Two bids at the same price are almost never the same job. Before you sign — roof, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, anything — run the bid through these 12 checks. It's the scope, materials, and terms most homeowners never think to ask for, and it's where the money quietly hides.
No bid is perfect, and you won't get all 12 — that's normal. This is a gut-check, not a grade: the more boxes a bid can tick, the more you can trust the number behind it.
Exactly what work, where — and just as important, what's explicitly not included. A bid that doesn't draw the boundary is a bid that can shrink after you sign.
One total is a number you can't read, can't compare, and can't negotiate. Each piece of work should carry its own price.
Brand, model, and tier — shingle class, pipe material, SEER2 rating, panel amperage. “Standard” and “builder grade” aren't specs. The grade is where a cheaper bid quietly becomes a lesser job.
Is the old work removed — or covered over? Roofing over old layers, leaving failed pipe in the wall, skipping surface prep: all cheaper today, all a redo tomorrow. Confirm who hauls the debris.
Almost every real repair means opening a wall, ceiling, or floor. “Who patches and paints it back” is where thousands hide. One bid at $3,000 and one at $3,800 “but you handle the drywall” are not the same price.
Included, and who pulls it? A bid without a required permit isn't cheaper — it's hiding a cost and a liability, and it can stall a sale or a refinance later.
The invisible safety items that are easiest to leave off a quote: grounding and bonding, flashing, ice-and-water shield, proper venting, GFCI/AFCI where required. You won't see them missing until they matter.
Square feet, sheets of decking, linear feet, tonnage — with a price per unit. When the crew opens things up and finds more, unit pricing means the overage is predictable instead of a surprise.
Start date, working duration, and a clear definition of completion. A vague timeline is how a two-week job becomes a two-month one with your money already in.
Deposit, progress draws tied to milestones, and a final payment on completion. Never a large sum before work reflects it. The schedule tells you whether they're financing you or you're financing them.
How surprises get priced, and — critically — approved by you before the work continues. This one clause is what keeps “the cheapest bid” from becoming the most expensive one.
Labor and materials warranties, separately, in years, in writing — plus a license number and proof of liability insurance. If it's not on paper, it doesn't exist when you need it.
A bid is a document. How much it tells you is the signal.
Run any bid through these 12 and the vague ones give themselves away. If a bid is missing half the list, that's not a price you're looking at — it's a guess.
Want a full second read on your bid? secondeye.co/start — or comment LIST on any SecondEye post to get this checklist.