Free tool · No signup · Runs in your browser
Contractor Quote Comparison Worksheet
Enter 2-5 contractor quotes side by side. The worksheet auto-detects scope mismatches (line items present in some quotes but missing from others), per-category outliers (where one bidder is charging materially more than the median), and bid spread — then generates the exact questions to ask each contractor before you sign anything.
Everything runs entirely in your browser. We don't store, transmit, or share any of the data you enter.
Quick answer · 2026
How do I compare two or three contractor quotes that don't line up?
Type each bidder's line items (labor, materials, demo, permits, etc.) into the worksheet. The tool buckets each line into a standard category, computes the median for that category across bidders, and flags any quote that's missing a category the others have (a "scope mismatch") or charging more than 2× the median (a "category outlier"). A typical bid spread between matched-scope contractors is 20-30%. Spread wider than 40% almost always means at least one quote has a fundamentally different scope.
How the worksheet works
There's no AI parsing in V1 and no data leaves your browser. It's a rules engine that does exactly what an experienced general contractor would do if you asked them to read three quotes from a competitor for you. Four checks run on every submission:
- Bucket each line item. Labels like "demo," "demolition," "tear-out," and "removal" all map to the same category. The worksheet recognizes 12 standard renovation categories (labor, materials, demo, permits, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, paint, cleanup, contingency, warranty) and labels anything else as "Other."
- Total each quote and compute the spread. Low bid, median, high bid, and percentage spread. A 20-30% spread is normal for the same scope; under 15% is unusually tight (and worth a 4th quote to verify); over 40% almost always indicates at least one materially different scope.
- Flag scope mismatches. Categories listed in some quotes but missing from others. This is the single biggest source of mid-project change-order surprises — "Oh, demo wasn't in my number, that's another $2,800."
- Flag per-category outliers. Any quote whose category cost is more than 2× the median for that same category across bidders. Usually means a different material grade, more labor hours, or simply a higher markup. Either way, worth asking.
Why apples-to-apples comparison matters
The most common reason homeowners overpay isn't that they picked the most expensive bid — it's that they picked the lowest bid without realizing it was missing something the others included. A kitchen quote at $32,000 that doesn't list demolition, permits, or cabinet hauling is not actually cheaper than a $39,000 quote that bundles all three. By the time you find out, the demo crew is on a different invoice and the cabinets are sitting in your driveway.
The standard advice — "get three quotes" — is good, but useless on its own if you don't have a way to normalize what each bidder actually included. This worksheet does the normalization for you and then, even more usefully, generates the precise follow-up questions to send each contractor by email before you take any further calls.
Those follow-up questions matter more than the comparison itself. A contractor who answers "yes, demo is included, here's the line item I missed" within 24 hours is signaling something very different from one who takes a week and gets defensive. The worksheet is, in effect, an interview.
What a "normal" bid spread looks like
| Spread (high vs low) | Reading | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15% | Tight — possibly tight-scope or coordinated | Get a 4th independent quote to verify pricing |
| 15-30% | Typical for same-scope competitive bidding | Choose on fit, references, and timeline |
| 30-40% | Moderate variance — likely material grade or markup differences | Ask each contractor to itemize labor hours and material brands |
| Over 40% | At least one quote has materially different scope | Don't pick yet — re-bid against a written shared scope |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to enter every line item, or just the totals?
Line items. Totals alone only give you the bid spread; the scope-mismatch and outlier checks depend on per-category amounts. Five to ten line items per quote is usually enough to surface the meaningful differences.
What if my quote uses different wording than the standard categories?
The worksheet recognizes common synonyms — "tear-out" maps to demo, "240V" maps to electrical, "sheetrock" maps to drywall. Anything unrecognized is bucketed as "Other" but still counted toward your total and spread.
Should I share the comparison results with the contractors?
Share the questions, not the dollar comparison. Asking "your quote doesn't list permits — is that included elsewhere?" is fair; sharing the other bidders' pricing usually puts contractors on the defensive and won't lower your price.
Is it safer to pick the middle bid?
There's no universal "right" bid. The middle bid is statistically the most common pick because it feels balanced, but a low bid from a well-reviewed contractor with a clean scope often beats a middle bid with vague allowances. The worksheet is designed to surface scope, not to recommend a specific bid.
Does HavenCostGuide store my quote data?
No. The worksheet runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers and nothing is saved between sessions. Refresh the page and your data is gone.
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