Contractor Bid Differences

DEAR TIM: I just received five bids for my remodeling job. There is a wide difference in prices and work to be done. Why so much confusion? T. T.

DEAR T. T.: You did not have clear and concise plans and specifications for the contractors. You probably talked to each contractor and told him what you wanted.

Each contractor has figured the job differently. There is no guarantee that each contractor is going to do the same amount of work as the others. Some may have bid doing too little, others bid doing too much. They may be using different materials. They possibly are using the wrong materials for the job.

This confusion can be avoided by having precise instructions for each contractor to follow. These instructions can be a basic set of plans and specifications.

These plans and specifications have specific information which contractors must follow. Each contractor must perform the same task or set of tasks.

When you have contractors bidding using specific instructions, the bids should be very close in price. This should make it very easy for you to determine who can give you the best value for your money.