Contractor Quote Checker

Quotes often look cheap because big items were left out: permits, disposal, subfloor repair, or electrical work. Paste your quote below to see what is missing and whether the price is in line for your city. You can also compare two quotes side by side.

Paste your quote

Copy the text of the proposal, pick the project type and your city, and enter the quoted total.

See what is missing

We check for permits, disposal, prep work, and vague allowances, and estimate what gaps could cost.

Ask before you sign

Get a list of specific questions to send the contractor before you pay a deposit.

Quote Checker

Check a contractor quote before you sign

Paste any proposal or rough estimate. We check it for missing permits, dumpster fees, and hidden exclusions, and estimate what the job would cost with everything included.

Try a realistic sample quote:

Project Category

Location Benchmark

Contractor / Company Name

Total Quoted Price ($)

Proposal Text / Itemized Line ItemsPaste the scope, inclusions, and exclusions section of the proposal

PROPOSAL & SCOPE OF WORK - APEX CUSTOM BUILDERS
Client: Homeowner | Project: Kitchen Renovation (150 sq ft) | Austin, TX
Total Contract Price: $24,850.00

INCLUDED SCOPE OF WORK:
1. Demolition: Strip old cabinets and laminate countertops.
2. Cabinetry: Install pre-assembled shaker style cabinets with soft-close doors and drawers.
3. Countertops: Template, fabricate, and install 45 sq ft of Level 2 Quartz (White Carrara finish) with eased edge and undermount sink cutout.
4. Flooring: Install 150 sq ft of luxury vinyl plank (LVP) including transitions.
5. Plumbing: Re-connect existing kitchen sink, faucet, and garbage disposal.
6. Cleanup: Daily broom sweep of work area.

EXCLUSIONS & SPECIAL TERMS:
- Owner to provide sink, faucet, and all appliances.
- Electrical work: Reusing existing outlet locations. Any new dedicated 20A appliance circuits or recessed can lights billed separately at time and materials.
- Building & trade permits: Owner to pull permits if desired by municipality.
- Haul-away dumpster: Disposal fee not included in base contract; $650 fee if contractor provides roll-off container.
- Drywall painting and final touch-ups excluded.
Payment: 40% deposit upon signing, 40% upon cabinet delivery, 20% upon completion.

Apex Custom Builders

Quote Audit & Risk Report

Suspiciously Low (Hidden Scope)

Quoted Headline Price$24,850

Typical Market Planning Range$33,684 – $46,217

This quote is significantly below the typical planning benchmark (37% lower). Beware of low-ball bids that omit permits, disposal, or use low-grade builder materials with heavy change orders later.

Scope Items Detected

Debris Haul-away & DumpsterListed as excluded or owner-supplied: Disposal left to homeowner.

Cabinet Brand & Solid Box SpecsListed as excluded or owner-supplied: Cabinetry excluded or supplied by homeowner.

Electrical Permits & Dedicated CircuitsListed as excluded or owner-supplied: Electrical scope or trade permits excluded, deferred, or billed separately.

Plumbing Rough-in & Shutoff ValvesFound in the quote's included scope: Plumbing connections covered.

Drywall Painting & Finish Touch-upListed as excluded or owner-supplied: Drywall patching or painting excluded from contractor scope.

Potential Change-Order Risks (4)

Debris Haul-away & Dumpster excluded from bid+$650
Disposal and roll-off dumpster rentals add unexpected hundreds to your out-of-pocket spend.
Cabinet Brand & Solid Box Specs excluded from bid+$9,500
Cabinets represent up to 40% of kitchen project value; vague quotes often substitute cheap particleboard.
Electrical Permits & Dedicated Circuits excluded from bid+$2,550
Modern building code requires dedicated 20A appliance circuits and official municipal trade permits. If unpermitted or unbudgeted, you face stop-work orders and surprise change orders.
Drywall Painting & Finish Touch-up excluded from bid+$1,200
Cabinet removal leaves wall damage and unpainted drywall patches that require a painter to finish before punch-list sign-off.

Ask Your Contractor Before Signing

Put these exact questions in an email to protect your budget before paying a deposit:

Q1“Is the dumpster rental fee and daily jobsite haul-away included in this price, or is there an extra disposal charge?”
Q2“Will you be pulling the official municipal building and trade permits, and are dedicated 20-amp circuits included in this price?”
Q3“Who is responsible for drywall patching, sanding, and finish paint after cabinet installation?”
Q4“What are the milestone payments, and what percentage is withheld until the final punch-list is signed off?”
Q5“What is the written warranty period covering your installation labor and workmanship?”

Compare quotes

Compare two quotes side by side

Cheaper quotes often leave out items that come back later as expensive change orders. Mark what each quote includes to see the real difference in price before you sign.

Scope Item	$24,850	$27,900	$21,500
Demolition & Removal
Cabinetry & Hardware Installation
Countertops & BacksplashOmission risk: +$2,800
Electrical Permits & Dedicated CircuitsOmission risk: +$2,550
Plumbing Re-hook & ValvesOmission risk: +$1,400
Debris Dumpster & Haul-awayOmission risk: +$650
Drywall Painting & Finish Touch-upOmission risk: +$1,200
Estimated cost of missing itemsUnstated work you will have to pay for	+$4,400	+$0	+$8,600
Total with everything includedHeadline price + normalized missing scope	$29,250 +$4,400 hidden gap	$27,900	$30,100 +$8,600 hidden gap

Questions

Quote checking FAQ

How do I know if a contractor quote is fair?

Compare it with a typical range for your project size and city, then check the scope: does it include permits, demolition, haul-away, and named materials? A quote that looks cheap often leaves those out and adds them later as change orders.

What should a contractor quote include?

A clear scope of work, named products or allowances with dollar amounts, who pulls and pays for permits, cleanup and disposal, a payment schedule tied to milestones, a timeline, and the warranty on labor.

What happens to the quote text I paste?

It is sent to our server and to an AI provider to generate the report. It is not sold or shared with contractors. Remove names, addresses, and phone numbers before pasting if you prefer. See our Privacy Policy.

Which projects does the Quote Checker support?

Kitchen and bathroom remodels, roof replacement, flooring, interior painting, and decks. For other projects, use the matching cost calculator to compare the total.

Want a baseline first? Use a cost calculator to see a typical range for your project and city.