Step-by-step guide

How to compare contractor bids apples to apples

Three bids for the same job can look wildly different because they are not pricing the same job. Level them first, then compare.

1. Send everyone the same written scope

   A room-by-room list of what stays, what goes and what is new, with the specific products you already know you want. Our remodel planning guide shows how to write it.

2. Ask for itemized bids

   At minimum, ask for costs broken out by phase: demolition and disposal, structural, each trade, finishes, permits. A single lump sum is hard to compare.

3. Build a comparison sheet

   One row per item, one column per bid. For each cell write the price, "included", "excluded" or "allowance". Gaps jump out immediately.

4. Check every allowance

   An allowance is a placeholder budget for something you will choose later, like tile or light fixtures. A bid with low allowances looks cheaper but often costs more once you pick real products. Price the items you actually want against each allowance.

5. Read the exclusions

   Look for things like permits, disposal, painting after drywall repairs, moving appliances, or repairs to damage found after demolition.

6. Compare permits and inspections

   Who pulls the permit, is the fee included, and who meets the inspector? A bid that leaves permits out is not comparable to one that includes them.

7. Compare schedule and crew

   Start date, duration, and whether the work is done by the contractor's crew or subcontractors.

8. Compare payment terms

   Deposit size, milestone payments and what triggers each one. Payments tied to completed, inspected work protect you.

9. Compare change-order and hidden-condition terms

   How will extra work be priced? Bids that are vague here can grow quickly.

10. Verify license and insurance

    Before you choose, check each contractor's license with your licensing board and get insurance certificates.

11. Ask follow-up questions in writing

    Send each bidder the gaps you found and let them revise. Then compare the revised totals.

Plan the money, too

Add the leveled bid to permits, disposal, your own purchases and a contingency in the remodel budget calculator, so you know the real total before you sign. Then use these questions on your top pick.

Related: Questions to ask a contractor before you sign · Remodel budget calculator · Kitchen remodel steps in the right order