DON'T FALL INTO THE "PRICE TRAP"

One of the biggest traps that Homeowners fall into is making final hiring decisions based on the best price! Estimates can be the first line of defense against hiring the wrong contractor! The most important step you can take in getting a MINIMUM of three (3) estimates from various contractors. The true cost of a project will be revealed to you once you have all the numbers to compare. You will find that the pricing from Reputable Contractors will NOT differentiate more than 5% from one another. This 'Cost Cluster' will quickly enable you to eliminate a contractor that is questionably low and/or unreasonably high.

In order to accomplish this, you must position the contractors to provide comparable estimates. Identify the specific project details as you see it and itemize exactly what each contractor will base their pricing on. Do NOT allow them to deviate from that. Remember the initial estimate will not be an exact price as this is only the beginning of the hiring process. You can now take the Screening Process steps which will define your project and pricing in more detail later.

ADVICE: A Reputable Contractor will NEVER be the lowest bidder! Low-ball pricing is a deceptive practice that will result in the project costing more than the other bids at the end of the day. Don't be fooled by a price that seems too good to be true! Use your gut feelings and do your homework on the retail cost of materials, fixtures, etc. Get comparable estimates (apples-to-apples) and only work with those contractors. An informed buyer is an armed buyer!