Guides

Seven things a real quote includes

A number on the back of a business card is not a quote. Here is what should be on the page.

A real quote is a short document. If something goes wrong later, it is the first thing both of you will look at. It should answer seven questions.

1. The scope. Exactly what gets done, in enough detail that a stranger could tell whether the job is finished.
2. Materials. By brand, line or grade. "Cedar pickets" and "No. 2 cedar pickets, 5/8 inch" are not the same promise.
3. The total price, and what is not included. Exclusions matter as much as the number.
4. The payment schedule. How much, and tied to which point in the job.
5. Dates. When work starts and roughly how long it takes.
6. The permit. Who applies for it and who pays the fee.
7. The warranty. On labor and on materials, in writing.

If one is missing

Ask before you sign, not after. A good contractor adds the line without fuss, because the same line protects them from a customer who later remembers the job differently.

If the answer is "we don't usually write that down," treat it as information about how the rest of the job will go.

Keep it

Save the quote, the signed contract and every change made along the way. Changes belong on paper too: what changed, what it costs, how many days it adds, and both signatures.