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Self-builder estimating support

Know what your self-build is likely to cost before you commit.

Send the drawings, specification and project details. We turn them into a structured cost plan you can use to test the design and compare builder quotes, with online estimating support when you want to send everything digitally.

The cost plan separates measured work, allowances, provisional sums, exclusions and assumptions, so you can see where the budget needs attention before you commit.

Upload plans for review Order a Quick Quote Use a Cost Calculator

Upload plans for review suits jobs that need a proper look before you price them. Quick Quote is the faster order-and-pay route when your drawings, scope or project details are ready and you want to book professional estimating work directly. Calculators are for early budgeting only. They do not replace a measured estimate from drawings before you commit to a budget, builder quote or design decision.

Self-build estimating workspace
Budget completenessCurrent review
68%
Cost pressureSelf-build
Build cost
£210k
Contingency
10%
Provisional sums
£33.6k
Budget completeness breakdown
Review item
Measured worksPriced scope£176,278ReadyUse
Provisional sumsAllowances£18,500ReviewCheck
Client selectionsPending choices£12,750Needs inputDecide
Specialist quotesThird-party pricing£9,800Awaiting quoteRequest
ContingencyRisk allowance10%AdjustableReview
ExclusionsNot included7 itemsCheck carefullyReview
Review turnaroundPriority route
24hrs

Fast review available when needed, for no extra cost

Built around self-build budgeting, quantities and clearer project decisions.

Extensions Refurbishments Self Build Scope Review BoQ Preparation Quote Comparison Funding Support

See where the budget is going before work starts.

We turn the drawings, specification notes and supporting information into a structured cost plan. It shows the measured work, allowances, provisional sums, assumptions and exclusions before you compare builder quotes or commit the budget.

Estimating workflow

See how the cost is built up

Instead of relying on one total, you can review the cost by work section and check the allowances, provisional sums and exclusions against the current design.

  • Estimate, quantities and report output kept together
  • Clear allowances, exclusions and provisional sums.
  • Cost sections laid out clearly for proper review
Self-build cost review
Contingency 5%

Allowance added for unknowns and design movement

TotalTotal inc contingency Labour£58,120.00£61,026.00 Materials£73,880.00£77,574.00 Plant£8,420.00£8,841.00 Provisional sums£33,611.40£35,291.97 Grand Total£174,031.40£182,732.97
Above costs exclude VAT
Cost clarity

Use the numbers to test decisions before they become expensive.

Use the estimate to compare design changes, check builder quotes against the same scope and see where the budget needs attention before you commit.

  • Compare design revisions against the current cost plan
  • Check builder quotes on a like-for-like basis
  • Use the figures in funding and procurement discussions
Review Your Estimate
%
Total Total inc contingency £ £63,932.00 £ £81,268.00 £ £9,262.00 £ £36,972.54 £174,031.40 £191,434.54
Reports and output

Reports and quantities you can use

Use the measured breakdowns to compare builder quotes, review scope and plan material orders against the same estimate.

  • BoQ reports for structured pricing and scope review
  • Cost reports for funding, comparison and project review
  • Materials order reports to support buying and planning
Bill of Quantities Work Section Bill of Quantities
Summary
Bill No. 1 Main Contractor’s Preliminaries£19,643.46
Bill No. 2 Access, Scaffolding and Temporary Protection£29,906.18
Bill No. 3 Drainage, Lifting and Transport£22,405.82
Bill No. 4 Alterations, Repairs and Conservation£14,679.06
Bill No. 5 Carpentry / Specialist Timber Replacement£30,100.73
Bill No. 6 Structural Metalwork£3,059.99
Bill No. 7 Sheet Roof Coverings / Leadwork£4,479.90
Bill No. 8 Floor, Wall and Ceiling Finishings£19,120.03
Total, exclusive of any credits, adjustments and VAT£176,278.39
Bill No. 1 Main contractor’s preliminaries
1.1Main contractor’s preliminariesQuantityUnitCost (£)
1.1Set up site, provide welfare, temporary protection, small tools and clear away on completion1.00Item£2,669.06
1.2Site management and supervision for assumed 8-week programme8.00Week£8,206.00
Quote comparison

Compare builder quotes against your independent estimate

Builder quotes rarely arrive in the same shape. Cost Estimator helps self-builders compare each quote back to the Cost Summary and Bill of Quantities, so missing items, allowances and exclusions are easier to spot before choosing who to work with.

