What does a commercial clearance quote actually include?
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Two clearance quotes are comparable only when they cover the same work. One may remove identified sale assets; another may include dismantling and a specified waste stream. Neither description automatically promises an empty, clean building.
Ask for an itemised scope linked to the site inventory. The purpose is to find gaps and overlaps before work begins, not to make every contractor offer an identical service.
Put the quotes into one comparison
Use the actual wording from each proposal. Mark an item unknown if the quote does not address it.
| Work item | Quote A | Quote B | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identified sale assets | Listed references only | Listed references only | Do both use the same schedule version? |
| Utility disconnection | Excluded | Separately priced | Which assets and services are covered? |
| Dismantling | Selected items | Scope unclear | What remains attached to the building? |
| Loading and transport | One collection visit | Two planned visits | What happens if access prevents completion? |
| Waste removal | Excluded | Named streams only | Which materials, quantities and destinations? |
| Making good | Excluded | Specific repairs listed | Is the required final condition covered? |
| Cleaning | No allowance | Defined sweep only | Is that the agreed completion standard? |
These fictional comparison entries illustrate how to read scope. They are not typical UK Auction Group terms or a guide to market prices.
A blank in the table is a question, not an implied inclusion. Obtain the answer in writing and keep it with the accepted proposal.
Separate three kinds of money
A clearance may involve sale proceeds, service charges and third-party costs. Record each on its own basis before comparing an overall estimate.
Ask whether a price depends on quantities, weight, working time, vehicle visits or a fixed listed scope. Establish the treatment of VAT and any provisional sums from the quote itself. Do not assume a credit for equipment will offset all clearance costs.
Where the proposal depends on sale results, distinguish estimated proceeds from guaranteed contractual amounts. An optimistic asset value is not cash available to pay a contractor.
The removal-cost budget helps identify disconnection, handling, transport and other costs without counting the same activity twice.
Check the site assumptions
A fixed quote can still have conditions. Confirm the access window, available utilities, loading provision, parking, welfare arrangements and who will move stock that obstructs the route.
Use the collection planning brief to identify dependencies. For example, a contractor may price removal of an already disconnected machine. If disconnection has no owner, the apparent complete quote still contains a gap.
Record how scope changes will be proposed and approved. A newly discovered container or a blocked access route needs a decision, not an informal expansion of the job.
Define the waste boundary and completion evidence
The business-waste guidance explains responsibilities and routes to national requirements. Waste handling should identify what is being removed and the appropriate authorisations; a general "clear all rubbish" line is insufficient evidence of the intended route.
Use reuse and waste separation to distinguish assets being sold from material assigned to waste handling. Do not assume one contractor's authority covers every stream found onsite.
Agree the final walk-through evidence: removed lot references, unresolved items, waste documentation where applicable, photographs and named acceptance of outstanding work. Define whether floors, fixings, services and residual contents fall within the price.
Send the comparison and inventory to UK Auction Group. A discussion based on exact inclusions is more useful than asking why two different scopes have different totals.
Sources
This guide gives general information. Equipment-specific, legal, tax and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser or competent specialist. The guides do not promise sale prices, fees or results.