A quote you cannot fully read and a builder waiting for an answer. Here is how to get a first, independent read of a Croatian quote in English or German, and what to do with it.
If you own or are buying a property in Istria and live elsewhere, the builder's quote usually reaches you as a Croatian PDF or a photo of a printed table. A translation app turns it into something readable, but not into something you can judge. Is that line for supply and fixing, or labour only? Is VAT included? Is anything obvious simply missing?
That gap is what Atrij's builder's quote check is for. You upload the quote as you received it, in Croatian, and read the result in English. The same check works in German. The basic result is free, and you do not need an account to use it.
Why a quote you cannot read is a real risk
Most costly mistakes in a renovation happen before any work starts, at the moment you accept a price. A quote is not just a total; it is a list of what the builder promises to do, item by item. If you cannot read the items, you cannot see what is left out, and what is left out is usually what you pay for later. Our article on what builders often leave out of a quote lists the usual suspects.
Owners from abroad face this more often than locals: they are not on site, they rely on one builder recommended by someone, and they are often under time pressure because the season is coming. A calm, independent first read before you reply is worth a few minutes.
Which languages the tools work in
Atrij's tools run in three languages: Croatian, English and German. You can switch between them with the language selector at the top of the page. Readers who use Atrij in Slovenian or Italian are taken to the English version of the tools. Whichever language you choose, the quote itself can stay in Croatian; the upload page says so in plain words.
Step by step: what the check asks for
The check is a short form in four steps, with a progress bar at the top. The page says it takes a couple of minutes, and in our run-through it did.
- Upload the quote. A PDF, a photo (JPG or PNG) or an Excel file (XLSX), up to 10 MB. A clear photo of a printed quote is fine; make sure every page and the totals are readable.
- Where is the property? Choose the county from a list. Prices differ between Croatian counties, and Istria is a county of its own; in the English and German versions it sits at the top of the list. You can add the town if you like.
- Type of project. Flat renovation, house renovation, bathroom, kitchen, facade, roof, electrical work, plumbing or other.
- A few details. All optional: the floor area, whether materials are included, whether VAT (PDV) is included, and a free text box for anything else. If you are not sure, leave the answer at “Not sure”.
The last two fields are worth a moment. Whether materials and VAT are included changes how every price in the quote should be read, and Croatian quotes do not always say it clearly at the top. If the quote mentions PDV only at the very end, or not at all, say “Not sure” and ask the builder.
What you get back
The free basic result gives you, in the language you chose, the total, a rating, the details read from the quote, a short assessment, how much of it could be compared and up to three items furthest above the market range for the region, each with the quoted price, the range and how far above it is. Every item, the warnings and questions for the builder are in the detailed check. Atrij also publishes a sample result page, in Croatian, which shows the idea: the total, a short verdict, how many items stand out from the usual price range, which important items are not clearly defined, and a recommendation.
A more detailed check is planned as a paid option. At the time of writing, payment for it had not yet opened, and the basic result is free. You do not have to buy anything to get a useful first read.
You do not need to read Croatian to ask the right questions. You need to know which questions to ask.
A few Croatian words to know before you upload
The result does the reading for you, but a handful of words will help you follow the conversation with the builder afterwards. Our glossary of Croatian quote terms has the full list; these are the ones that matter most.
- Ponuda. The quote itself.
- Troškovnik. The bill of quantities: the list of items, units and quantities that the quote prices.
- Dobava i ugradnja. Supply and fix: the builder provides the material and installs it. Ugradnja alone means labour only.
- Jedinična cijena. Unit price, per m², m', piece or kg.
- Paušal. A lump sum with no quantity, which is hard to check.
- PDV. VAT. Check whether prices are shown with or without it.
Checking the material part of the price
Many quote lines combine material and labour. To get a feel for the material side, Atrij's building material prices lists published prices from large retailers in Croatia, each with the date it was last checked. One practical tip for foreign owners: product names are shown as the retailers list them, in Croatian, so the search works best with Croatian words. The tool itself suggests cement, ljepilo (adhesive) and stiropor (EPS insulation). The catalogue is still growing, so not every material is there yet.
What the check is not
The tools' own terms are clear: the results are informative estimates, not a binding offer, not an expert report and not a substitute for a licensed engineer or architect. Use the check to prepare, not to decide on its own. For a large project, the best second opinion is still a professional who has seen the site. And if the quote becomes part of a contract, have the contract itself read by a lawyer who works in Croatian before you sign.
If you have more than one quote, run each of them through the check and then compare them line by line; how to compare three builder quotes fairly explains how. If you are still at the stage of buying, our guide to buying property in Croatia as a foreigner covers the wider picture.
One last line worth looking for: fitted furniture. If kitchens or wardrobes appear as a single lump sum, it is worth pricing them separately. Our partner atelier makes furniture to measure in plywood and shows it as a render before anything is built.
