What's Not in the Quote: Spotting 別途 Exclusions in Japanese Contractor Estimates
A few years ago I picked the cheapest of three quotes for a bathroom refresh at one of our properties. It looked like a clear win: the total was noticeably lower than the other two, and the scope seemed identical. Then the invoice arrived with two extra lines. One was for hauling away the old unit bath and the other was for “materials as required.” The cheap quote ended up costing more than the middle one.
I later noticed that both items had been marked 別途 (“separately”) in a single small line at the bottom of the original 見積書. I just didn’t know to look for it.