  • Compare builder quotes against the Cost Summary and BoQ
  • Spot missing items, unclear allowances and exclusions
  • Understand why one quote is lower, higher or harder to compare
Quote comparison
3 quotesChecked against estimate 6 flagsItems to clarify Builder BBest aligned scope
Work sectionCost SummaryBuilder ABuilder BBuilder C
Preliminaries£19,640Low allowance£21,200Included
Groundworks£28,750£27,800£31,400Clarify
Windows and doors£32,600Allowance£36,200Excluded
M&E£24,900£23,500Clarify£27,100
Provisional sums£27,500£12,000£29,000£18,500
Lowest quote is not always the clearest quote.
Use the estimate and BoQ to see what has been included, missed or left as an allowance. Review before appointing

Choose the right route

Three ways to start, depending on the information you have and how far the project has moved.

Each route does a different job. Use fuller estimating support when the project needs proper attention, and keep calculators for early budgeting only.

Route 01

Upload plans for review

Best when you want the drawings, specification and stage of the project looked at properly before the right estimating route is confirmed.

Right for
Plans-led self-build projects, design revisions, builder quote comparison and fuller cost review.
What happens next
Send the details and we will review the project before advising the best route.
Upload plans for review
Route 02

Order a Quick Quote

The faster order-and-pay route when the information is already in a decent place and you want estimating work booked in quickly.

Right for
Self-builders who already know the type of estimating support they need and want to move quickly.
What happens next
Place the order, send the information and the estimating work is booked in.
Order a Quick Quote
Route 03

Use a Cost Calculator

Useful when you are still benchmarking ideas, comparing broad options or checking whether the project is still in the right range.

Right for
Early feasibility checks, broad option comparisons and rough project planning.
What happens next
You get an early budgeting steer. It is not a substitute for a proper estimate when decisions need to be made from real project information.
Use a Cost Calculator

Builder hub

Useful self-build guides before costly decisions are made

Practical guidance for self-builders who want clearer information before design, funding or builder conversations move too far ahead.

Self Build Cost Breakdown UK

What to allow for before the project starts looking cheaper on paper than it will be in practice.

Read guide

Self Build Hidden Costs

The things that quietly get missed when people budget the build but not the whole job around it.

Read guide

Self Build Contingency

How much to allow, what it is for, and why it changes with project stage and information quality.

Read guide

Self Build Bill of Quantities

Why quantities matter, how they help with ordering and why they make quote comparison easier.

Read guide

Compare Builder Quotes for a Self Build

How to compare scope, exclusions and allowances without defaulting to the cheapest total.

Read guide

Design a Self Build to Budget

A practical look at shaping revisions around cost before the design moves too far away from the budget.

Read guide

How it works

From your drawings to a budget you can test

01

Send the drawings and specification

Share the plans, schedules, photos and project information you have.

02

We prepare the cost plan

We measure the work and set out the quantities, allowances, provisional sums, assumptions and exclusions.

03

You test the budget

Review design choices and compare builder quotes before committing.

Reassurance

Built around practical self-build decisions and real estimating work.

The aim is simple: get the project information into better order, separate the unclear items and support self-build decisions with solid estimating input.

‘Cost estimator is a great and quick service who provided everything we needed. I would highly recommended and I would definitely use again. Thanks.’ Paul Mellon
  • Practical estimating experience Support built around drawings, quantities, allowances, exclusions and cost review.
  • Clear next steps The route is explained up front, so you know what happens next.
  • Suitable for live pricing Useful for self-builders comparing designs, quotes, funding needs and procurement decisions.
  • UK-wide support Built for UK self-build and residential construction projects.

Start with the right route

Send the project details and get clearer on the right self-build estimating route.

Upload plans for review when the project needs fuller support, use Quick Quote when you already know what you need, or use a calculator for early budgeting only.

Upload plans for review Order a Quick Quote

Early stage only? Use a Cost Calculator

Contact Us
Get started with Cost Estimator!

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