Skip to content
exactfigure.com
Changes the currency unit, not the numeric value. No conversion is performed.

Contractor Quote Comparison Calculator

You have two or three quotes for the same job: one a fixed price, one billed by the hour, each including different things. This calculator puts them on one comparable gross total. For every quote you set the pricing model and, for the shared items (materials, call-out, disposal and your own), whether each is included, priced separately, unknown or not needed. Missing items are never treated as zero.

Compare two or three quotes for the same job. For each quote set the pricing model and, for the shared items, whether each is included, priced separately, unknown or not needed. Missing items are never treated as zero. All defaults are example assumptions; the calculation runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

Shared scope

These items apply to every quote. Materials, call-out and disposal are fixed; you can add up to three of your own items.

Allow for a price range and net pricesOptional: low and high scenarios, VAT conversion

Optional. For time-and-materials and estimate quotes you can set a low and a high scenario alongside the base value. This shows how fewer or more working hours, or a lower or higher estimate, change the comparison. A fixed price has no range: the lump sum does not move. Leave the fields empty and all three scenarios stay equal to the base. You can also mark a quote as a net price; the calculator then adds VAT at the rate you enter, so that net and gross quotes can be compared.

How this calculator works

First you set a shared scope: a list of items that is the same for every quote. For each quote you choose the pricing model (fixed price, time-and-materials or estimate) and, for each item, how it is handled.

The core amount is the quoted lump sum for a fixed price, rate × workers × hours per person for time-and-materials, and the estimated amount for an estimate. For time-and-materials the workers are applied exactly once: 2 people at 8 hours each is 16 person-hours. On top comes the sum of all items marked "priced separately". "Included" adds nothing (it is already inside the quote), and "not needed" adds nothing either. An item set to "unknown" is not counted as zero; instead the quote is marked incomplete and the shown total is a known-items-only figure.

Every amount is rounded once to whole pence or cents (half away from zero); after that only whole numbers are added. For net prices the VAT is applied once to the subtotal, so core + items + VAT equal the comparable gross total exactly. If a net quote has no rate, the tax basis stays unresolved and the quote is left out of the comparison rather than guessed.

For low, base and high you can set different values for time-and-materials and estimate quotes; by default all three are the same. That shows which quote is cheaper on the figures in each scenario. When a time-and-materials quote meets a fixed-price or estimate quote, the break-even point shows from how many hours per person the hourly quote becomes the more expensive one.

Formula and variables

Factor f=1 for gross, 1 + VAT rate / 100 for net
Core (fixed price)=quoted lump sum
Core (time-and-materials)=rate × workers × hours per person
Core (estimate)=estimated amount (per scenario)
Items total=sum of the separately priced items
Subtotal=core + items total
VAT=subtotal × VAT rate / 100 (net only)
Comparable total=subtotal + VAT
Surcharge=(total − cheapest total) / cheapest total × 100
Break-even (hours per person)=(reference total − f × other costs) / (f × rate × workers)
core
the labour or lump-sum amount without the separately listed items, in the entered basis (gross or net)
items total
the sum of items marked "priced separately" only; included, not-needed and unknown items contribute no amount
workers
the number of people working; multiplied exactly once by the hours per person
hours per person
the hours each person works, not the sum across all people
f
scales a net price up to gross so that net and gross quotes can be compared. For gross f = 1 (nothing changes); for net f = 1 + VAT rate/100, for example 1.19 at 19 per cent.
reference total
the comparable gross total of the fixed-price or estimate quote in the base scenario
other costs
the separately priced items of the hourly quote, i.e. everything apart from labour

Worked examples

Example 1: fixed price versus time-and-materials (example assumption)

Example inputs
ItemsMaterials, call-out, disposal, painting
Quote A – modelfixed price, gross
Quote A – lump sum€2,400.00
Quote A – itemsmaterials and call-out included, disposal 180, painting 300
Quote B – modeltime-and-materials, gross
Quote B – rate€55.00
Quote B – workers2 people
Quote B – hours per person16 / 18 / 22 (low / base / high)
Quote B – itemsmaterials 420, call-out 90, disposal 180, painting 300
Example results
Quote A – comparable total (base)€2,880.00
Quote B – comparable total (base)€2,970.00
Difference B against A (base)€90.00
Cheapest (low / base / high)B / A / A
Break-even B against A17.18 hours per person

Quote A names €2,400.00 but prices disposal and painting separately, so the comparable figure is €2,880.00. For quote B, 55 × 2 people × 18 hours = €1,980.00 of labour plus €990.00 of items = €2,970.00. In the base scenario A is cheaper by €90.00, a surcharge of 3.125% on A. With fewer hours (low) B leads; with more hours (high) A does. The two are level at about 17.18 hours per person, which is 34.36 person-hours in total. All figures are example assumptions.

