Here’s what’s needed to secure accurate bids for your project from general contractors

Connect with the right contractors to meet

At the start of a renovation project, meeting with several general contractors will be one of your first tasks. Make the most of your site visits by preparing as much information for your contractor to write up an estimate for the scope of work. To ensure you get accurate bids from those professionals, here are some points to begin a conversation with each contractor. Having a list of vetted and licensed general contractors is the first step on how to start a home renovation.

We can get you started by matching your project with Sweeten contracting firms specifically for your remodel. For the right fit, these contractors will service your local area and have experience in your type of project. Schedule a phone conversation to narrow down your choices to a few and have three estimates to compare.

Jump on the phone first

A site visit on your property with a potential contractor is crucial. It’s also time-consuming for both parties. Therefore, contractors recommend a phone call first to explore compatibility and positive signs of being a good fit. “I like to just go over the basic scope and get an idea of the budget. A call makes sure we are on the same page,” said Sweeten contractor P.J.

How far a contractor’s base is from your home is important to find out early on, according to Daniel Bawden of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). A two-hour commute for the contractor and team could slow down the project. Also, they may not be familiar with the local suppliers when additional material is needed. “Instead of four or five general contractors walking through your house, it is smarter to do a really good phone interview first,” Daniel said.

Know your renovation budget

It helps to have a ballpark figure of what you are willing to spend. That figure needs to be realistic and is key to how to start a home renovation. Sometimes online quote generators can give the wrong impression for the cost of the job as well as a timeline. There are many other aspects to take into account. “Real-world construction, especially getting permits, where every local jurisdiction is different, can vary so much,” said Connie Leipard from the National Association of Women in Construction. If you’re looking to work with a women-owned contracting firm, check out our five-part series on women contractors in our network.

To get an idea of the average budget, these remodeling cost guides are based on geography for budget, mid-grade, and high-end kitchen projects and bathrooms. For example, a budget bathroom in New York City starts at $18,000, while a budget kitchen begins at $24,500. In Houston, expect a mid-grade bathroom to start at $24,500, and a mid-grade kitchen to begin at $35,000.

Cost of a bid

Some general contractors will charge a few hundred dollars for a bid. Others charge an initial fee that gets deducted from the project total if a contract is signed with them, according to Daniel. Some, including Sweeten general contractors, don’t charge at all. Make sure the cost of a bid is discussed during the initial phone call.

Review your building’s alteration agreement

For condos and co-ops, Sweeten contractor P.J. advised checking the requirements of your building’s alterations agreement early on. These agreements might stipulate what updating is required when your apartment undergoes a renovation. For example, it may instruct that the circuit panel or shut-off valves be replaced in your apartment regardless of the scope of work. Essentially, your renovation triggers the requirement that these items be updated. “These are rules meant to bring the apartment and the building up to current standards,” said P.J.

Gather your renovation ideas

Once you’ve nailed down a final list of general contractors, a meeting and a site visit to your property is scheduled. They don’t need to know everything about your renovation, but the more information you can give them the better. Visual aids are helpful whether they’re a rough sketch of what you want to full-blown blueprints drawn up by a designer or architect.

Images of your style and preferences—cabinets, flooring, faucets—go a long way. Inspirational images gathered on websites like Pinterest or blogs are a good start.

A step beyond that is picking specific materials that you may want. When potential general contractors put together their bid, they often include approximate dollar figures for items like tile or cabinetry. This is commonly referred to as an “allowance,” since the material has not been chosen. These items can drastically vary in price depending on your final preference, according to Daniel. If you already have a good idea of what you want to use, the contractor can input more accurate costs rather than a guesstimate. “If material research and shopping have at least started, the renovation can begin sooner,” said Daniel. “There will be fewer delays because all of the product is in hand.”

Will you be living there?

If you are not gut-renovating all at once, there’s a good chance you might opt to stay in your home during the renovation. The earlier you make a decision on this the better. The contractor can then factor into the bid if they need materials to separate you from the renovation, according to Connie. This becomes very important for older buildings that could have asbestos or lead issues. “You have to make a lot of preparation so that dust doesn’t get to the other end of the house, especially if there are children,” she said.

Depending on the contractor and the scope of the project, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to prepare an accurate bid. When you’re ready to get started on your home remodel, work with us to renovate with the best contractors.

Updated April 12, 2023

—

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

Our free bid-leveling call helps translate contractor estimates

One key part of choosing a contractor for your renovation is how to compare remodeling estimates. At this point, you have interviewed contractors and received their proposals. Estimates can vary drastically in terms of look and format. However, all estimates should include at least two things: a detailed scope of work and a price. 

How do you compare them when one is five pages long while the other is just one? Or when one is grouped by room, and the other is grouped by task? A note on terminology: “bid,” “estimate,” and “proposal” refer to the same thing. 

