Contractor Bid Comparison Calculator

Three quotes for the same job are rarely for the same job. One includes the permit, one does not. One carries a ten-year labour warranty, another two years. One hauls away the old equipment and one leaves it in your garage.

Adding the missing items back is the only way to compare them. Do that below, then look at cost per warranty year rather than headline price.

Get every bid on the same scope

Send all three contractors the same written scope: equipment specification, who pulls the permit, disposal of the old unit, and what happens if something unexpected is found. Verbal scope produces quotes that cannot be compared.

Check before you compare

• Licence and insurance, verified with the state board rather than a photograph of a card.
• Who does the work. Some bids are subcontracted; the warranty is only as good as whoever answers in year three.
• Payment schedule. A large deposit before materials arrive is a risk signal, and many states cap what a contractor may collect up front.

The outlier is information

If one bid is far below the others, it is usually missing scope rather than being generous. Ask what it excludes before assuming it is a bargain.