Bid comparison worksheet

Get more than one estimate for a home project, and don't pick the lowest bid automatically. Bids are hard to compare when each contractor writes them differently. This worksheet puts up to three bids in one table, so a missing line stands out.

What's in it

• A row for each part of a bid. The rows run from the license number and the total price to the warranty and the cleanup.
• Three columns. There's one for each contractor.
• A Notes section. It holds anything one bid includes and another leaves out.
• A Before you send box. It has four checks to make before you tell a contractor you've chosen them.

How to fill it in

Fill in one column per bid, straight from the written estimate. A written estimate should describe the work, the materials, the completion date and the price.

Write the materials exactly as each bid names them. A thorough bid names the maker and the brand, not just "install kitchen cabinets". A bid that leaves them out can't be compared with one that names them.

Note who gets the permits and how the payments are scheduled. If one price is far from the others, ask that contractor to explain it.

Fill in the license and insurance rows for each bid. Confirm that each contractor is licensed and insured. Check each license with your state or county government, and ask each contractor for proof of insurance.

Compare the deposit and the payment schedule last, and closely. Don't pay the full amount up front, and don't make the final payment until the work is done and you're satisfied with it. A contractor who asks for full payment up front, or for cash only, is a warning sign.

In the warranty row, write what each bid covers, labor, materials or both, and for how long. A warranty belongs in writing, with the parts of the work it covers and how long it lasts.

When a line is blank, ask the contractor and write in the answer. Keep the worksheet with the written bids, along with notes of what each contractor told you.

Reading the finished sheet

Read across each row, not down each column. A bid can be the lowest because it leaves out the permits, the cleanup or a named material, and then it isn't the lowest price for the same job. Write each gap in the Notes, ask each contractor to price the same scope, and compare the totals again before you decide.