Line by Line: Reading a Contractor's Quote

Three quotes for the same job, three different totals, and no obvious way to tell which one is honest. This book gives you a plain worksheet method for reading a contractor's quote line by line and laying several bids side by side. You learn how to check specifications, materials and allowances, labour, exclusions, timelines and payment terms, how to spot red flags in the wording and the behaviour of bidders, and which questions to put to each one in writing. A full worked example with consistent arithmetic shows how a cheap-looking quote can become the dearest once missing items are priced in. Checklists, a scoring grid and a before-you-sign list are included. Written for homeowners and small landlords, with reminders that local rules vary.

Imad Muratspahic is an independent author of practical how-to guides, technical handbooks, history and fiction. The books aim to be clear, honest and useful from the first page.