Why QuoteTrace?
Because building work rarely goes exactly to plan.
Quotes change. Extra work gets suggested. Variations arrive. And sometimes it's difficult to tell exactly what's different from what you originally agreed.
QuoteTrace was created to make those changes easier to understand.
Original quote
£18,500
New request
+£1,850
QuoteTrace
"What appears to have changed?"
The problem is bigger than it looks.
4.8 million
UK homeowners experienced a problem with their most recent home repair in the last 18 months.
£750
Around 1.7 million had to pay extra to fix earlier work or paid more than expected — losing £750 on average.
1 in 10
For 1 in 10, the extra cost was more than £5,000.
Source: Citizens Advice, July 2026. These figures describe home repairs generally, not QuoteTrace users.
When the price of building work changes, understanding exactly what you're being asked to pay for matters.
That's why we created QuoteTrace.
When the price changes, the paperwork can get confusing.
You may have an original quote sitting in your inbox, followed by a variation, additional charge, invoice or email explaining why the price has changed.
The difficult part isn't always the amount.
It's understanding exactly what has changed — and whether the new request appears to relate to something already described in the original documents.
An original quote
You agreed a price and scope based on the documents you were given.
A new charge
Your contractor sends a variation, additional work request or revised price.
Questions
You want to understand what changed before deciding what to do next.
Why we created QuoteTrace
QuoteTrace was created around a simple idea:
Before you agree to pay more, you should be able to see what appears to have changed.
Building work can involve lots of paperwork, technical descriptions and changes along the way. Comparing two documents line by line isn't always easy — especially when you're trying to understand the practical difference between the original quote and a new request.
QuoteTrace helps turn that comparison into something easier to understand.
Not a verdict. Just a clearer picture of the documents.
What QuoteTrace actually does
Compares your documents
QuoteTrace compares your original quote or agreement with the new charge, variation, invoice or request.
Shows what appears to have changed
It highlights differences between the documents and explains them in plain English.
Points out what's unclear
If something isn't clear from the documents, QuoteTrace identifies it rather than guessing.
Helps you ask better questions
QuoteTrace can suggest questions you may want to ask your contractor based on what the documents appear to show.
Built to work from the documents — not assumptions.
QuoteTrace is deliberately document-based.
If something isn't mentioned in the documents, QuoteTrace shouldn't simply assume that it applies.
For example, it shouldn't introduce topics such as VAT, insurance or timescales unless they are mentioned in the documents or directly relevant to something stated in them.
If it isn't in the documents, we don't want to pretend it is.
- Documents say
- "Floor preparation included"
- New request
- "Additional floor preparation — £450"
- QuoteTrace
- The documents appear to contain potentially overlapping descriptions. Consider asking your contractor to clarify what additional work the £450 covers.
What QuoteTrace doesn't do
QuoteTrace is designed to help you understand the documents. It isn't designed to make decisions for you.
- It doesn't decide whether your builder is overcharging you.
- It doesn't decide whether a charge is legally owed.
- It doesn't decide whether your contractor is being dishonest.
- It doesn't provide legal, surveying, engineering or financial advice.
- It doesn't tell you whether you must or must not pay.
Instead, QuoteTrace gives you a clearer starting point for a conversation with your contractor.
Sometimes the most useful thing is knowing what to ask.
A new charge isn't always straightforward.
It may be genuinely new work. It may relate to something already described in the original documents. Or the documents may simply not contain enough information to tell.
QuoteTrace is designed to help you identify which parts deserve a closer look.
Understand first. Ask questions. Then decide what to do.
Three simple steps
- 1
Upload
Upload your original quote and the new charge, variation or other request.
- 2
Compare
QuoteTrace compares the documents and identifies differences, potential overlap and unclear information.
- 3
Understand
Review the findings and questions you may want to raise with your contractor.
Your documents are yours.
QuoteTrace is designed around a simple principle: your building documents are private.
- No account needed to run a basic comparison.
- Your documents aren't shared with your contractor.
- Payments are handled securely by Stripe.
- Results are accessed through a hard-to-guess link.
- Result links expire after 7 days.
Built for homeowners
QuoteTrace is designed for UK homeowners dealing with building work and changes to project costs.
- Extensions
- Renovations
- Kitchens and bathrooms
- Roofing
- Flooring
- Groundwork
- Repairs
- Other residential building work
Before you agree to pay more, check what changed.
Upload your original quote and the new request and get a clearer picture of what the documents appear to show.
Free to try · No account needed · UK homeowners