CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskTwenty years of costing against SOR in practice -- how the schedule works, how to read a quote against it, and where contractors pad margins.
The National Housing Federation Schedule of Rates is a comprehensive, published pricing schedule for maintenance, repair and refurbishment works in residential properties. Its value is transparency: the rates are published, auditable, and updated periodically. A contractor pricing against SOR is showing their working -- you can verify each element.
The NHF SOR is organised by trade: Groundworks, Drainage, Brickwork, Roofing, Carpentry, Internal Finishes, Plumbing, Heating, Electrical, Glazing, and Decoration. Within each trade, individual tasks are listed with a base unit rate -- typically expressed as a cost per linear metre, per square metre, per item, or per unit. Base rates assume South East of England costs, with regional adjustment factors for other areas.
When you receive a quote, ask the contractor to provide a breakdown by task -- not just a lump sum. Compare each task against the relevant SOR rate for your region. If the contractor's rate is significantly above SOR (more than 15-20%), ask for justification. Legitimate reasons include: specialist equipment, access difficulties, infection control requirements, or material specification above the SOR assumption.
In care home pricing, the tasks most commonly priced significantly above SOR are: making good after trades (SOR includes this and it should not be charged separately); preliminary costs (legitimate on larger projects but often over-specified for small works); and waste disposal (SOR includes normal trade waste). These are the line items to examine first.
SOR rates are calibrated for residential maintenance. Care homes introduce additional costs: infection control compliance, out-of-hours working, and enhanced quality control. A care home premium of 10-15% above base SOR rates is reasonable. More than this requires justification.
The NHF SOR was updated in 2025, reflecting significant increases in materials and labour costs since the 2021 edition. The 2025 uplift was approximately 12-18% across most trades, driven primarily by plumbing and electrical labour costs. Rebase your benchmarks before using them to assess current quotes.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.