Getting Multiple Quotes for a Remodel: What Most People Get Wrong
A real estimate in progress. What goes into the scope and the design is exactly what makes one quote different from the next.
Most people getting a remodel do the responsible thing and call a few contractors for quotes. The advice is always the same: get three quotes. What nobody tells you is that three quotes for the same project are almost never for the same project.
Here is why. When a contractor walks your space, they bring their own ideas. One sees a layout you had not pictured. Another wants to move a wall you planned to keep. A third keeps it simple. By the time you have three quotes on the table, you do not have three prices for one job. You have three different scopes of work, three different designs, and no clean way to line them up. The numbers are not apples to apples, and the gaps between them often have more to do with what each person decided to build than with how they price their work.
It gets harder when you like a later design best. Say the third contractor shows you something better than the first two, and now their higher number starts to look worth it. But you cannot really tell, because the first two quoted something else entirely.
What to do when the designs do not match
Call the first two back. Ask them to come out again and re-quote the design you actually want. A contractor who wants the job done right will do that without complaining. I have built five or six versions of the same quote for one client at no charge, because the goal is for you to end up with the right project, not just a signed contract.
When I know I am the first one out and you still have other quotes coming, I say it plainly: call me back if mine is not apples to apples and you need it revised. That is normal. That is how you actually compare.
A good contractor tells you when a design will not work
Recently I went out to a bid and I was the fourth contractor the homeowner had seen. They told me on the phone what they wanted before I ever showed up. When I walked it, the design was not possible. The way it was drawn, you would have had to squeeze between the tub and the shower glass just to get into the shower.
So I asked a simple question: did anyone before me check the clearances? He told me he had not really trusted the other guys, and when I showed him exactly why the plan would not work, he was a little shocked that three people had quoted it anyway.
That is the thing to watch for. Not everyone who comes out to quote your remodel will flag a problem, because flagging it can cost them the sale. A contractor who plans to stand behind the work will push back when a design has an obvious issue. We want every contract we can earn, but not at the cost of putting you in a space you paid for and cannot stand. Anyone worth hiring would rather tell you the hard thing up front than hand you a pretty yet nonfunctional bathroom. That clearance trap is the same kind of layout mistake we break down in our tub-to-shower conversion post.
Know how each company operates before you call
Remodeling companies are not all built the same, and how they are built changes both your price and your experience.
Some have a showroom and interior designers on staff that you are required to use. That makes the process easier. You walk in, you pick from what is in front of you, and someone guides every choice. You also pay for that showroom and that payroll in the final number, usually at a real premium.
Companies like ours work differently. We do not keep a showroom or designers on staff. What we do is partner with designers you can hire to play exactly that role if you want it. For a smaller project, say one or two bathrooms, we can also have you buy certain materials at cost and have them ready for us, or we can bring a designer in to take that off your plate. Both options are on the table, and they price differently. It is worth knowing which model you are calling, because the words "remodeling company" can mean very different things from one driveway to the next.
Before anyone shows up
Try to have the clearest idea you can of what you want before the first contractor arrives. The more defined your vision, the easier it is to get quotes you can actually set side by side. But do not feel bad if the first person out shows you a better way. That happens, and it is usually a good sign.
Do your homework before you ever pick up the phone. A company's website tells you a lot about how they work and what they charge. Look at their gallery to see the kind of projects they actually complete. Read their pricing and timeline guides if they have them, because a company willing to put real numbers and real schedules in writing is showing you how it thinks. Read their FAQ, where the good ones spell out their process, their payment structure, how they handle change orders, and what to expect from the first phone call to the final walkthrough. You can often tell before anyone sets foot in your home whether a company is even worth bringing out. That research is how you narrow your list down to two or three.
It is the reason we put our project gallery, our pricing and timeline guides, and a long, detailed FAQ on our own site. We would rather you vet us before you call than spend a visit finding out we are not the right fit.
Resist the urge to line up more than a few. I have watched homeowners gather six, eight, even ten quotes and get so worn down by conflicting opinions that they never did the project at all. More quotes is not more clarity. Past a point it is just noise, and the noise can talk you out of a remodel you genuinely wanted.
Make sure you are calling an actual contractor
Not everyone who quotes a remodel is a licensed contractor. In Florida, a lot of this work legally has to be done by a state-certified or registered contractor, and you can look anyone up before you ever let them in your home. The Florida DBPR license search lets you check any license by name or number. Use it on every company on your list. Ours is CBC1268306, so run us right along with everyone else.
Ask about permits too, and ask who is actually going to be doing the work. We keep a Meet the Team page so you can see the full-time crew who will be on your project most. We also bring in trusted subcontractors for certain parts of a job. They will not be on that page, but they are people we have worked alongside for years and trust inside a client's home. Much of the time one of our own crew is on site working right alongside them and managing the work, though not on every job.
Frequently asked questions
How many quotes should I get for a remodel? Two or three is the sweet spot. Do your homework first by looking at each company's gallery, pricing, and reviews, so the two or three you bring out are already worth your time. Line up six or ten and you risk so much conflicting advice that you stall out and never start the project.
Should I get multiple quotes from contractors? Yes, but go in knowing they probably will not match. Each contractor brings their own design and their own scope, so you are usually comparing different versions of the project, not the same job at three prices. That is normal, and it is fine, as long as you compare them the right way.
Why don't my remodeling quotes match? Because each contractor is quoting their own idea of the project. One moves a wall, one keeps the layout, one adds something the others did not. Different designs mean different scopes of work, and the price gaps often come from what each person decided to build rather than from how they price their labor.
How do I compare remodeling quotes fairly? Define the design you want as clearly as you can before anyone comes out, so everyone is quoting the same thing. If a later contractor shows you a design you like better, call the earlier ones back and ask them to re-quote it. And confirm every company is licensed on the Florida DBPR site before you compare numbers, since an unlicensed quote is not a real comparison.
The short version
Getting multiple quotes is smart. Just go in knowing they probably will not match, because each contractor is quoting their own version of the job. Define what you want as best you can, keep your list to two or three real, licensed companies, and do not be afraid to send everyone back to re-quote the design you actually land on. The right contractor will be glad you did.
If you are gathering quotes in Central Florida and want one that is clear about the scope, the licensing, and who will be in your home, click the button below and tell us about your project. And if we are not your first call, that is fine. Call us back when you are ready to compare apples to apples.
