What Should a Remodeling Estimate Include?

A remodeling estimate can have a lot of detail and still leave important questions unanswered.

The total price is only one part of what you're looking at.

Before relying on that number, you want to understand what work the contractor has included, what hasn't been included, and which parts of the project haven't been fully decided yet.

For example, suppose your proposal says:

Kitchen remodel — $85,000

That tells you the price.

But it doesn't necessarily tell you everything behind the price.

Does it include the cabinets you discussed?

What about countertops?

Who is supplying the appliances?

Is painting included?

What flooring was assumed?

Are permits included?

Are some materials represented by allowances because you haven't selected them yet?

What happens if your selections cost more than those allowances?

None of those questions automatically means there's a problem with the estimate.

They simply tell you there may be more to understand before you make your decision.

If an item is later described as an extra, compare it with what was already included in your remodeling agreement.

When you're considering a remodeling project, you're probably carrying a picture of the finished project in your head.

The contractor is pricing the project based on what is written, selected, specified, assumed, or otherwise included in the proposal.

Those two pictures need to be close enough that you understand what you're agreeing to.

That's why a detailed-looking estimate isn't the goal.

Clarity is.

If you believe something is included and the estimate doesn't clearly reflect it, you may not discover the difference until later.

The same thing can happen with something you assumed wasn't included.

This doesn't necessarily mean anyone did anything wrong.

Sometimes the homeowner and contractor simply walked away from the same conversation with different understandings.

The time to find those differences is before you're relying on the price to make your decision.

Before accepting a remodeling estimate, take enough time to answer a few basic questions.

What work is actually included?

Look beyond the project title.

If the estimate says “primary bathroom remodel,” what does that actually include?

The important thing isn't whether every estimate uses the same format. It's whether you can understand the work represented by the price.

What isn't included?

Exclusions can be just as important as inclusions.

Something may be intentionally outside the contractor's scope.

That's okay.

You just want to know that before making your decision.

What hasn't been selected yet?

Many remodeling projects begin before every fixture, finish, or material has been chosen.

That's normal.

When something hasn't been selected, find out how it is represented in the price.

You may see an allowance — a dollar amount being carried for an item that hasn't been fully selected or priced yet.

If you see one, understand what the allowance covers and what happens if the actual selection costs more or less.

If you’re looking at that number and asking, ‘Is this allowance actually enough for what I want?’, read Is My Remodeling Allowance Enough?

What are you supplying?

Sometimes the homeowner purchases certain materials or products directly.

Appliances are a common example.

So are fixtures, specialty finishes, or decorative items.

Make sure you understand which items the contractor is providing and which ones are your responsibility.

What did you discuss that matters to you?

Think back through your conversations.

Was there something you specifically asked for?

If it matters to your understanding of the project, look for where it's reflected in the written documents.

A conversation about what's included isn't necessarily the same thing as having it clearly reflected in the agreement.

That doesn't make the conversation meaningless.

It means the written documents are worth comparing with the project you believe you're buying.

You don't need to become a contractor to review an estimate.

And you don't need to understand every construction detail.

You do need enough clarity to make the homeowner decisions in front of you.

Before accepting the estimate, see whether you can answer this:

“Can I explain what this price includes, what it doesn't include, and what is still undecided?”

If you can, you're in a much better position to make the next decision.

Once you understand what each proposal includes and why the prices differ, you can move to deciding which remodeling contractor you want to hire.

If you can't, you've identified something worth understanding before you move forward.

That's the point.

Not to find something wrong.

To understand what you're agreeing to.

STRUXION BUILT™ helps homeowners understand the decisions on their side of a remodeling project.

Your contractor knows how to build.

We help prepare you for the decisions you're being asked to make.

Realization Is Free. Application Is Paid.™