How to get a fair renovation quote in Croatia

For many foreign owners the hardest part of a renovation in Istria is not choosing tiles. It is knowing whether the price in front of you is fair. Quotes arrive in different formats, some with VAT and some without, some itemised and some a single number, and you are often comparing them from another country.

The good news is that a fair quote is mostly a clear quote. If you know what a good one should contain and how to compare offers like for like, you can spot most problems before you sign anything.

Start with a clear brief

A quote can only be as precise as the request behind it. Before you ask anyone for a price, write down what you want done, room by room. It does not need to be technical, just specific.

• What stays and what goes. Old tiles, the kitchen, doors, a wall you want removed.
• Finish level. Simple and durable for a rental, or higher-end for your own use.
• Who supplies what. Are you buying tiles, sanitaryware or the kitchen yourself, or should the contractor?
• Measurements and photos. Rough room sizes plus photos and a short video of every space.
• Timing and access. When the house is free, whether guests are booked, where the keys are.

What a good quote contains

In Croatia, a detailed quote is often set out as a bill of quantities, called a troškovnik: each line is one item of work with a unit, a quantity, a unit price and a total. That format is your friend, because it shows exactly what has been priced.

• Itemised work by trade. Demolition, plumbing, electrical, screed, tiling, painting as separate lines, not one lump sum.
• Quantities with units. Square metres of tiling, metres of skirting, number of sockets or sanitary pieces.
• Materials. Whether they are included, and if so which type, class or price allowance per square metre.
• Preparation and extras. Protection of floors, rubble removal, scaffolding, final cleaning. These are easy to leave out and expensive to add later.
• VAT. Stated clearly, with the total including VAT.
• Timeline and payment schedule. Expected start, duration and when each payment is due.
• Validity and exclusions. How long the price holds and what is explicitly not included.

Ask how the final invoice will be calculated. Many contractors invoice on measured quantities at the end, so a bathroom that turns out to have 4 m² more wall tiling than estimated will cost more. That is fair, as long as the unit prices stay the same as quoted.

VAT: always compare totals including VAT

The standard VAT rate in Croatia is 25%, and it applies to most renovation work and materials. Some quotes show net prices with VAT added at the bottom, others show gross prices. A quote of 10,000 € plus VAT is 12,500 € in total, so a cheaper-looking offer may simply be one that has not added VAT yet.

Some small businesses are not in the VAT system, and their invoices show no VAT. That is legitimate, and it simply means the price you see is the price you pay. What matters is that you get a proper invoice for the work. We quote all our rough price ranges including VAT for exactly this reason.

Comparing quotes like for like

Once you have two or three quotes, put them side by side and go through them line by line. The cheapest offer is very often the one that left something out.

If two quotes still differ a lot after this exercise, ask both contractors to explain the difference. A good contractor will happily walk you through their numbers.

Red flags to watch for

• One line, one number. A whole bathroom for a round figure with no breakdown makes it impossible to see what is included.
• A large payment before anything happens. A deposit for materials is normal; most of the price up front is not.
• Cash without an invoice. It leaves you with no record of the work and nothing to point to if something goes wrong.
• No start date or no timeline at all. Plans change, but a contractor should be able to give you a realistic window.
• Pressure to decide today. A fair offer will still be fair next week.

Unknowns in old houses: provisional items

In an old stone house nobody can promise a fixed price for what is behind the plaster. Hidden damp, rotten beams or old wiring often only show up once work starts. That is not a trick, it is the nature of old buildings, and our guide to renovating an Istrian stone house explains the usual suspects.

A fair quote deals with this openly. Ask for likely extras to be priced as separate provisional items, for example replastering per m² if the old plaster comes away, or replacing a section of pipe per metre. Then you know in advance what a surprise will cost, and you agree before it is done. For typical ranges, see how much a renovation costs in Istria in 2026.

Use the free tools before you sign

Two simple tools can help you get a feel for the numbers. The free renovation cost calculator gives you a rough range for a bathroom, kitchen, flooring or a whole apartment, so you know roughly what to expect. When you have a quote in hand, our free quote check lets you see whether the prices and the scope look reasonable and what might be missing.

If you would like a quote from us, we start with photos and video on WhatsApp and give you a rough range before anyone visits. After the visit you get an itemised quote for your house or apartment renovation or for a single job such as a bathroom renovation, with one contact person and the right trades from our network. If you are managing everything from abroad, working with tradesmen in Croatia has more practical tips.