Three contractors. Three different numbers. How do you know which one is complete?

Get the free Contractor Bid Comparison Checklist. Print it, put it next to your proposals, and find out what each one actually includes.

Hi, I am Lior Mazor. I run Hillstar Construction, and I build and remodel homes in the San Fernando Valley.

If you are holding two or three written proposals right now, you already know the problem. The numbers are far apart, and nobody has explained why.

Here is what I have learned from being on both sides of that conversation for years. Most of the time the proposals are not describing the same job. One includes demolition and disposal. One assumes your plumbing is fine. One set the tile allowance low and one set it at more than double that. One wrote down what is not included and one did not write anything down, so it looks cheaper.

That is not usually somebody trying to trick you. It is usually just short writing. But it means comparing the totals tells you almost nothing.

So I put together the checklist I actually use when I look at a proposal. You print it, lay your proposals side by side, and tick the boxes. When you are done, the empty boxes are your questions, and they are normally exactly where the price difference is hiding.

What is on it:

• The items a written proposal or estimate should cover, grouped so you can go down them quickly
• A plain explanation of what each one means and why it matters
• Why the lowest price is often not the lowest final cost, without assuming anyone is being dishonest
• How allowances, exclusions, concealed conditions and extra work really work
• How to check a contractor's licence in about two minutes

It is free, it is written for homeowners rather than for contractors, and it works on anybody's proposal. Including mine.