A bathroom take-off looks tidy on paper: strip out, first fix, second fix, tile, fit. Behind each line, though, sit decisions that swing the price by thousands. Tile size and pattern affect labour. Drainage runs determine whether you need a pump. Underfloor heating choice changes the build-up. Brassware quality changes the install time.

For Plymouth refurbishments we draw down a written spec with the client before pricing — usually a one-page document with images and product references. The pricing then runs against something concrete, and the comparison between contractors becomes meaningful.

If the client doesn’t want to make those decisions yet, we can hold a sensible mid-spec assumption and flag it as a price-on-application item. Either way the number stops being a guess.