Interior quotations are hard to compare because two firms rarely describe the same scope. Here is how the money is actually distributed in a typical turnkey residential interior, and which items deserve your attention.
Where the budget goes
- Joinery and wardrobes — usually the single largest share. Driven by carcass material, shutter finish and hardware brand.
- Kitchen — cabinetry, counter, backsplash, chimney and hob. Small in area, large in cost per square foot.
- Electrical and lighting — rewiring, points, switches, layered lighting. Cheap to plan, expensive to change later.
- False ceiling and painting — the finish everyone notices; also the easiest place for a quotation to hide thin work.
- Flooring and dado — only where existing surfaces are being replaced.
- Soft furnishing and styling — curtains, upholstery, art, plants. Frequently omitted from quotes, then added.
The three items that break budgets
First, hardware. Hinges, channels and handles are invisible in a render and decide whether the kitchen still works in year five. Second, plywood grade — the difference between commercial and boiling-water-proof ply in a coastal climate like ours is not cosmetic. Third, scope creep on site: every mid-project change costs more than the same decision made at drawing stage.
How to compare two quotations fairly
- Insist on a room-by-room, item-by-item BOQ rather than a lump sum.
- Ask for named brands and grades for ply, laminate, hardware and wiring.
- Check whether electrical, false ceiling, painting and curtains are included or excluded.
- Confirm who supervises daily, and how often you receive progress photographs.
- Get the timeline and the payment stages in the same document.
We publish an itemised BOQ before work begins for exactly this reason: a budget you can read is a budget you can hold us to.