How do I know if a contractor quote is fair?

“My poor friend got dropped because she put in a claim for some ice damage to her roof and gutters.”source ↗

“I had three quotes: $14,200, $15,800, and $18,900. Obviously the $14,200 one looked best on paper. I almost signed.”source ↗

“Then I went line by line and noticed the cheap quote didn't include a warranty on labor - just materials.”source ↗

“You have to read every quote line by line and cross-reference, which took me most of a Saturday.”source ↗

“Anyone else caught a hidden gap like this before signing? Feels like this happens way more than people realize.”source ↗

“Does this quote seem fair for replacing a concrete driveway in Southeast Michigan?”source ↗

“Is this a reasonable price, or is there anything else I should know about?”source ↗

“It cost me about $35,000 last year to have my house resided and painted with hardiplank. So 3500 seems definitely concerning low.”source ↗

“Its this a F-off price or is this the typical price for just the engineering plans for a retaining wall?”source ↗

“My mother recently noticed a few cracks in the foundation for her home. Fearful the house would come down crumbling she got some people to take a look and they said it would be $10k in total to repair.”source ↗

“In all honesty we not have that kind of money so im hoping to find a better solution :(”source ↗

“4 Bids on a full system replacement. Help me decide and not get distracted by the noise.”source ↗

“This will be my first full system replacement. I’m leaning towards Company D Carrier. Which one would you recommend?”source ↗

“Hi all — looking for a quick sanity check on this quote before moving forward.”source ↗

“Compressor will sit on roof in direct sunlight and high heat AZ environment. That's really my biggest concern.”source ↗

“I notice one is a Heatpump vs Straight AC.. Not sure if that means much.. I literally never turn on my heat..”source ↗

“I sent one installer this information with several photos, and he quoted me $4500-5500 for just the labor - no materials, removal of toilet, sink, or baseboards or anything else.”source ↗

“He said the subfloor would have to be removed and replaced. I'm in the greater Boston metro area. Thoughts? I was very surprised.”source ↗

“Yes, were the same people. And I see. will do Thank you so much for the advice! I am honestly clueless about this kind of stuff.”source ↗

“Got a quote for 17.3k. My FIL was going to build us a patio for a wedding gift which was started and never finished. It seems like his work is kind of shoddy and I’m going to have to pay to demo his work.”source ↗

“i got 3 quotes for similar work couple years ago and the range was wild, like $900 to $2100. i'd wait for the other quotes before stressing too much”source ↗

“When I researched prices per square foot, the highest I saw was $75, but that included materials. I know quotes aren't always figured on a square foot basis, but either way, this quote looked very high.”source ↗

“Not sure how to decipher who is honest and good quality, as prices vary wildly.”source ↗

“Looking for input if this is a reasonable quote from a local roofing company.”source ↗

“I don’t have much experience with roofing so not sure what this type of job should cost.”source ↗

“I want to make sure I’m not being ripped off by my roofer. What’s the average cost to repair these including material? He quoted me $1,800”source ↗

“I am mainly trying to understand whether the ~$54k total is reasonable for the full scope.”source ↗

“Is this quote reasonable?”source ↗

“Local flooring company quoted $1500-1600 for labor only to install LVP on 13 steps. Is that a good price?”source ↗

“I was just quoted upwards of $1900 and that seems pretty steep but I don’t wanna make assumptions about skilled labor cost.”source ↗

“First quote I got was $5k.”source ↗

“Second quote, the guy detailed work to be done: supply and install 100amp panel and breakers, 75ft 2-2-2-4 SER feeder cable, relocating furnace blower and water heater and install line for EV router, $1400.”source ↗

“considering the neighborhood I live in it feels like he is trying to take advantage, rather than giving me an FU quote.”source ↗

“I wasn’t concerned at first, but when I got this quote they mentioned he completely messed up drainage (I think he had drainage going towards the house) and when they tried to sit on his “wall” part of it fell off underneath them”source ↗

“We’ve been asking when they’re coming back to finish for 2 years now and keep getting pushed back.”source ↗

“Our furnace went kaput last night so I have been running the gauntlet of companies in the area. I have had some companies coming in 3k lower than others with all the bells and whistles / coverage.”source ↗

“I'm looking for guidance one what I should go with and why, as well as if these quotes actually make sense.”source ↗

“Just trying to gauge if I'm getting actual, competitive pricing and if their proposals make sense.”source ↗

“I did get a proposal from an outfit here in town that seemed insanely pricey, but I'm just not familiar with the tech these days.”source ↗

“$19,000 installed for:”source ↗

“I’m trying to get more info on these choices...”source ↗

“I’m not looking for a super cheap entry-level system, but I also don’t want to pay primarily for a premium brand name or complex tech that may not provide much benefit in a relatively moderate climate.”source ↗

“Heat exchanger on our Goodman furnace is cracked and leaking, getting quotes to replace the gas furnace and ac unit.”source ↗

“I feel like this is insane am I out of touch with recent prices?”source ↗

“I am not too familiar with the current prices, but the quote seems to be on a higher end. What do you guys thinks?”source ↗

“I am trying to get multiple quotes to replace what are easily a 30 year old gas furnace and A/C unit in my 1300 square foot house.”source ↗

“So far, I have gotten 3 quotes and they all seem wildly different.”source ↗

“These numbers feel rather wide ranging for me and it's making it hard for me to make a decision.”source ↗

“I was quoted $5,800 for a new condenser and also includes a retrofit from R22 to R407C. Does this seam reasonable?”source ↗

“Seems a little steep to me but you did not include sizing or location or any obstacles that could raise the price.”source ↗

“We're getting multiple quotes but our first was $1800 for 4 2.5 story downspouts and a front porch. This seems pretty high to me.”source ↗

“I was quoted $1400 for the entire job, including materials, labor, and the sheet metal brake rental. Also has a one year workmanship warranty. Is this too high?”source ↗

“I am being quoted $625 (originallu $735 but member discounts apply) labor and cost to replace a shut off ball valve in the crawl space of my house in CO. Is that considered a fair quote?”source ↗

“i ended up spending more time comparing estimates, warranties, and reviews than i did thinking about the actual roof.”source ↗

“the part that surprised me is how difficult it is to compare contractors when everyone seems to offer something slightly different. one quote looks cheaper until you read the details, then another looks better until you start looking at what's not included.”source ↗

“We were very surprised at the price, almost $70,000, and really just want to know if this is what something like this costs today.”source ↗

“I’ve received quotes with price differences of around $2K–$3K. So, I’d like to understand what would be an appropriate price for my requirements.”source ↗

“Quoted $5.6k to replace 3500 fasteners. Does that sound about right? Seems like a lot of screws.”source ↗

“My concern is the contractor(s) will adjust their scope of effort and/or materials to match the estimate.”source ↗

“We've been quoted $9,600 to replace the old boiler with a Navien NCB-H 130k combi boiler. The quote seemed reasonable to the other 12k+ bids we received. I was wondering if the quote seemed reasonable based on our current setup. Or is there another recommendation that we should pursue?”source ↗

“i made the mistake once of handing over the paperwork right away and suddenly every quote matched exactly to the dollar. learned that lesson quick”source ↗