# How to tell if a contractor quote is fair

A contractor's quote is fair when it is written down, lists the work and the parts, and lands close to other quotes for the same job. Get two or three quotes. Give every contractor the same list of work. Then compare what is on each quote, not just the totals.

That is the whole test. The rest of this post is what I put on that list, which red flags make me walk away, and where I keep the quotes so the house can find them later.

## What I ask for in writing

I do not ask for "a price on the water heater." I write the job first. Then I send that same note to each person I call.

A quote I can actually use names:

- **The work.** What they will do, in plain words. "Replace the anode rod and flush the tank" is a quote. "Service water heater" is not.
- **The parts.** Brand, size, or model when it matters. A cheap part and a good part are not the same bid.
- **Labor and extras.** Who is coming, how long they think it will take, and what is extra. Permits, haul-away, and return visits should be on the page, or marked as not included.
- **Warranty.** What is covered, and for how long. Parts and labor are often different.
- **The price, and when it is due.** A total, a deposit if they need one, and when the rest is paid.

If two quotes do not list the same work, I am not comparing prices. I am comparing two different jobs.

## How I tell if the price is in the right range

I am not a pricing expert. I do not need to be. I need a few quotes for the same written job.

Here is how I read them:

1. **Set aside the one that is a lot lower than the others.** A cheap bid that skips parts or permits will cost more later.
2. **Ask about the one that is a lot higher.** Sometimes it includes a better part, a permit, or a second person. Sometimes it is just high.
3. **Pick the clear one in the middle.** I would rather pay a fair price for a quote I understand than chase the lowest number.

If I only have one quote, I do not have a range. I ask a neighbor, or I call one more company before I sign.

I also look at past work in my own house. If a similar job was paid last year, that note is worth more than a guess. That is why I keep quotes and visits in one place the whole household can see.

## Red flags that make me walk away

These are the ones that have saved me money, or a mess:

- **They will not put it in writing.** A price in a text is easy to change. A written quote is the job.
- **They want a huge deposit, or all of the money up front.** A small deposit for parts is normal. Paying the whole job before anyone shows up is not.
- **They push me to sign today.** A fair quote can wait a day. Pressure is a sales trick, not a deadline.
- **The quote is one number with no list of work.** I cannot tell what I am buying, so I cannot tell if it is fair.
- **They ask me to pay cash only, and they will not give a receipt.** I need a paper trail for the house, and for warranty.
- **They cannot show a license or insurance when I ask.** For work that needs a license, I wait until I see it.
- **They talk badly about every other quote, but will not explain their own.** I want a clear bid, not a story.

One red flag is enough to pause. Two is enough to call someone else.

## Keep the quotes where the house can see them

The quote is useful on the day I hire someone. It is also useful a year later, when the same thing breaks and I cannot remember what was paid, or who did the work.

A PDF in my email does not help anyone else in the house. A stack of paper in a drawer does not help the next time someone is home alone with a leak.

I keep each contractor as a record: name, company, trade, and the number that actually answered. Then I put the quote notes on the visit, or on the thing they came to fix. The date, what they bid, what they did, and what they told me to watch.

[How to keep track of home contractors](/blog/how-to-keep-track-of-home-contractors) is the longer list of what to write down. This post is the front half: decide if the quote is fair, then save it.

[Tobi's maintenance log](/features/maintenance-log) is where I keep that record now. Contractors sit next to the things the house maintains. When work gets done, the task is marked complete and the contractor is named. The visit stays in the history: the date, who did it, and notes. Nothing gets written over.

Tobi does not guess prices, and it does not book anyone. It is the shared log of the quotes already gathered and the people already hired. Everyone in the [household](/features/household-sharing) can see the same contractors and the same notes, on their own iPhone or iPad. One subscription covers the house, and only the owner pays.

**Keep the quote where the house can find it.**

Tobi stores each contractor and the visit notes, so everyone can see past quotes and who you hired.

[Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tobi-home-maintenance/id6784417439)

## What I do with the next quote

I write the job first. I get two or three written quotes. I compare the work, not just the totals. I walk away from the red flags. Then I save the quote and the name in a place the rest of the household can open.

A fair quote is one I can explain to the people I live with. If I cannot, I am not ready to hire.