Free planning tool
Contractor quote comparison tool.
Two quotes are rarely for the same job. Put in both totals, tick what each one includes, add what you know you'd pay for the things it leaves out, and see the two totals like for like, with every unpriced gap flagged instead of guessed.
Like for like
Quote B is $450 less, like for like.
Quote A
- Quoted
- $9,200
- Added for exclusions
- $1,200
- Comparable total
- $10,400
Nothing left unpriced.
Quote B
- Quoted
- $8,400
- Added for exclusions
- $1,550
- Comparable total
- $9,950
Unpriced: Permit help, Paint
What each quote leaves out
An unpriced item is a number you still need, not a zero. Brad's estimate lists every line, so there's nothing to fill in.
How it works
Three steps, no guessing.
The tool adds to each quote only the numbers you give it, and flags the rest.
- Comparable total = quoted total + the allowance for every line item that quote excludes
- An excluded item with no allowance is listed as unpriced, never counted as zero
- The verdict names the lower comparable total and how many items are still unpriced
- Blank rows at the bottom take anything your quotes mention that the list doesn't
The sample numbers
The tool opens with two tub-to-shower quotes.
Quote A is $9,200 and includes everything on the list except the glass door. Quote B is $8,400 and leaves out the glass door, the dumpster, permit help and paint. On the face of it B is $800 cheaper.
- Sample A $9,200, excludes the glass: $10,400 comparable
- Sample B $8,400, excludes four things: $9,950 comparable, 2 unpriced
- Allowances are yours, from other quotes or a store price
- Unpriced means a number you still need
The details
Add what you'd pay elsewhere: a frameless door at $1,200 and a dumpster at $350. Now A is $10,400 like for like and B is $9,950, still $450 less, but with two items, permit help and paint, that nobody has priced. Fill those in and B may or may not stay ahead. That's the comparison that matters: not the two totals, but the two totals plus the gaps.
What usually hides in a low quote
The same five things, most of the time: haul-away and the dumpster, the licensed plumber and electrician as separate invoices, the glass door measured after tile, paint, and the permit.
None of them is dishonest to leave out; a quote that says so plainly is fine. The trouble is a quote that doesn't say.
- Demo, haul-away and the dumpster
- The licensed plumber and electrician, as separate trades
- Glass, which is measured after the tile is in
- Paint, patching and the final clean
- Permit help, if the city wants one
The details
Brad's estimate is itemized, so every line is either in it or named as not included. Read any quote the same way: for each line on this list, find where it says yes or no.
More free tools.
Questions about this tool
Something else on your mind? Call or text (954) 242-5924.
Does the tool tell me which contractor is better?
No. It makes two quotes comparable by pricing the gaps you know and flagging the ones you don't. Who to hire is about the work and the person; the reviews and the finished jobs are for that.
Where do the allowances come from?
From you: another quote, a store price, a number a friend paid. If you don't have one, leave it blank and the tool flags the item as unpriced rather than guessing.
Does it send my quotes anywhere?
No. The math runs in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent. Our analytics only records that the tool was used.
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