A verbal or email estimate of the likely costs is, of course, free, and if you are happy for us to start then we will review/update the estimate as part of the first hour onsite, once we've had the chance to investigate and discuss details with you. If there are significant tasks involved then we will try to give you an indication of the total cost per task, so that you can decide whether or not to proceed.
We aim to keep things simple, and avoid charging you any 'extras' - unless agreed in advance our time to get to you, and basic 'consumables' are included in the hourly rate. If we have the necessary parts in stock (either in the car, or back at the workshop), then we'll just use them, with no charge to you - this is all part of our commitment to reuse materials and minimise waste.
If the best answer (for you) is for us to purchase additional new items for your job, then we are absolutely happy to do so, butwe may have to charge for our time to investigate, source and collect any parts. In all instances we will assess whether it is better to purchase the items in larger quantities in order to obtain discounts, and then sharing the costs with you so you pay less overall. Obviously if you would prefer to research and purchase them yourselves then that's absollutely fine.
We will only ask for payment in advance in exceptional circumstances (eg we need to buy significant materials on your behalf).