Building quotes in Belgium: 7 items to check

A sloppy quote costs both sides. The pro risks a VAT adjustment or a dispute that could have been avoided, and the customer signs without knowing exactly what they are buying. Some items are required by law, such as the company's identity, VAT with its legal wording, or the information on withdrawal rights when the quote is signed at the customer's home. Others are not compulsory but head off plenty of end-of-job arguments. Here are the seven points to check.

1. The contractor's identification

What must appear

• The exact business name (as registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, CBE)
• The legal form (BV/SRL, NV/SA, partnership, sole trader)
• The address of the registered office
• The company number (format BE 0XXX.XXX.XXX)
• The VAT number if the company is VAT-registered
• A business phone number and email address

Why it matters

These details let the customer check the company in the CBE before signing. Our CBE checklist shows how.

2. The customer's identification

What must appear

For a private client:

• First name and surname
• Full address
• Phone number (recommended)
• Email (useful for an electronic signature)

For a business client:

• Business name
• Company number
• VAT number
• Address of the registered office

When the site is not at the customer's address

Give the exact site address too. It matters, among other things, for checking the 6% VAT conditions, which concern the home where the work takes place.

3. A detailed description of the work

What must appear

For each line of the quote:

• A precise description (not "bathroom renovation" but "removal of existing tiles, 12 m², disposal, laying of 60 × 60 tiles supplied by the customer")
• The quantity with its unit (m², linear metre, hour, lump sum)
• The unit price excluding VAT
• The line total excluding VAT

The trap of vague descriptions

A line reading "labour, all trades" for €5,400 tells neither the customer nor the pro what was planned. When a disagreement comes, that line is what everyone argues about. A precise line protects both sides.

4. VAT and its legal wording

What must appear

• The subtotal excluding VAT
• The VAT rate applied, line by line if several rates apply (6%, 12% or 21%)
• The VAT amount
• The total including VAT

Wording by situation

6% rate (renovating a home over 10 years old). Since 1 July 2022, the invoice carries a set legal wording, in French, Dutch or German. In substance: unless the customer objects in writing within one month of receiving the invoice, they are presumed to acknowledge that the home was first occupied in a calendar year at least ten years before the first invoice, that it is used mainly or exclusively as a private home after the work, and that the work is supplied and invoiced to an end consumer; if not, the 21% rate applies and the customer is liable for the tax, interest and fines.

Putting that wording on the quote lets the customer check the conditions before signing. Note that since 29 July 2025, a gas or oil boiler is at 21%, even in a home over 10 years old.

Reverse charge (VAT-registered customer filing periodic returns). The invoice shows no VAT rate or amount and, since 1 January 2023, carries a set wording (in French "Autoliquidation", in Dutch "Verlegging van heffing") stating that, unless the customer objects in writing within one month, they are presumed to be a taxable person required to file periodic returns, and are liable for the tax, interest and fines if that is not the case.

Small business under the VAT exemption scheme. The document shows no VAT and states that the business falls under the exemption scheme. Check the exact wording with your accountant.

All the details are in our article on 6% VAT in Belgium.

5. Payment terms

What must appear

• The payment schedule (deposit, interim payment, balance)
• The amount or percentage of each instalment
• Accepted payment methods (bank transfer, QR code, cash within the legal limit of €3,000 for the whole amount due)
• The payment period
• Any late-payment interest and compensation

Our benchmarks

• Deposit: 20 to 30% on signing seems reasonable to us
• Interim payment: on delivery of materials or halfway through the job
• Balance: on handover of the work, after inspection

A 50% deposit on a small job deserves a question. If the job is financed with a loan (a Rénopack in Wallonia, for instance), no deposit may be paid before the credit agreement is signed: write that into the quote.

6. How long the quote is valid

Why state it

Without a validity period, neither the pro nor the customer knows how long the price holds. To guard against swings in material prices, a serious pro always states it.

In practice

• Simple quote: 30 days
• Complex, phased quote: 60 days
• Quote with imported materials: 90 days, with a price revision clause

Sample wording

"This quote is valid for 30 days from its date of issue. After that period, the contractor reserves the right to revise prices in line with changes in material costs."

7. Withdrawal rights for a quote signed off-premises

When a consumer signs a contract at a distance or away from the company's premises, for example a quote signed at home at the end of a visit, they in principle have a 14-day right of withdrawal. The pro must inform them and hand over the model withdrawal form. It is an often neglected point, and a customer who changes their mind within the period can exercise that right.

On Batizzy, a quote addressed to a consumer (no VAT number and no reverse charge) prints the withdrawal information block and the model form.

Bonus: three useful clauses, none of them compulsory

Force majeure

"In the event of force majeure (persistent bad weather, unavailable materials, an accident on site), completion times are extended by the duration of the event."

Before and after photos

"The customer authorises the contractor to take photos before and after the work for its professional portfolio and the possible settlement of a dispute."

Ten-year liability (structural work)

For major structural work, the contractor is liable for ten years for serious defects that threaten the building's soundness or stability. Mentioning it in the quote reassures the customer; have the wording checked by your legal adviser.

What Batizzy's quote editor does

• It takes your company's identity and numbers from your settings.
• Its VAT assistant suggests 6% or 21% based on your answers and keeps those answers in the quote. Each line can have its own rate.
• The legal wording for 6% is printed as soon as one line uses that rate, and the reverse-charge wording when you switch that regime on.
• The validity period is set in your settings (30 days by default).
• For a consumer, the withdrawal block and the model form are printed with the quote.

Lines for a gas or oil boiler still have to be set to 21% by you. Create my pro account.