Read the edges of the quote.
A quote can be accurate and still not cover the same work as another quote. Exclusions are not automatically a problem; they become a problem when nobody identifies them before approval.
Ask each bidder to mark every line as included, excluded, an allowance, owner-supplied, or pending site confirmation. Keep the answers with the final scope rather than relying on a phone call.
Exclusions to ask about
- Demolition, removal, loading, disposal, and daily cleanup.
- Floor, wall, elevator, corridor, furniture, and occupied-area protection.
- Substrate levelling, moisture correction, framing, drywall, waterproofing, and patching.
- Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas, inspections, permits, and licensed-trade coordination.
- Materials, delivery, handling, waste, storage, returns, and product substitutions.
- Doors, trim, baseboards, transitions, hardware, caulking, paint touch-ups, and accessories.
- Access, parking, elevator bookings, work-hour restrictions, security, and after-hours premiums.
- Taxes, payment processing, supervision, project management, deficiencies, warranties, and closeout documents.
Test every allowance
Write down the assumed product, quantity, tax treatment, delivery, labour, waste, and installation. A tile allowance without a square-foot quantity or labour assumption is not comparable. A fixture allowance may not include shutoff changes, blocking, electrical work, or disposal.
Control what happens next
Ask how hidden conditions and owner-requested changes are priced, approved, scheduled, and recorded. The process should identify the reason, options, price impact, schedule impact, and approval before extra work proceeds, except where immediate safety or property protection is required.
Read the full quote-comparison guide → Build a written scope → Request a scope review →