Reviewing & comparing quotes
Once contractors bid on your work order, the Quote Review screen lets you read them apples-to-apples. This guide walks through how to evaluate bids, what to look for, and how to choose without anchoring on price alone.
Why the Quote Review screen matters
Apples-to-apples comparison
Bids are normalized into the same line-item format so you can read all of them at once. No more PDFs in your inbox formatted three different ways.
Verification tier visible at a glance
Each bid card shows the contractor's verification tier (verified_pro, insured, licensed, basic, unverified) so you know what level of compliance you're getting before reading line items.
Reviews aggregated from past clients
5-dimension scores (overall, quality, communication, timeliness, value) and recent review snippets show on every bid. Speed-read the reputation before pricing.
Message bidders without committing
Each bid has a message thread. Ask clarifying questions, request modifications, request a video walkthrough — all before accepting. The conversation lives on the bid.
What every bid card shows
Total amount
Sum of all line items including markup. This is what you'd pay if you accept as-is. Don't anchor too hard on the total — line-item composition matters more.
Line items
Each item with description, quantity, unit price, line total. Sub-items show labor + materials breakdown when the contractor itemized. Dig in here for the real comparison.
Validity period
How long the bid is good for. Past the validity date, the contractor may revise. Most bids are valid 14-30 days.
Cover note
Contractor's plain-English summary — assumptions, exclusions, approach, anything they want you to know. Read this BEFORE the line items. It frames the rest.
Contractor profile snapshot
Verification tier badge, average rating, number of completed projects, location, year started. Click through to see their full profile and past project portfolio.
Bid timestamp
How long ago they bid. Fast bidders (under 24 hours) often signal hunger for the work. Slow bidders (5+ days) may have prioritized other jobs.
Decision framework
A 7-step approach for picking a bid you'll be happy with after the project, not just at the moment of signing.
1. Read all cover notes first
Don't compare line items yet. Read every bid's cover note. The 30-second framing tells you which contractors understood the job and which read it superficially.
2. Eliminate misreaders
Bids that misunderstood scope ("I see you want X" when you actually wrote Y) — eliminate. The mistake will recur during the project. Drop them even if cheap.
3. Compare totals among the survivors
Throw out the highest and the lowest of the remaining bids. The high one is usually padding for risk; the low one is usually missing something. Compare the middle.
4. Read line items for the top 2-3
Line item by line item. Are quantities the same? Is markup similar? Are labor hours believable? Differences here reveal what each contractor is actually planning to do.
5. Check verification tier and reviews
For the top 2-3 by value, click through to their profile. Recent reviews (last 12 months) are the truest signal. A contractor with 2 great reviews from 2024 is a bigger risk than one with 30 mediocre-to-good reviews.
6. Message your favorite
Send a short message — 'Could you walk me through how you arrived at the labor estimate for X?' — to your top pick. Their reply tells you how they communicate during the project. Slow or evasive = predictor of project pain.
7. Accept
Click Accept on the bid. The quote becomes a contract, the project gets created, and the contractor is notified. You've committed — but most contracts allow scope changes via change orders if needed.
Common scenarios
Cheapest bid is $3K below the next one
Read their line items carefully — they almost certainly skipped or undersized something. Common omissions: permits, disposal, finish materials, labor markup. Ask them what's NOT included before accepting.
Two bids are identical in price but very different in approach
Read the cover notes side-by-side. The contractor whose approach matches your priorities (quality vs speed vs flexibility) wins. Price is a tie-breaker after fit.
Got 1 bid only
Either the job was hard to scope or your area is thin on contractors. You can wait 3-5 more days for additional bids OR negotiate with the one bidder. If you negotiate, ask for line-item-level adjustments, not a flat discount.
Want to request a revision
Use the message thread on the bid. "Could you re-bid without the patio extension?" or "Could you provide an alternate using vinyl instead of fiber-cement?" The contractor can submit a revised quote that replaces the original.
What to watch out for
Tempted to pick the lowest bid
Bids that are 20%+ below the median often deliver 20%+ less work. Total cost (with change orders, do-overs, and fixes by another contractor) is usually higher than mid-priced bids that quote accurately upfront.
Contractor bidding has 0 reviews
Not automatically a no — new contractors need first projects. But ask for off-platform references and check their license/insurance verification. If they're verified_pro tier with no reviews, the platform vetting is solid; just go in eyes open.
Bid total doesn't match the line items
Math errors happen — flag it via the bid message thread before accepting. The contractor will revise. Don't accept a bid where the math is off — sets a bad precedent for the rest of the project.
Accepted a bid and now regret it
If the project hasn't started, contact the contractor directly via the project chat to discuss. Most are willing to discuss alternatives. If you're past project start, change orders are the right tool — see the Change Orders guide.
Let the assistant help you compare
"Compare the bids on my kitchen project — which has the best reviews?" The AI assistant pulls the bids, reads the line items, summarizes the spread, and surfaces the verification tier of each contractor. Faster than scrolling.