How to compare contractor bids

Before comparing totals, check whether each proposal describes the same work. A lower price may cover a smaller scope, a different material, or fewer finishing tasks.

Write down each base price and what it covers. If a proposal separates labor, materials, allowances, or optional work, compare those details too. Keep optional upgrades separate from the work you asked every contractor to price.

When prices differ, ask the contractor to walk through the difference. It may relate to scope, material choices, quantities, an allowance, or work that another proposal leaves out. Ask what an allowance covers and how an unused or insufficient allowance would be handled.

Review the proposed payment milestones alongside the work phases. Ask for unclear amounts, due points, or price conditions to be explained in writing before you decide.

Compare the proposed start window, estimated duration, and any phases or milestones. A schedule is a proposal based on stated conditions, so note what could move it and how updates will be shared.

Ask whether timing depends on product selections, material delivery, access to the work area, weather, or inspections. For each dependency, clarify who will communicate changes and when you should expect an update.

Every proposal is based on information available when it is prepared. Note what the contractor has not inspected or confirmed, such as a hidden condition, measurement, material selection, access detail, or item you plan to supply.

Ask how an unknown could affect price or timing, what would trigger a proposed change, and how the contractor will explain it before proceeding. Clear answers make it easier to compare the assumptions behind each bid.

For each bid, note the base scope, total price, exclusions, proposed timing, and assumptions in the same order. Mark a detail as “not stated” when it is missing rather than filling in the gap yourself. Then ask each contractor focused questions about the differences that matter to you.

You do not have to choose a bid because it is the lowest or highest. This guide does not assess an individual contractor, guarantee a project result, or replace your own review of proposals and follow-up questions.

A Rebidia project can include a description of the work, photos or video, and a bid deadline. Eligible contractors can ask questions in a project thread shared with the homeowner and other eligible contractors. Bid amounts and proposal details are private from other contractors: a contractor can view their own bid, while the homeowner can review bids submitted for their project. Homeowners can compare submitted bids side by side. [2]

Use the shared project description as the common starting point, then review each private proposal for its specific scope, price, timing, and assumptions. Do not put sensitive personal or budget details in a project thread that eligible contractors can read.