Berkshire Bespoke Carpentry
Written Estimates for Insurance and Reinstatement Claims
A formal estimate for an insurer is a different document from a quotation for a homeowner. It itemises the damage, the remedial work, the materials and the labour in a form a claims handler can assess, and it is prepared for submission to your insurer or claims handler. There is a fee of £125 to £250 depending on scope, with no VAT, invoiced before the visit. Our ordinary project quotations remain free.
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Local to Berkshire
Experienced Carpenters
32 years in the trade
Fully Insured
High-Quality Finish
Our Approach
What This Involves
Most of the work we quote is free to price. A homeowner wants new skirting, a repaired window, a replaced door — we visit, assess, and send a written quotation at no charge. That stays true across every service we offer.
A formal insurance or reinstatement estimate is different. It is not a quotation for work we hope to carry out. It is a structured document, itemising damage and remedial work in a form intended for submission to your insurer or claims handler. Preparing it properly takes considerably more time than a standard quote: measuring and recording the damage, specifying matching materials, pricing labour against the scope, and setting the whole document out clearly enough for a claims handler to assess it.
Because of that extra work, we charge a fee of £125–£250, depending on scope and complexity, with no VAT, payable upfront by invoice. The fee is invoiced and paid before the visit takes place, not afterwards.
A site visit is included in that fee wherever one is necessary to assess the damage accurately — most reinstatement estimates need one. For a small number of very straightforward cases, where clear photographs already show the full extent of the damage, we may be able to prepare the estimate without attending the property; we will tell you which applies before taking payment.
Once the visit is complete, we prepare the written estimate itself: the scope of the damage, the remedial work required to put it right, the materials and labour involved, and an itemised breakdown of costs, together with a photographic record where that helps support the claim. The finished document is written for submission to your insurer or claims handler — not for our own use, and not as a sales quotation.
To be clear, because this point causes genuine confusion: if you simply want carpentry work done and there is no insurance claim involved, you order a quotation, not an estimate, and that quotation is free — exactly as it is for staircase upgrades, fitted wardrobes, or any other service on this site.
The Document
What the Estimate Includes
Scope of Damage
A clear, specific description of what has been damaged — which doors, frames, staircases, skirting runs, or structural timber elements are affected, and the extent of each. This is the foundation the rest of the document is built on.
Remedial Work Required
What needs to happen to put the damage right — repair versus replacement, matching an existing profile or species, and any preparatory work such as removing damaged sections before new timber can be fitted.
Materials & Labour
The specific materials required — timber species, ironmongery, fixings, finishes — and the labour needed to carry out the remedial work, broken out so a claims handler can assess each element.
Itemised Costs
A line-by-line cost breakdown rather than a single lump sum, so each element of the damage and repair can be checked and assessed individually against the claim.
Photographic Record
Photographs of the damage, taken at the site visit, included where they support the written description — particularly useful for damage that may be less visible or difficult to describe in words alone.
The Written Document
Everything above is brought together into a single written estimate, formatted clearly and prepared for submission to your insurer or claims handler, with our business details and the date of assessment.
Important
What This Estimate Is Not
This is a carpentry estimate, not a loss assessing service. We do not act as your loss assessor, and we do not represent you in correspondence or negotiation with your insurer. Those are separate, regulated services, and we do not offer them.
We prepare the written document — the scope, the remedial work, the materials, the labour, and the itemised costs — so that you have an independent, professionally prepared estimate to submit yourself.
We cannot say what your insurer or claims handler will do with that document once it is submitted. We set it out clearly and accurately, in a form intended to be assessable, but the decision to accept, query, or request changes to any estimate rests with them, not with us.
How It Works
From Order to Written Estimate
Order & Invoice
You complete the order form below, describing the damage. We confirm scope and send an invoice for the £125–£250 fee, no VAT, payable upfront.
Payment Confirmed
Once payment is received, we arrange the site visit, where one is necessary, at a time that works for you.
Site Visit
We assess and measure the damage, record it photographically where appropriate, and note the remedial work and materials required.
Document Prepared
We itemise the scope, remedial work, materials, labour and costs into a single written document.
Estimate Issued
The finished written estimate is issued to you, ready for submission to your insurer or claims handler.
Pricing
Fees and Cancellation
A formal insurance or reinstatement estimate costs £125–£250, depending on the scope and complexity of the damage, with no VAT, payable upfront by invoice. There is no VAT added, and the fee covers a site visit where one is necessary to assess the damage.
