Basement excavation & lowering the floor · BASEMENT ATLAS
Compare basement renovation quotes: a scope checklist
Two prices can describe two different basements. This checklist helps you turn quotations into a shared, reviewable scope before you choose a contractor.
The short answer
Give every contractor the same brief and compare what is included, excluded and provisional. Ask who designs the interfaces and what evidence you receive at handover. Resolve material differences in writing before using the total price as the deciding factor.
Send one brief to everyone
Include a room plan, photographs, the intended use, known damp areas and any existing surveys. State whether floor lowering, a bathroom or garden access is part of the base project or merely an option. Give each contractor the same version, with a date.
Invite them to challenge missing information. A useful response explains what must be investigated before pricing can become firm; it should not have to guess the hidden construction.
Copy this comparison checklist
| Work package | Ask each contractor | Record for each quote |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of damp | What cause does the proposal address, and what supports it? | Diagnosis, assumptions and remaining investigations |
| Structure | Who designs excavation or foundation alterations and temporary conditions? | Responsible party, design scope and inspection points |
| Water management | How do the wall, floor, joints, drains and openings work together? | System boundaries and excluded areas |
| Services | Which plumbing, sewer, electrical and ventilation works are included? | Locations, quantities and interfaces |
| Materials and finishes | What exact system is specified and how is readiness checked? | Product/system, preparation and test requirements |
| Access and disposal | How are people, materials, spoil and waste moved? | Included protection, removal and disposal assumptions |
| Completion | Which tests, instructions and drawings are handed over? | Commissioning, documents and unresolved items |
Use four labels before comparing totals
These are comparison labels for your worksheet, not a substitute for the terminology in the actual contract. Keep currencies, taxes, dates, quantities and alternatives visible alongside them.
- Included: the work is defined and forms part of the stated price.
- Excluded: someone else must arrange it or it is outside the project.
- Provisional: the figure relies on a stated allowance or condition that still needs resolving.
- Unclear: ask for a written explanation before treating it as included.
Ask about the joins between trades
The Virum project combines floor work, underpinning, pipework, heating, wall systems and new rooms. In a scope with several trades, ask who coordinates floor levels with stairs and drains, service penetrations with the wall/floor systems, and the bathroom with ventilation.
Ask one direct question: 'If two trades disagree about this connection, who is responsible for resolving the design?' Record the answer in the agreed scope. A gap between packages can matter more than a small difference between hourly rates.
See the decisions between renovation stages →
KÆLDER-RENOVERING · Virum – komplet kælder fra udgravning til færdigt rum
Compare the evidence you will receive
Request photographs before concealed work is closed, a record of checks required for the chosen finishes, service layouts and commissioning information. Agree a handover list that names what you expect to receive rather than relying on 'completed and ready'.
Ask how defects and later questions will be reported and who responds. Have the actual contract and local consumer requirements checked where needed; this scope checklist does not decide the legal effect of the quotation.
Sources and editorial basis
This guide was prepared with AI assistance using the listed sources and the project documentation identified in the text. It has not been signed off by an independent building specialist. Local construction requirements and the condition of the building still need to be checked. Editorial policy
Keep reading
Compare your experience
Which item was missing or unclear in your basement quotations? Share the country and the type of work, without posting private contact details or another person's contract.