- +6.8%
- new housing construction costs, July 2026
- 46.3%
- of budget overruns in the UCI study linked to design changes
- 7 checks
- before comparing proposals
The cheapest quote may simply contain less work.
The number at the bottom of the page is only the beginning
Imagine you receive two quotes for the same project. Proposal A: €120,000. Proposal B: €118,000. The second looks cheaper. But does it include exactly the same work?
That is the question that matters. With new housing construction costs up 6.8% year-on-year in July 2026 according to Statistics Portugal, clarity about what is and is not included is even more important.
The UCI home-building study also shows that, where participants experienced budget overruns, changes to the original design were one of the main explanations, cited in 46.3% of overrun cases.
“Painting” may not mean the same thing in two quotes
One proposal may include full surface preparation, levelling, primer and two finish coats. Another may simply say “internal painting”. Both contain a line with the same name. They do not necessarily contain the same work.
The same applies to demolition, waste removal, waterproofing, building services, joinery and finishes.
What should be clear before you compare?
- Scope of work: what will actually be carried out.
- Materials: brands, ranges, references or allowances where the final product is still to be selected.
- Preparation: everything required before the visible finish.
- Exclusions: just as important as what is included.
- Waste and logistics: demolition, transport, skips and protection of existing areas.
- Variations and additional work: how they will be approved and priced.
- Programme and payment terms: ideally tied to clearly defined stages.
A very short quote may look easier to read. It may also leave more room for different interpretations.
Provisional allowances deserve attention
“Material to be selected.” “Estimated allowance.” “To be confirmed.” None of these automatically means there is a problem. At an early stage, it is normal for some choices to remain open.
What matters is understanding what allowance has been included in the price. If a quote assumes €25/m² for a finish and the final selection costs €60/m², the budget did not “increase by itself”. The specification changed.
The more decisions that are closed before construction, the easier it becomes to compare proposals fairly.
Cheaper can also mean less included
If one contractor includes waterproofing, preparation, final cleaning and waste management and another does not, comparing only the total price cannot tell you which proposal is truly cheaper.
The proposals need to be normalised: work against work, material against material, responsibility against responsibility.
Transparency before construction reduces conflict during construction
A detailed quote does not only protect the client. It protects everyone involved. It clarifies what was agreed, reduces different interpretations and makes future changes easier to assess.
The best time to discover that two people understood something differently is before construction starts — not after the work has already been carried out.
