Two-scope cost comparison
Compare two entered budgets while keeping preparation, application, water, aftercare and tax visible.
Calculation basis
Each subtotal is the sum of four entered scope components. Total = subtotal × (1 + tax fraction). Unit comparison = total ÷ entered comparable area.
User-entered budgets only; no market prices are supplied. Equal arithmetic totals do not establish equal scope, insurance, performance, qualification or suitability. Confirm inclusions, exclusions, commercial terms and the correct tax treatment independently.
Put both proposals on a common scope
Enter a comparable net area and separate costs for preparation, application and materials, access and water provision, and establishment care. A missing item should be resolved before comparing totals. Enter zero deliberately only when the item is genuinely outside the entered budget or is included elsewhere and clearly recorded.
The worksheet supplies no market rate. You may enter a contractor proposal or your own explicitly labelled budget assumptions, but the output remains arithmetic based on those inputs. It does not establish availability, professional qualification or a commercial commitment.
Read the difference before choosing a proposal
The model totals each scope, applies the entered tax percentage and shows the difference. It also divides each total by the comparable area. A lower total or unit figure does not establish better value when materials, preparation, responsibilities or acceptance criteria differ.
Check the treatment of tax and exclusions
The same entered tax fraction is applied to the full subtotal in each scenario. Actual tax treatment, discounts, credits, inclusions and commercial terms may require a different calculation and appropriate review. This tool does not determine the applicable tax rate or produce an invoice.
Use the result to frame better questions
Carry the breakdown into a scope discussion, alongside the mapped boundary and material requirements. Ask who provides water, who prepares and releases the seedbed, who performs care and how unresolved items are addressed. The enquiry brief preserves both entered scopes so a single total does not hide the assumptions behind the comparison.