Comparing like with like

Two quotes for the same property can differ by a factor of two while both are internally consistent, because they describe different work. One may include access and protection, the other may not. One may allow for substrate repair, the other may assume the substrate is sound. One may price a full element, the other a patch. Until the inclusions are lined up side by side, the difference between the totals carries very little information.

Assumptions do most of the damage

The assumptions in a quote are usually where the money is. A quote that assumes no concealed damage, no asbestos, unrestricted access, and a sound substrate is a much narrower commitment than its bottom line suggests. Those assumptions are often stated in a single line near the end of the document, and they are the first thing to read, not the last.

What a structured comparison produces

A gap analysis sets the documents against each other item by item and identifies three things: what one includes and another omits, where wording is too vague to support reliable pricing, and where the two are pricing genuinely different methodologies. That is a construction exercise, and it is generally the fastest way to work out which quote is actually the outlier.

What we look for

  • Totals compared without a line-by-line comparison of inclusions
  • Exclusions and assumptions buried at the end of the document
  • One quote allowing for access and protection, another silent on it
  • Provisional sums presented as though they were fixed
  • Different methodologies priced as though they were the same work
  • Scope wording too vague for two builders to price consistently

Determination analysis in this category

Important Limitation

This material is general commentary on construction scope and repair methodology. It is not legal advice, financial product advice, insurance claims handling, claims management, or representation of any party in an insurance matter. West Coast Construction Advisory does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and does not provide any service requiring one. Every property and every policy differs. Determinations referred to are summarised in our own words from the published record and turn on their own facts. Nothing here should be relied on as an indication of how any other matter would be decided.