen your property and the work that needs doing etc

He will be making money on what he’s quoted you for materials .... it sounds like a lot of money for what you have said.

I always source materials for work anyone is doing for me .... and if they need to get any small bits themselves I ask them to get an invoice Poe and pay them it back . You live and learn.

and if they need to get any small bits themselves I ask them to get an invoice Poe and pay them it back

And the extra time it takes to pick up the materials that you didn't get, presumably?

No they just do that in the day I’m paying them , or I nip out.

@OtterL

Sorry I wasn’t very clear - he has quoted separately for labour which is several thousands. The figures I ve mentioned are purely for materials.

So the work cost several thousand but you're suggesting it was only floor tiles and grout? Why did it cost thousands for a bit of tiling?

@OtterL

Hi, we are having a small cloakroom and en-suite refurbished - everything ripped out and re done. When the builder/ bathroom fitter quoted, he put down £900 for materials plus VAT so £1,100 in total. This was to include a skip, but there wasn’t enough for a skip so a man in a van came and got the ripped out cupboards etc. Not sure how much he charged but say £200 and that leaves £900 for grout, floor ply and plastic waste fittings (and as most things are going in the same place, he’s left the old fittings in place).

It seems like a huge amount of money to spend on materials, even bearing in mind the cost of everything has risen lately. this is the first time we ve used a builder - is it usual for the builder to provide a detailed breakdown/ invoices to evidence the materials spend at the end of the build? Not sure what people usually do so would be good to hear from someone with experience! Thanks in advance.

Waste collection is expensive. We're in London and pay about £240 a load or even half load.

So materials are more likely £700ish?

I'm not a plumber, but have a different trade. I don't even give a cost breakdown of materials vs labour, just a bottom line figure, although would be happy to give this if asked. If a design choice has hugely bumped up the cost for little gain, whether in materials or labour, I make a point of explaining this though inc. cost difference. If a customer asked for a further detailed breakdown of individual materials I would start to get nervous they were one of 'those' customers who later try to unjustly knock down the price during/after the event. People who do this are usually a complete PITA to work for in one way or another. Thankfully I am busy enough to give those types a wide berth and not take the risk.
FWIW, and to clear up a few 'facts' mentioned by PPs, I don't add anything onto the materials for profit and it is rarely a 50/50 split on materials/labour. My price = (Materials + labour) + 10% contingency, and it rarely works out wrong in either direction. The materials to labour ratio ranges from 20%/80% to 80%/20% usually. I get many jobs that need few materials but are very labour-intensive, and equally some very expensive parts that are a doddle to fit (of you know how!). I don't think I'm unusual amongst my friends in the trade in this. Not everyone is out to fleece you.

OP something doesn't make sense here. Is the fitter not supplying the bathroom suite, tile adhesive and tiles? Paint? (If not fully tiled) plaster? (Often some repairs are needed) New light fittings, extraction fans etc? You said he's quoted for materials, and after waste removal of £200, it leaves £900 (which isn't right as you haven't allowed for his VAT) for grout, ply and waste fittings. That is excessive if truly only for those 3 plus sundries unless the room is ginormous.

The room is definitely not ginnormous or anywhere close unfortunately! It does seem like a lot of money as opposed to us sourcing the materials ourselves. In the industry I work in, if we use materials, we charge onto the customer what those materials cost - but no mark up so hence wondering if that was same practice here. We are paying for his labour and expertise here - I don't mind paying a small mark up on materials but it seems expensive here. Hence I was asking what was standard practice. No, no plastering and no painting included. The light fitting and extractor fan are being replaced but we've sourced and supplied these as we have the shower enclosure and all the fittings, all tiles, trim etc. I'm not trying to unjustly knock down the price - it just seems a lot for materials now that we've been in the DIY shops quite a bit and understand better what the prices of grout, ply etc are.

I've never paid a mark up on materials. Either I get billed directly or get given the receipts (for example my builder will ask me to call X supplier to pay for Y materials).
If you think it's excessive you should have asked at the get go.

We are having our bathroom done in a fortnight's time, and they have given us a breakdown of all the fittings, tiles, plumbing bits separately on the quote. Perhaps it depends on the individual firm.