What Should a Builder's Quotation in Spain Include? A 10-Point Checklist

When two quotations for the same apartment are thousands of euros apart, the usual explanation is not that one builder is cheaper. It is that they describe different jobs, or that one leaves out things the other puts in. Use the ten points below to put quotes side by side.

The 10 points

1. A written scope, room by room

"Renovate the bathroom" is not a scope. A scope says what is removed, what goes in and in which materials: tiles stripped to the brick, new waterproofing, new pipework, a named porcelain on walls and floor, the size and type of shower. When you cannot be on site, anything not written down is decided by someone else.

2. Materials and products named

Brand, range or at least specification for tiles, sanitaryware, kitchen fronts, windows, lighting. "Standard quality" can mean anything. If a price line says "allowance", ask what it buys.

3. What is not included

A good quotation has a short exclusions list: furniture, appliances, the terrace, the technical project, the plot. A budget that stops at the front door surprises you at the end.

4. IVA shown separately

Spanish VAT on renovation work is normally 21%, and 10% when the client is a private individual using the home privately, the home is more than two years old and the contractor's materials are no more than 40% of the job's price (article 91 of the VAT law). Appliances are always 21%. The quote should show the rate it assumes — and ask your gestor whether it applies to you.

5. ICIO and town-hall fees: in or out?

Every job triggers the ICIO, a municipal tax on the real cost of the works — 4% in both Torrevieja and Orihuela — plus a processing fee that varies by municipality and type of works. They are not optional, and many quotations leave them out. Ask the question directly; ours say so on the page.

6. Who files the paperwork

Most renovations that leave the structure alone go by a declaración responsable filed with the town hall; a new house needs the full licence first. Structural work, demolition and change of use need a certificate behind the filing. The quote should say who prepares and files it. Our licence guide explains the three routes. An inaccurate filing is a real risk: if something essential is false or missing, the works must stop.

7. Payments tied to finished stages

Be wary of a large deposit followed by instalments on fixed dates. Stages tied to something you can see — strip-out and first-fix services complete, tiling complete, kitchen and bathrooms installed — each released after you have seen photographs, with a small retention until the handover list is closed.

8. A programme and the long-lead items

Ask when the work starts, how long each stage takes and what depends on you. Kitchens and made-to-measure glazing are made to order, so they often set the date more than the building work does. Order them early.

9. Reporting and one point of contact

A weekly photo report on the same day each week, and one person you deal with who has actually been on site that week. Photographs of pipes and cables before they are covered are worth asking for: they are the only record of where things run. More in renovating from abroad.

10. Contingency, community and warranty

A budget with no contingency is a wish — keep a margin of around 10% for the decisions you will change. In an apartment building, ask the administrator for the community's statutes before the quotation, since façades, terraces and shared elements usually need the community's approval. And ask for the warranty terms in writing, with the wording before you sign.

Red flags

• One total on one line, with no scope behind it.
• A large payment ahead of the work.
• Taxes and fees not mentioned, so the real total is a surprise.
• A job described as "just a reform" that actually moves a load-bearing wall.
• Prices that are far below every other quote, with a thinner scope.

Compare like with like

Line the quotes up against the same list of rooms and the same list of exclusions. Where they differ, the difference usually has a name: a larger material allowance, a rewiring one includes and the other does not, a tax left out. For rates to measure against, see apartment renovation costs in Torrevieja and what €650/m² buys.

Questions we get asked

What should a builder's quotation in Spain include?

A written scope room by room with materials named, a price split into stages, IVA shown separately, whether the ICIO tax and town-hall fees are included, who files the licence or declaración responsable, and a list of what is not included.

Is the construction tax (ICIO) included in a builder's price in Spain?

Not always — many quotations leave it out. It is 4% of the cost of the works in Torrevieja and Orihuela, plus a processing fee. Ask whether it is included before you compare prices.

How should I pay a builder in Spain?

In stages tied to finished and photographed work rather than to calendar dates, with a small retention kept until the handover list is closed. Avoid large payments ahead of the work and ask for invoices with IVA shown separately.

Why are two quotes for the same job so different?

Usually because they describe different jobs: different materials, a rewiring included in one and not the other, or taxes and fees left out. Compare scope and exclusions line by line.

Send us your quotation

Already have a quote? Send it with photos of the property and we will tell you what is missing and what a written quotation from us would look like — on WhatsApp or by email, in English.

Este artículo en español: Qué debe incluir el presupuesto de un constructor en España.

VAT conditions: Agencia Tributaria, Ley 37/1992 art. 91. ICIO: Torrevieja and Orihuela ordinances, 4%. Licence routes: Decreto Legislativo 1/2021 (TRLOTUP), arts. 232, 233 and 241. General information, not tax or legal advice for a specific case.