Why Construction Tenders Exceed Initial Budget Guidelines
Monday 14 September 2026
Quantity surveyor Shay Lally has highlighted why real-world building tenders often surpass general cost guides, pointing to overlooked structural alterations and essential remedial works.
Quantity surveyor Shay Lally, of Houses to Restore, has cautioned that general cost guidelines often fail to match actual tender returns due to overlooked structural and remedial works.
According to Lally, general budgetary guides are only intended as initial planning figures rather than exact construction quotes. These baseline estimates do not account for the specific design, unique site conditions, or physical state of an existing building. Homeowners frequently experience a discrepancy between initial estimates and final contractor tenders because key construction elements are omitted during early budgeting stages.
In particular, Lally highlighted that structural alterations are frequently missed. This includes the complex engineering and building work required to safely connect an old house to a new extension, such as removing rear walls.
Additionally, essential remedial works are regularly overlooked. Homeowners often fail to budget for rectifying pre-existing issues, such as dampness or roof defects, which must be resolved before any standard renovation or extension work can commence.