Editorial review: 19 September 2026. The examples below are illustrations, not current construction quotations.
One contractor says NGN 28 million. Another says NGN 31 million. You have not found the cheaper builder yet. You have found two totals.
To compare building quotes fairly, give each contractor the same project information, check every inclusion and exclusion, and put unresolved allowances beside the price. Then compare delivery capability and the proposed agreement, not just the final line.
The amounts in this guide are invented examples for learning the method. They are not current Nigerian construction prices or quotations for your house.
Give everyone the same brief
Put the issue date on a shared information pack. Include the available drawings, specifications, site details, intended scope and programme assumptions. Your project professionals should identify what is complete enough to price and what still needs development.
Ask every bidder to identify the documents they used. “As discussed on WhatsApp” is difficult to compare when the discussions were different.
Separate a request for an early estimate from a request for a properly defined tender. Otherwise, you may compare one contractor’s rough allowance with another’s detailed pricing and mistake the difference for efficiency.
RICS describes clear scope and reliable inputs as central to cost prediction. The comparison process below is Lands of Nigeria’s homeowner worksheet, not a RICS certification or a substitute for professional tender analysis. Source: RICS cost prediction.
Use four answers, not just yes or no
Mark each scope item as included, excluded, allowance, or unclear. An allowance means a figure is present but needs its basis explained. Unclear means you need an answer; it does not mean the item costs nothing.
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Design basis | Which drawing and specification revisions did you price? |
| Materials and labour | What is supply-only, labour-only or supply-and-install? |
| Site costs | Who pays for access, temporary services, delivery and storage? |
| Finishes and fittings | Which products or performance specifications are included? |
| External works | What fencing, drainage and external installations are included? |
| Pricing period | When does the offer expire, and what price-change assumptions apply? |
| Payment and changes | What evidence accompanies a payment request or proposed extra? |
| Completion | What tests, documents and outstanding-work process are included? |
A cheaper headline can become the dearer comparison
Hypothetical example: two offers price the same defined building-work package for an imaginary 120-square-metre bungalow with the same ordinary finish specification. This is not a complete project budget. Land, professional fees, approvals, contingency and external works other than the drainage line below are excluded from both. No foundation design, location-specific rate or programme is being recommended.
| Item | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Headline building-work price | 28.0 | 31.0 |
| Doors and windows omitted from A | 2.0 | Included |
| Defined drainage work omitted from A | 0.8 | Included |
| Delivery omitted from A | 0.4 | Included |
| Comparable scope total | 31.2 | 31.0 |
In this invented example, A initially looks NGN 3 million cheaper. After the same specified work is included, A is NGN 200,000 higher. That does not make B the automatic winner. It means the price comparison has become meaningful.
For a real project, have the bidders confirm the missing-work prices and inclusions in writing. Do not fill gaps with numbers from this table. Check that you are not adding work already covered elsewhere, and have tax treatment reconciled on the same basis by the appropriate adviser.
Do not turn an unknown into a saving
If one quote contains an unpriced borehole or an undefined electrical allowance, flag it. Keep an “unresolved” column and do not announce a lowest comparable total until significant gaps have been addressed.
Likewise, a rate for a different material or finish cannot be compared without checking the specification. Ask the architect or relevant engineer to assess proposed substitutions. A smaller structural member or different reinforcement is not an ordinary shopping discount.
Look at the payment pattern as well as the price
Ask each bidder for a proposed sequence of payment requests and the work or procurement those requests cover. Put that sequence beside your project programme and funding plan.
A low total with an unexplained early payment demand may place a different burden on your cash flow. There is no universal deposit percentage prescribed in this guide. The project arrangement, procurement needs and agreed protections matter; discuss the actual agreement with your project professionals and lawyer.
RICS’ cash-flow guidance distinguishes forecasting expenditure from reviewing what actually happens on site. For your comparison, make both the timing and basis of payment visible. Source: RICS cash-flow forecasting.
Ask for evidence of delivery capability
Price is one part of the decision. Ask who will actually supervise the work, which subcontractors are proposed, what comparable projects can be discussed with consenting references, and how defects or delays are reported.
Confirm the identity of the contracting business and the people responsible. Registration alone does not prove competence, and a photograph of a completed building does not establish who built it. Ask permission before contacting past clients or sharing their details.
Record your findings alongside the quotation. Avoid an arbitrary “verified contractor” badge unless you can explain and evidence the checks behind it.
A message you can send with your request
Please price the attached scope using the listed drawing revisions. Identify exclusions, allowances, supply-only items, quotation validity and proposed payment stages. Please also state who will supervise the project and how changes will be priced and approved. Where information is insufficient, list the clarification needed instead of silently assuming a specification.
Before you choose
- Resolve the important differences in scope.
- Recheck the quantities, arithmetic and rate inclusions with a quantity surveyor.
- Review capability and references, not just presentation.
- Have project-specific contractual questions reviewed before signing.
- Keep the agreed final documents together with their revision dates.
Our building and buying cost library helps you explore the separate costs. It does not replace a priced scope for your site.
Next in this series: understand the BOQ behind the quotation, then track progress when building from abroad.
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