Get competing bids without losing a week

Getting three bids is good advice. Getting three bids you can actually compare is the hard part. One contractor quotes tile to the ceiling, one quotes 7 feet, one doesn't say. Now you have three prices for three different jobs.

The fix is to write the scope yourself, once, and send the same scope to everyone. Add measurements and photos, and most contractors can give you a ballpark before anyone drives out. You save the site visits for the two or three you're serious about.

Why more than one bid

The Texas Attorney General says the best policy is to get bids from more than one person, in writing, with detail about exactly what will be done (Texas Attorney General).

The FTC says the same: get several written estimates, and don't automatically pick the lowest (FTC).

Three is a good number. Enough to see where the real price sits, not so many that you spend every evening on the phone.

The Attorney General also notes that most legitimate bids fall in a fairly close range. That's only true when they're bidding on the same thing.

Step 1: Write one scope

A scope is a plain list of what you want done. It doesn't have to be fancy. It has to be specific enough that two contractors would price the same job.

For a bathroom, it might look like this:

• Remove the tub and wall tile. Haul off.
• Install a walk-in shower, about 5 ft by 3 ft, tile to the ceiling.
• One niche, about 12 in. by 24 in.
• New floor tile, about 40 sq ft.
• Replace the vanity (I'll pick it; quote install only) and the toilet.
• New shower valve and trim, same location.
• Paint walls and ceiling.
• Not included: moving the toilet or the drain.

Notice what's there: sizes, what's staying where it is, what you're buying yourself, and what's out. Notice what isn't: brand names you haven't chosen.

For those, ask each contractor to use the same allowance, like "$6 per sq ft for wall tile." Then the price difference is labor and approach, not your future tile choice.

If you don't know something, say so in the scope. "Not sure what's under the floor tile" is useful information.

Step 2: Measure, and take the right photos

You don't need to be exact. Close is enough for a ballpark, and the contractor will measure again before a final price.

Measure:

• Each room's length and width, in feet and inches.
• Ceiling height.
• Tub or shower size, and the height you want tile to go.
• Anything that has to fit: a vanity wall, a window, a door swing.

Photograph:

• Each wall, straight on, from the doorway.
• The floor, including where it meets the tub or shower.
• Under the sink (shows the plumbing).
• The electrical panel, if you're adding lights or outlets.
• Anything damaged: stains, soft spots, cracked tile, mold.
• Access: the hallway, the stairs, where a truck would park.

A tape measure next to the thing in the photo helps more than you'd think.

If tile is part of the job, the free tile layout planner shows how much tile a room needs and where a layout should start. It's handy for checking a bid's material numbers.

Step 3: Send it the same way to everyone

Same scope, same measurements, same photos, same deadline. Ask for:

1. A ballpark range from the photos and measurements, if they're willing.
2. Whether they need a site visit before a firm price, and what they'd look at.
3. When they could start, roughly.

Some contractors won't give a number without seeing the house. That's fair, especially when hidden conditions matter. But a quick range helps you decide who gets a visit. If one ballpark is twice the others, ask why before anyone drives over.

Step 4: Site visits for the short list

Two or three visits, not six. Have your scope printed. Walk them through it. Let them ask questions, and write down anything that changes the scope. Then send that change to everyone else too. The scope stays the same for all.

Pay attention to what they notice. A contractor who opens the vanity, looks at the floor near the tub and asks how old the house is, is pricing the real job.

What to ask for in the bid

A bid you can compare has these in writing:

• The scope, in their words, matching yours. If they've changed something, they should say what and why.
• Line items or at least sections: demo, plumbing, tile, electrical, paint. A single number with no breakdown can't be compared.
• Materials: what's included, allowances and what happens if you go over.
• Exclusions. What they're assuming you or someone else will handle.
• Hidden conditions. How they'll handle what they find behind the wall: stop, show you, price it in writing first.
• Schedule: start date and how many working days.
• Payment schedule: what you pay and when. See how much to pay up front.
• Permits: who pulls them and whether they're in the price.
• How long the price is good for.

These are the same parts that belong in the final contract. See what a fair remodel contract looks like in Texas.

Comparing the bids

Put them side by side, section by section. A simple table on paper works.

Here's an example from Cedar Hollow, with made-up numbers:

C isn't really $4,900 cheaper than A. C left out the valve and didn't say about the niche or the tile height. B includes paint, which A excludes. Once you add the gaps, the bids may be closer than they look.

The Attorney General warns about the "low-ball" bid: a price far below the rest may leave out tasks you expect, or use cheap labor or materials. Ask the low bidder to price the same scope as the others. If they won't, that's an answer.

The lowest price isn't the goal. The best value is the bid that covers your whole scope, from a contractor you've checked out, with a schedule and payment plan you're comfortable with.

Being fair to the contractors

Contractors spend real time on a bid. A few habits make you someone they want to work for:

• Tell them how many bids you're getting.
• Don't share one contractor's price with another to drive it down.
• Tell the ones you don't pick. A one-line text is enough.
• Don't ask for a free design. Pay for design if you need it.

Sources

• Office of the Texas Attorney General, "How to Avoid Home Improvement Scams": texasattorneygeneral.gov
• Federal Trade Commission, "How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam" (July 2022): consumer.ftc.gov