Post your project and you’ll have access to our bid leveling services to help make sense of the various construction estimates in front of you, including both Sweeten and non-Sweeten.

How many contractor estimates should I get?

We recommend getting at least three contractor bids. This allows you to understand the price of the work. You’ll have a low, a medium, and a high bid and likely some differentiation in the services offered by the general contractors. Getting multiple estimates also gives you the chance to experience different personalities and communication styles. These are subjective factors important in your decision-making process. A great rapport with your general contractor goes a long way in achieving a successful renovation.  

Breaking down how to compare contractor bids

Similarities and differences in contractor estimates

Even though bids may come in a variety of formats, major work categories (like demolition, plumbing, electrical, etc.) are usually called out specifically. To begin, find the biggest categories of work in each bid and see how those costs compare. You’ll get a sense of how your candidates are thinking about the work and the time/skill needed to complete it.

There may be spots where bids diverge significantly. Some categories may be in some estimates but not others.

• For example, the inclusion of skim coating in a whole apartment remodel can increase the budget dramatically but not in all cases. One contractor may have included it, while another has not. 
• Your site visits with individual contractors may include ideas or suggestions that didn’t come up with other candidates, making a line-by-line comparison even more challenging. 
• Each contractor may vary slightly in their approach to completing the work. Avoid major discrepancies in scope by confirming the work that you would like to bid out after the visit.

Including your HOA requirements

Check to confirm any requirements for renovating with your co-op/condo board or HOA. Factors like site/hallway protection, access to parking and service elevators, and work hours can impact the efficiency of labor and therefore the price of the job.

Post-site visit follow up

You should feel free to follow up with your candidates to:

• clarify any particular costs
• give them an opportunity to provide a price for an idea that may not have come up during your site visit
• ask for their input on areas where taking another approach might help you achieve what you want at a lower cost

How material choices factor into the bid

Assumptions are built into bids in different ways. Site visits give you a chance to meet with candidates and explain a broad overview of what you want to do. But if you don’t know the exact materials you plan to use, general contractors will provide “allowances” or educated guesses about what you will choose to spend on the materials based on the finish level you discussed. 

For example, you might suggest you want very basic tiles, and out-of-the-box cabinets, nothing fancy. A general contractor might price with the assumption that you will buy budget-friendly materials. Or, you might suggest you want a luxurious countertop material and unique backsplash tiles to recreate the kitchen. The contractor might price assuming you’ll purchase mid-grade, high-end, or luxury materials. 

It is important for you to understand the assumptions underlying the allowances. Anything in excess of the allowances in the bid, you’ll have to pay for out of pocket. That said, some contractors leave allowances out altogether. It would be left to you to cost analyze within your whole remodeling budget, plan for, and purchase your finished materials.

Look for places where major material purchases (and permits, if applicable) are or are not itemized in the pricing. Does it vary across bids? The goal here is not to negotiate a particular price down but to clearly compare your options. Don’t walk away from a great contractor because a price that looks high specifies materials that aren’t included in another bid. Get clarity on assumptions about materials before you make your decision so you aren’t surprised when it comes time to buy items that weren’t in the bid.

How Sweeten’s bid-leveling call helps you

Sweeten walks you through how to compare contractor bids

At this point in the pre-renovation process, you’ve posted your project and met all of your contractors. You should have three or more estimates (from both Sweeten and non-Sweeten contractors).

To get a clearer understanding of the bids, set up a 30-minute call with us on how to compare contractor bids. This call can be extremely helpful in learning more about each contractor and deciding who suits your project best.

Answers the questions you’re afraid to ask

Perhaps most importantly, Sweeten renovators have reported that the call was a chance to ask all the questions they were afraid to ask, including construction terminology. Homeowners felt more comfortable making a decision.

The prep: Prior to your scheduled call, share the bids you’ve received and are considering—including from contractors who are not affiliated with our network. We will review the bids prior to the call and come prepared to share our observations. 

Get the inside scoop on Sweeten’s recommended contractors

We work closely with our contractors and can share our experience working with the recommended contractors.  Once we understand your goals, preferences, and feedback, we can weigh in on who we think could be a good fit in terms of collaboration, style, and services offered. We can also discuss how they performed for other Sweeten homeowners during their renovations.

Start your renovation with Sweeten

Discuss best practices for hiring and kicking off construction

It’s good to reflect on general best practices before choosing a firm, signing a contract, and starting construction. 

We can discuss some of the things you should be thinking about and asking about at this point in the process. For example, getting to a place where you are really comfortable with the scope of work document and draft contract, what is included and excluded, and what the process for a change order is if that arises during construction. 

We can coach you on next steps and follow-up questions you should ask your general contractor. Our goal on this call is to help you lay the groundwork for an excellent partnership with your general contractor. It will set you up for a satisfying renovation process in addition to a great finished product!   

Updated July 26, 2023

—

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.