Getting three quotes is the standard advice — but reading three walls of plumber jargon side-by-side and figuring out what's actually included, what's missing, and which one is fair value is genuinely hard. This free quote comparator pastes them side by side, extracts the total, and flags the common warning signs so you can spot the issues in seconds instead of hours.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere, saved, or shared. It's just a tool.
How to use it
- Get your quotes in text form. If a tradesperson sent a PDF, open it and copy-paste the content. If it's on paper, type in the key sections.
- Paste each into a column. Don't worry about formatting — the tool reads it as-is.
- Watch the auto-detected total, word count, and red flags update as you paste.
- Compare the totals table at the bottom to see the price spread. Spreads over 30% usually mean the scopes are different, not that one is cheating you — re-check what's actually included in each.
What the red flags mean
High-severity flags (walk-away signals)
- Cash-only or no-GST mention. This removes tax deductibility on your side and destroys warranty recourse if something goes wrong. Legitimate tradespeople invoice with an ABN, and add GST once they are registered for it (mandatory above $75,000 annual turnover; smaller businesses may not charge GST). If they only want cash and won't give an ABN or a tax invoice, you have no paper trail for warranty or insurance claims, and payers may face withholding obligations — walk.
- Bathroom scope with no waterproofing. AS 3740 (the Australian Standard for waterproofing wet areas) is mandatory. If the quote doesn't include it, either the tradesperson doesn't know the requirement (bad) or is planning to skip it (worse). Leaks appear in year 3-5. Insist waterproofing is line-itemed with materials and labour.
- Deposit of 20% or more. Residential building work has legal deposit caps: 10% of the contract price in NSW, and in Victoria and Queensland 10% for contracts under $20,000 and 5% for $20,000 or more (Queensland allows a higher deposit only on jobs up to $3,300). A large deposit can also signal a cash-flow-stressed trader who needs your money to finish someone else's job, or a scam risk. Push back and ask for a staged payment schedule tied to completed work. Deposits above 10% but under 20% are flagged as a medium warning.
Medium-severity flags (fix before signing)
- No written contract mention. The threshold for a required written contract depends on the state: above $5,000 in NSW, above $10,000 for a major domestic building contract in Victoria, and $3,300 in Queensland (the QBCC licensing threshold). Even below that, get one anyway — it's your only recourse if the job goes bad.
- No warranty, ABN, or licensing mention. Verify the tradesperson's licence with your state regulator: NSW Fair Trading, the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the VBA) in Victoria, and the QBCC in Queensland, plus Energy Safe Victoria or the Electrical Safety Office in Queensland for electricians. Ask for their warranty terms in writing.
- Very brief quote. Under 80 words usually means the tradesperson hasn't scoped the job properly. Ask for a line-item breakdown covering demolition, waste disposal, materials, labour, sundries, and cleanup.
Low-severity flags (worth clarifying)
- No timeline or start date. Fair enough at initial quote stage but must be nailed down before signing.
- Demolition mentioned but no waste disposal. Skip fees and dump fees are $300-$800 depending on what's coming out. Someone's paying for them — confirm who.
What to do with the comparison
Once you can see the three totals side-by-side, three patterns are common:
Spread under 15% — quotes are roughly aligned
Pick based on reputation, references, and personality fit. Price is not the differentiator.
Spread 15-30% — normal variation
Some traders build in more margin for schedule certainty, higher-quality materials by default, or better trade partners. Ask each what's driving the difference. Often the middle quote is the sweet spot.
Spread over 30% — the scopes are probably different
One quote likely excludes things another includes, or one is using lower-grade materials by default. Go back and ask each trader to itemise the same scope. You'll usually find the "cheap" quote is genuinely cheaper because it excludes waterproofing, or fittings, or the plumber, or clean-up. Get everything on an apples-to-apples basis before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Is my quote data private?
Yes. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to our server or saved anywhere. You can verify this by opening it in a browser with the network tab open (F12) — no requests are made when you paste or analyse.
Why doesn't it detect my total correctly?
The tool picks the largest dollar amount in the text as the grand total. If your quote has multiple sections (materials $X, labour $Y, total $Z), the largest is usually the total. If the quote lists deposits or per-hour rates larger than the total, the detection can be wrong — check the extracted amount matches your actual bottom line.
How accurate are the red flags?
The tool uses keyword pattern matching, not full contract analysis. It catches the most common issues but isn't a substitute for reading the quote yourself. Use it as a first-pass sanity check.
What if I only have two quotes?
Two is enough. The third column is optional and hidden by default — you can add it with the "Add third quote" button if you have one.
Should I share this tool with the tradespeople quoting me?
You don't need to. But if a tradesperson objects to being compared or refuses to itemise their quote, that's itself a red flag.
Related renovation cost guides
If you're comparing quotes, you're probably also looking at our:
- Bathroom Renovation Cost Calculator
- Kitchen Renovation Cost Calculator
- Home Extension Cost Calculator
- Painting Cost Calculator
- Flooring Cost Calculator
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