The Deposit Comes Before the Work: What a Home Job Estimate Has to Say Before You Sign

A home job often starts with a phone call and ends with a total that differs from the first number you heard. The paper between those two points decides who carries the difference, so read it before you hand over money.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Read the scope line by line

Check what is included: the materials, removal of the old fixture, patching and painting, hauling away debris, and any permit the work requires. Ask which items are priced and which are listed as an allowance or left to be determined. Any line without a firm number is where the total is most likely to move.

Know what a change order is

When a crew finds rot behind a wall or wiring that has to be replaced, the contractor writes a change order. Before you sign the job, ask how changes are priced, whether each one needs your written approval, and how many days you have to respond. Without that clause, a change can arrive as a done deal with a bill attached.

Check the deposit and the start date

Ask how much is due before work begins, what the deposit covers, whether it comes back if the start slips, and when the balance is due. Get the start date and the finish date in writing. A deposit is money paid before anything is built, so read what happens to it if the work stops partway.

Compare two estimates on the same lines

When you have two quotes, put them side by side on identical lines: included items, excluded items, change terms, deposit, start and finish. Do not compare totals alone, because two numbers can describe two different jobs. The cheaper quote is often the one that left out the patch, the haul-away or the permit.

Ask what is covered after the work

Ask for any warranty terms in writing, who answers a callback, and whether the contractor carries liability insurance and workers' compensation. Ask for copies of those certificates and keep them with the signed estimate. If a term is unclear, ask the contractor to explain it in writing before you sign. The Local Help for Husband Caregivers page lists where to take questions in the area.