Example 2: a net quote and one unknown item (example assumption)

Example inputs
ItemsMaterials, call-out, disposal
Quote A – modelfixed price, net, 19% VAT
Quote A – lump sum€2,000.00
Quote A – itemsmaterials and call-out included, disposal 100 net
Quote B – modelfixed price, gross
Quote B – lump sum€2,400.00
Quote B – itemsmaterials 120, call-out included, disposal unknown
Example results
Quote A – comparable total (gross)€2,499.00
Quote A – VAT included (19%)€399.00
Quote B – known total (base)€2,520.00
Difference B against A (base)€21.00
Comparisonprovisional: quote B contains an unknown item (disposal)

Quote A is net: €2,000.00 plus €100.00 disposal is €2,100.00 net, which at 19% VAT is €2,499.00 gross (of which €399.00 is VAT). Quote B names €2,400.00 gross, materials €120.00 separately, and leaves disposal open. B's known total is €2,520.00; because one item is unknown the comparison stays provisional and the €21.00 difference can still change once disposal is priced. All figures are example assumptions.

Assumptions

  • All quotes cover the same job and the same item list; the pricing model and content of each quote are your inputs.
  • Missing items are never assumed to be zero: separately priced items are added, unknown ones make the quote incomplete.
  • Low, base and high are your own scenarios, not probabilities and not typical overruns.
  • Defaults are example assumptions; amounts are shown in the chosen currency without any conversion.

Limitations of this calculator

  • The calculator works only with figures. It says nothing about quality, warranty, reliability or the legal position, and recommends no quote and no firm.
  • No tax calculation and no statement on whether a scope change is payable or an estimate is binding.
  • A lower total only means cheaper on the figures you entered. If a quote contains unknown items the comparison is explicitly provisional.
  • Net and gross quotes become comparable only if you give the VAT rate for net quotes; without a rate the quote is left out.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a fixed price, time-and-materials and an estimate?

A fixed price is a set sum for a described scope. With time-and-materials you pay for the time spent (rate × people × hours) plus materials and other items. An estimate is a forecast of the likely cost and is not automatically binding. The calculator puts all three on one comparable gross total.

Why doesn't the calculator just set missing items to zero?

Because that would flatter the quote that looks cheaper. An item missing from one quote still costs money later. So for each quote you record whether materials, call-out or disposal are included, priced separately, not needed or unknown. Unknown items mark the quote as incomplete instead of making the total look smaller.

How do I compare net and gross fairly?

Only on the same basis. If a quote is net, enter the VAT rate from the quote (for example 19 or 7) and the calculator converts the total to gross once. If a net quote has no rate, the tax basis stays unresolved and the quote is left out of the ranking.

What does the break-even in hours per person mean?

It is the number of hours per person at which a time-and-materials quote becomes more expensive than a fixed-price or estimate quote. Below that figure the hourly quote is cheaper on the figures; above it the other one is. It follows directly from your numbers and is not a forecast of how long the work really takes.

Does a lower total say anything about quality?

No. The calculator only compares amounts on the figures you entered. It says nothing about workmanship, warranty, punctuality or reliability. For a real comparison, ask for itemised quotes that list services and materials separately, and compare content and price together.

Does an estimate allow a fixed percentage of extra cost?

No fixed percentage is set by statute. German law (§ 649 BGB) is one example: if a cost estimate was given without a guarantee and the work cannot be done without substantially exceeding it, the customer may terminate the contract, and the firm must give notice of such an overrun without delay. The statute names no fixed percentage, and the calculator uses no such threshold; it only shows your low, base and high scenarios.

Embed this calculator on your website

You are welcome to embed this calculator on your own website free of charge. Copy the code below and paste it where the calculator should appear. Just like here, the embedded calculator runs entirely in your visitors’ browsers – no data is sent to us.

You may keep or remove the included credit “Calculator by exactfigure.com” – it is optional.

Sources and further reading

Official and independent sources on this topic. The links open each website in a new tab; no content is loaded from them into this page.

  • § 649 BGB – cost estimate (Kostenanschlag)Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de)German law, given as one example: the customer's right to terminate where a cost estimate without guarantee would be substantially exceeded, and the firm's duty to give notice; the statute names no fixed percentage.
  • Handwerker: Was bei einem Auftrag zu beachten istVerbraucherzentrale (German consumer organisation)As of 03.02.2026: a fee for an estimate may be charged only if agreed in advance, a fixed price may not be exceeded, and several quotes should be compared by content, not price alone.

Spotted an error in the calculation or the text?

If you notice something that is wrong or unclear: let us know via the contact page. We review every report.

Last reviewed: 21/10/2026 · All calculations run in your browser – inputs are not stored. ·How we check our calculators