Compare contractor bids by making the work identical on paper before comparing totals. Put each bidder’s answer beside the same requirements, mark omissions as “not stated,” and request a revised written bid for unresolved differences. The cheapest number may buy a smaller job; a higher number may include work you do not want.
For a homeowner or renter with landlord permission, three bids can reveal different interpretations of a problem. They are not a vote on what the repair must cost. The FTC recommends multiple written estimates and asking why prices differ substantially rather than automatically selecting the lowest.
Give all three bidders the same starting scope
Write one page describing the location, observed problem, desired result and boundaries. Include photos, access restrictions and any known prior work. Separate symptoms you observed from a diagnosis you have not confirmed. “Water appears beneath the sink after use” leaves room for inspection; “replace the drain” may prematurely specify a solution.
For an appliance, identify the exact model and ask whether the price is for diagnosis, a specified repair or both. For an HVAC job, distinguish repairing existing equipment from replacing equipment and altering its connections. For general repairs, say whether opening a wall and restoring its finish belong in the job. These are scope choices, not interchangeable descriptions.
Ask whether an initial site visit or estimate has a charge before arranging it. As a local example, NYC DCWP’s hiring guidance says home-improvement contractors must provide a written estimate on request and disclose a reasonable estimate fee in advance. Check your own local rules elsewhere.
Translate each bid into the same categories
Work, materials and restoration
A fixture description should identify what will be supplied, not simply say “standard.” Record make, model, quantity and who buys it where those details matter. For an owner-supplied item, ask who checks compatibility and who pays for another visit if it cannot be installed. Clarify whether removing the old item includes hauling it away.
Look beyond the central repair. Opening a ceiling to reach a pipe and closing, plastering and painting that ceiling are separate tasks. A bid can reasonably exclude finishing, but the exclusion belongs in your comparison. Do not assume that “complete plumbing repair” includes a finished room.
Price basis and uncertainty
Ask whether the figure is a fixed price for a defined scope, an estimate subject to inspection, or time and materials. For time and materials, record labor rates, minimum charges, material markups, reporting intervals and how spending will be authorized. An allowance is a budgeting amount for an unresolved selection; ask how the final selection changes the price. A contingency is money you reserve for uncertainty and is not permission for unlimited extras.
If the cause remains unknown, compare a defined diagnostic stage first. Agree on the deliverable and the approval point for repair work. Adding arbitrary amounts to an incomplete bid can make your spreadsheet look precise while the underlying job remains undefined.
Keep permits and inspections visible
Record which permits are required, who obtains them, whether fees are included and who arranges inspections and closeout. Verify the answer with your building department. In NYC, DOB distinguishes permit exemptions from trade requirements: some ordinary plumbing work needs no permit but still requires a Licensed Master Plumber. “No permit” therefore does not settle who may perform a job.
If one bid excludes permits and another includes them, request a comparable written scope. Do not volunteer to apply as an owner merely to make the numbers align; first understand the responsibilities with the authority.
Three-bid worksheet
Copy the table and fill every cell. Use “included,” “excluded,” “allowance” or “not stated,” followed by the actual detail. A blank should never silently mean included.
| Comparison item | Bid A | Bid B | Bid C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact repair and limits | Record scope | Record scope | Record scope |
| Materials, models, quantities | Record specification | Record specification | Record specification |
| Labor and price basis | Record terms | Record terms | Record terms |
| Permits, fees, inspections | Record responsibility | Record responsibility | Record responsibility |
| Protection, disposal, finish repairs | Record inclusions | Record inclusions | Record inclusions |
| Start, duration, access, interruptions | Record schedule | Record schedule | Record schedule |
| Exclusions and unknown conditions | Record limits | Record limits | Record limits |
| Warranty and return-visit terms | Record written promise | Record written promise | Record written promise |
| Total, taxes, deposit, payment stages | Record amounts | Record amounts | Record amounts |
A fictional comparison without price guesses
Imagine three bids for repairing a concealed bathroom leak. A includes pipe repair and an access opening but excludes wall restoration. B includes both, with painting limited to the patched area. C proposes replacing a larger pipe section but has not explained why. These are fictional scopes, not contractor assessments.
Ask A to price restoration separately, B to define the finish boundary, and C to explain the evidence for broader replacement. You may find a defensible reason for C’s approach. You may also decide that whole-wall painting is an optional improvement. Compare the same essential repair first and optional work separately; do not decide by ranking the original totals.
Choose from the clarified bids
Send each bidder the missing items relevant to its proposal and keep the dated replies. Select using the clarified scope, credentials, feasible schedule, payment terms and written aftercare. If no bid explains what happens when hidden damage appears, settle that approval process before choosing.
Return to Hiring Contractors for the selection context, Repair Insights for related guidance, or the Fixorally topic directory for other repair decisions.