These words are often used by different varieties of contractors. These can be anyone from you plumber to your builder or computer repair technician. Tender is formal bid documents which are prepared by the clients or their representative for the contractor to cost out. These documents could be prepared by quantity surveyors, architects or engineers. Quotation is a fixed price for a fixed amount of work carried out to a fixed specification. Thus, if you stick to the specification and don't deviate from it, the final price you pay will be the figure given you in the original quotation. While we are discussing these two words, there is a third that is bantered about in the service world, estimate. Estimate is an educated guess as to what the work will cost and are not binding or guaranteed in any way.
Most contractors/service providers themselves do not know the difference in these terms and that is little comfort to you as the consumer. Tender is a document that won’t be used unless you are having a lot of work done. Its principal advantage is that it is a legal document prepared by the client and it shouldn’t contain any conditions that might adversely affect them.
Quotations are the best form of document for the average consumer and are regarded above an Estimate. If you are in a business setting and are preparing for work that you have not had to deal with before, you should hire a general contractor that you trust implicitly or take a general course at your local college, usually offered at little to no cost to citizens of the general area.
Preparing yourself by knowing what to expect will assist you in all areas of dealing with contractors. A little knowledge goes a long way. Use cautions and check the references of all contractors. Good luck in your endeavor.
Most contractors/service providers themselves do not know the difference in these terms and that is little comfort to you as the consumer. Tender is a document that won’t be used unless you are having a lot of work done. Its principal advantage is that it is a legal document prepared by the client and it shouldn’t contain any conditions that might adversely affect them.
Quotations are the best form of document for the average consumer and are regarded above an Estimate. If you are in a business setting and are preparing for work that you have not had to deal with before, you should hire a general contractor that you trust implicitly or take a general course at your local college, usually offered at little to no cost to citizens of the general area.
Preparing yourself by knowing what to expect will assist you in all areas of dealing with contractors. A little knowledge goes a long way. Use cautions and check the references of all contractors. Good luck in your endeavor.