This fee applies only to the formal written estimate described on this page. It does not apply to ordinary project quotations for carpentry work, which remain free, exactly as they are across every other service we provide.
You have a 14-day cancellation right from the point you place your order. We will not begin preparing your estimate, or attend a site visit, within that 14-day period unless you expressly request that we start sooner. That request needs to come from you, in writing, before any work begins within the cancellation period.
Full terms covering payment, cancellation, and the scope of this service are set out on our Terms & Conditions page.
Order an Estimate
Order an Estimate
This fee of £125–£250 (no VAT, payable upfront by invoice) applies to formal insurance and reinstatement estimates only. Ordinary project quotations remain free.
Common Questions
Insurance & Reinstatement Estimates — Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an insurance or reinstatement estimate cost?
A formal insurance or reinstatement estimate costs £125–£250, depending on scope and complexity, with no VAT. The fee is invoiced upfront, before any site visit takes place. This fee applies only to formal estimates prepared for an insurer or claims handler — it does not apply to ordinary project quotations, which remain free.
Are your ordinary project quotes still free?
Yes. The £125–£250 fee applies only to formal written estimates prepared for submission to an insurer or claims handler. If you simply want a price for carpentry or repair work with no insurance claim involved, that quotation remains completely free, as it is for every other service we offer.
What does the written estimate contain?
The estimate sets out the scope of damage, the remedial work required, the materials and labour involved, and an itemised breakdown of costs. Where appropriate, it includes a photographic record. It is a written document prepared for submission to your insurer or claims handler.
Do you visit the property before preparing the estimate?
A site visit is included in the fee where one is necessary to assess the damage accurately. For some straightforward cases with clear photographs and a defined scope, we may be able to prepare the estimate without a visit — we confirm this with you before invoicing.
Can you act as my loss assessor or deal with my insurer directly?
No. We do not provide loss assessing services and do not represent you in dealings with your insurer. We prepare the written estimate itself — the scope, remedial work, materials, labour and costs — for you to submit through your own claim.
Will my insurer accept the estimate?
We prepare an itemised, professionally written estimate in a form a claims handler can assess. What your insurer or claims handler then does with that document — accept it, query it, or request amendments — is a decision made by them, not by us.
Can I cancel my order after I have paid?
Yes. You have a 14-day cancellation right from the point of order. We will not begin work within that 14-day period unless you expressly request that we do so. If you ask us to start sooner, that request needs to be made by you, in writing.
How quickly will I receive the finished estimate?
Turnaround depends on the scope of damage and whether a site visit is needed. Straightforward single-item estimates are often turned around within a few working days of the site visit; more complex, multi-area damage takes longer. We confirm a timescale when we take your order.
Do I need a claim reference number to order an estimate?
No — it is helpful if you have one, as it lets us reference your claim directly in the document, but it is not required to place an order. You can add it to the order form, or send it on separately once you have it.
What kind of damage can you prepare an estimate for?
We prepare estimates for carpentry and joinery damage — doors, window frames, staircases, skirting, flooring, structural timber and fitted joinery — caused by events such as storm damage, burglary, fire, water ingress or impact damage. If your claim covers other trades, we estimate the carpentry element.
Is VAT charged on the estimate fee?
No. The £125–£250 fee is a flat charge with no VAT added, invoiced upfront before any site visit or document preparation begins.
What is the difference between a quotation and an insurance estimate?
A quotation is a price for work we would carry out for you, and it is always free. An insurance estimate is a formal, itemised document prepared for submission to an insurer or claims handler, and it carries a fee of £125–£250 because of the additional detail, structure and record it requires.
Related Services
Often Needed Alongside an Estimate
Burglary Damage Repairs
If your claim relates to a break-in, we carry out the carpentry repairs — doors, frames, locks and surrounding timber — once your estimate has been submitted and agreed.
Window Repairs
Damaged window frames and sashes are one of the most common items on a reinstatement estimate. We repair or replace them once the claim has progressed.
Terms & Conditions
Full terms covering the estimate fee, payment, and your 14-day cancellation right are set out in full on our terms page.
Order Your Insurance Estimate
£125–£250, no VAT, payable upfront by invoice. A site visit is included where one is necessary. Ordinary project quotations remain free.
We prepare insurance and reinstatement estimates across Berkshire, Surrey and South Buckinghamshire: