WorthTheJob

Illustrative fictional example

What a reviewed quote can reveal.

This sample uses an invented bathroom refurbishment to show the format and depth of a WorthTheJob review. It is not a real customer, testimonial or technical valuation.

Draft quote£10,800
Initial estimated cost£8,460
Profit first assumed£2,340
Profit after missed costs£1,180

What was submitted

Bathroom refurbishment draft

  • Remove existing suite and finishes
  • Install new bath, basin, WC and shower controls
  • Tile walls and floor
  • Decorate ceiling and woodwork
  • Eight working days allowed
  • 30% deposit, 70% on completion

Draft price

£10,800 before VAT

Findings

Five places the profit was exposed.

01

Hidden time omitted

Six hours for the site visit, quoting, ordering, collection and handover were not included.

Estimated effect: −£210
02

Overhead contribution missing

The quote covered job costs but did not contribute to the van, insurance, phone, tools and administration.

Estimated effect: −£420
03

Contingency too thin

The room was in an older property, yet only 2% had been allowed for hidden substrate and access problems.

Suggested decision: test 7%–10%
04

Deposit left a funding gap

The 30% deposit did not fully cover early materials, waste and subcontractor commitments.

Estimated gap: £740
05

Scope invited assumptions

The draft did not state who moves belongings, whether damaged substrate repair is included, or how additional work is agreed.

Risk: unpaid additions
06

Discount was fragile

A requested 5% discount would remove £540 from profit without reducing any cost.

Profit loss: £540

Recommended commercial changes

Repair the quote before polishing the document.

  1. Add the hidden business time.
  2. Include an overhead contribution for the eight working days.
  3. Raise the contingency or clearly exclude hidden substrate repair.
  4. Change the payment structure to cover early committed costs.
  5. Define variations before additional work begins.
  6. Hold the price or reduce the scope instead of giving an uncosted discount.

Illustrative revised position

Revised true cost
£9,620
Proposed price
£12,250
Estimated profit
£2,630
Estimated margin
21.5%
Payment plan
40% / 35% / 25%

These figures are fictional and illustrate the format, not a recommendation for any real bathroom job.

Example wording change

From a vague promise to a clearer boundary.

Before

“Prepare walls as required and complete tiling.”

After

“Remove loose surface material and prepare the visible wall surfaces for the specified tile finish. Replacement of concealed, rotten, extensively damaged or structurally unsuitable substrate is excluded and will be quoted as a variation before work proceeds.”

What the customer receives

A clearer proposal without exposing private profit.

The customer-facing version would show the agreed scope, included materials, exclusions, assumptions, programme, payments, variations and total price. It would not show internal labour cost, supplier prices, overhead, contingency reasoning, profit or margin.

Sample deliverables

  • Findings summary
  • Commercial risk notes
  • Recommended changes
  • Revised payment structure
  • Polished customer proposal

Check your own quote before it goes out.

Use the free calculator first, then choose a manual review when the decision is important enough to deserve another pair of eyes.

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