The homeowner journey
Requesting building quotes online, step by step
What happens between the moment you describe your project and the moment you leave a review, seen from your side. You will also see what contractors read in your request, and what they never get to see. No promises about timing here: just how it really works.
From description to review
You stay in control: nothing is posted, accepted or paid unless you do it.
Step 1. You describe the job
A title, a few lines, the type of work and the postcode are enough to start. If you can, add a budget range and the date you would like to start: a pro prices more accurately when they know what they are getting into.
Not sure how to describe it? Take up to five photos and explain the problem out loud. The assistant turns it into a sheet: what it sees, the dimensions to confirm, the questions a tradesperson would ask first. You correct the sheet, then it fills in the form.
- No exact address needed: the postcode and town are enough.
- The assistant never gives a price.
- If your connection drops, what you typed stays saved on your device.
Example of a sheet the assistant produces from photos and a dictated description: what is visible, the dimensions to confirm and two questions a tradesperson would ask. You correct it, then the sheet fills in the request
Step 2. You post the request
Until you post it, the request stays a draft only you can see. Once posted, it joins the list of open jobs: pros who cover your postcode see it at the top, others further down.
Pros read your request along with the town and postcode. They are not shown your email address or your phone number.
- Change of plan? A posted request can be cancelled. It is not erased, so pros who already sent you a quote know where they stand.
Step 3. Pros message you, then price the job
An interested pro can message you before pricing ("is the cellar accessible?") or send their quote straight away. Everything goes through the project messages, where it stays dated.
On a quote you receive, you ask your question on the line it concerns, for instance "is rubble removal included?". The pro answers on the quote itself, and the answer stays there.
- A quote still waiting for your answer? Three days after it arrives, Batizzy reminds you by email.
- We promise neither a number of quotes nor a timeframe: it depends on the pros active near you.
Step 4. You compare the quotes
The comparison lines up the quotes received for your project: total incl. and excl. VAT, gap with the cheapest, requested deposit, validity, announced start date, VAT rate, review rating. By default they appear in order of arrival.
You can sort them by price, validity or rating. Batizzy does not rank them, puts no "best choice" label on any of them, and no pro pays to jump the queue.
Example: three quotes for an 80 m² roof renovation in Namur, lined up on one page with the total incl. VAT, the gap with the cheapest, the deposit and the validity. 3 quotes, one format
Step 5. You accept online
If the pro planned options or variants ("tile A or B"), you choose them before accepting, and the total is recalculated in front of you.
When you accept, Batizzy records the date and time, the digital fingerprint of the quote as you accepted it and the version of the terms and conditions. The job moves to "in progress" and the other quotes to "refused": you do not have to tell each pro one by one.
- Receiving a quote commits you to nothing. Accepting it is what binds you.
- The chosen pro then sees your email address, to organise what comes next.
Step 6. You follow the works, then leave a review
The project becomes the file for the works. The pro adds their worksheets: you sign them on their phone at the end of a visit, or remotely through a link. Their invoices land in the same place, with a QR code you scan in your banking app.
When everything is done, you close the project and can leave a review; the pro can reply once. If you disagree, you open a dispute from the project, and the Batizzy team proposes mediation based on the stored messages.
- The money goes from your account to the pro's. Batizzy never touches it and takes nothing from it.
Check these four points before you pick a quote
The total takes a second to read. What makes the difference often sits elsewhere.
The VAT rate
6% for renovating a private home over ten years old, invoiced to the final consumer; 21% in most other cases. Two quotes at different rates cannot be compared on the total.
What is included
Compare the lines, not just the totals. A quote without waste removal or floor protection looks cheaper, until you have to add them.
The deposit
A deposit is normal; a large one asked for long before work starts deserves a question. The comparison shows the percentage each pro asks for.
Start date and validity
The cheapest pro who can only start in six months is not always the right choice. And a quote past its validity can no longer be accepted: ask for a new version.
Further reading
Your questions about requesting a quote
How long does it take to get a quote?
We do not promise a timeframe. It depends on how many pros are active near you, the type of work and how busy they are. Clear photos and a precise description help pros price the job, or at least know what to ask you.
Can I ask a specific contractor for a quote?
Yes. From a pro's public page, you can message them once logged in, or book a visit slot if they have opened online booking. They can then send you a quote directly.
Can I change or withdraw my request?
While it is a draft, you edit or delete it as you like. Once posted, you can cancel it: it leaves the list of open jobs but stays in your history, and in that of the pros who already answered.
Should I pick the cheapest quote?
Not necessarily, and the comparison does not push you towards it: no quote is highlighted. Look at what is included, the deposit, the start date and the reviews. A more expensive but complete quote can cost less in the end than a low one that leaves items out.
How do I pay the pro?
Directly, by bank transfer. Every invoice issued in Batizzy carries a QR code and a structured communication: you scan the code with your banking app. Batizzy never receives the money for the works and takes no commission on it.
Start with a draft
Nothing is posted until you decide. Create your free account, describe the job, read it over, and post it when the request looks right.