Cladding quoting is where most of the risk in an external wall project sits, and it is not the number at the bottom. Two quotes for the same elevation can differ because one includes removal and substrate repair and the other does not, which makes the totals meaningless as a comparison until the scope lines are aligned.

This guide sets out what a cladding quote has to establish, how the line items should be structured, what to compare, and where quoting practice goes wrong.

What a Cladding Quote Has to Establish

Every cladding quote has to state the area and heights, what is being removed, the substrate condition, the system, the accessories and the exclusions.

Area and heights come first because they set access. A single-storey rear wall and a two-storey street elevation with a steep pitch may cover similar areas and require completely different access arrangements. Where a quote describes the work in square metres without reference to height or access, the two are not comparable.

Removal is the second line. Whether the existing cladding or render is removed, and how it is disposed of, changes the scope substantially, and it is also the point at which the condition of the frame becomes visible. A quote that assumes a sound substrate without stating that assumption is a quote that will be varied.

The system is the third. The quote should name the board or panel, the profile and thickness, the battens and cavity, the moisture management layer, the flashings and trims, the fixing method and the coating system. Where those are described generically, the difference between two quotes may be nothing more than the material specification.

Components of a Comparable Cladding Quote

A quote that can be compared has separate lines for removal, substrate preparation, framing and cavity, cladding, flashing and trims, coating, access and waste.

Substrate preparation is the line most often missing. It covers the work required to bring the wall to a condition the cladding can be fixed to: repairing decayed framing, replacing damaged sheathing, correcting an out-of-line wall and treating or removing salt-affected material. Where that line is absent, the cost reappears later as a variation, and by then the cladding may already be off the wall.

Accessories are the next line to check. Flashings, corner boards, trims, cavity closers and the base detail are small items that carry most of the water management, and a quote that lists the cladding but not the accessories is not describing a complete system. The same applies to fixings, which have to be suited to the exposure.

Coating is the last item, and it should name the system and the number of coats. A quote that leaves coating to the owner is legitimate, provided it says so, because the wall has to be coated within a defined period after installation. Where coating is included but described only as “paint”, the specification is not yet defined.

Cladding Quote Selection Criteria That Actually Matter

The criteria for judging a quote are completeness, how it handles unknowns, what it excludes, and whether the specification is specific enough to be verified.

Reading a cladding quote line by line

Line	What it should say	Warning sign
Removal and disposal	What is removed, how it is disposed of	Silent on removal
Substrate	Assumption recorded, process for worse conditions	“Make good as required” with no basis
System	Board or panel, battens, cavity, membrane	Generic “cladding” with no profile
Accessories	Flashings, trims, cavity closers, base detail	Cladding listed with no accessories
Coating	System name and number of coats	Included but undefined
Access and waste	Scaffold or platform, skip, protection	Neither mentioned

The way a quote handles unknowns is the strongest signal of how the project will run. Conditions behind cladding cannot be seen until it comes off, so every quote contains an assumption; the question is whether the assumption is stated and whether the process for a variation is described. A quote that documents what it assumes, and what happens if the assumption proves wrong, is easier to work with than one that simply omits the possibility.

Where a quote is being compared against another, aligning the scope lines first is the only way to compare totals. The building requirements behind the specification itself sit in the National Construction Code, with materials and installation standards published through Standards Australia. Where the elevation is close to a boundary or the site is in a bushfire-prone area, the fire provisions that apply are summarised by the Australian Building Codes Board.

What Sits Above and Around a Cladding Scope

A cladding scope depends on the eaves above it, the openings within it, the base below it and the trades working alongside it.

The eaves and roof line determine both the water load and the access. Where a roof overhang is deep, the eaves themselves may need repair before the wall is reclad, and where a gutter or downpipe is discharging onto the wall the drainage is part of the scope even though it is not cladding.

Openings are the second dependency. Windows, doors, vents and services all interrupt the cladding, and each needs a flashing detail. Where windows are being replaced in the same project, the sequence matters: cladding and window installation have to be coordinated so that the flashing is installed once, in the right order, rather than twice around each opening.

The base and the trades around it are the third. Landscaping, paving and decks affect the base clearance, and painting, roofing, plumbing and electrical work all interact with the elevation. A scope that lists the cladding but not those interfaces will still have to absorb them somewhere, which is usually at the client’s expense and after the cladding is on.

Sequence, Access and Trade Interfaces in the Quote

The quote should state the sequence it assumes, the access it provides for, and the trades it expects to work around.

Sequence is usually removal, inspection, substrate repair, flashing, cladding, then coating, with services set out before closure. Where the project involves window replacement, roof work or rendering, the sequence changes, and the quote should say which order it has allowed for. Most disputes about external wall work are sequence disputes rather than workmanship disputes.

Access is the largest single variable and should be named. Scaffolding, elevated work platforms, edge protection and the permits they require are all part of the scope, and where the quote assumes that the owner provides access, that assumption needs to be visible.

Occupancy is the third interface. Where a wall adjoins a neighbouring property, sits above a garden, or is next to a pool, the protection of those surfaces and the working hours available become part of the scope. Recording those conditions at the quotation stage avoids variation later, and for storm-exposed sites the general preparation guidance published by DFES is a useful prompt for what to protect.

Inspection Points and Tolerances to Check

Check the specification in the quote, check the substrate once removal is complete, and check the flashing details before the cladding closes them.

At quotation stage, the only inspection available is of the quote itself and the elevation. Walking the wall with the person quoting, or supplying photographs with a scale, allows the assumptions in the quote to be tested against what is visible: cracking, staining, movement, failed coatings and previous repairs are all evidence of what may be found behind the cladding.

Once removal is complete, the substrate condition should be recorded before repairs are carried out, because that record is the basis for any variation and for the decision about whether the frame needs work. Photographs with a scale, the extent of any decay and the moisture reading are the standard evidence.

During installation, the flashing details are checked before they are covered. That is the point at which a wrong-way flashing or a missing cavity closer can be corrected cheaply, and after closure the same defect costs the cladding. Recording those checks makes the quote’s quality claim verifiable, and the wider material performance questions are covered in the YourHome construction systems guidance.

Where Cladding Quoting Goes Wrong

Quoting goes wrong when scope lines are vague, when the substrate assumption is unstated, and when accessories and coating are left out of the description.

A vague line is not a flexible one; it is an unpriced risk. “Supply and install cladding to the western elevation” describes an outcome rather than a scope, and every decision that follows — board type, cavity, flashing, coating, access — will be settled by whoever is doing the work. That is acceptable where the specification is genuinely open and the client knows it, and unacceptable where the client believes the specification has been chosen.

An unstated substrate assumption is the most common source of variation. Cladding work reveals what is behind the wall, and the condition found is not always what the survey suggested. A quote that records its assumption and describes how a variation would be handled and approved gives the client a decision point rather than a surprise.

Missing accessories and undefined coating are the third problem, and they usually appear as a cost at the end. The fix is simple: a quote should list the accessories as separate items and name the coating system, because those two lines carry most of the wall’s long-term performance. For the wall beside the cladding, the internal work is described on the wall and partition service page, and related guides are indexed under knowledge.