The comparison sheet
Put each bid in a column and fill in these rows. A blank is a question for that bidder, not a point in its favour.
| Line | What to look for | The legal anchor, where there is one |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Same drawings, same materials by brand and model, same rooms | Vermont requires "A description of the services to be performed and a description of the materials to be used" (§ 5509(b)) |
| Price type | Total price, capped, or uncapped time and materials | Vermont makes the contract name one (§ 5509(b)); see fixed price vs cost-plus |
| Total and breakdown | Labour, materials, subcontracted trades, permit fee, disposal | Ohio requires the "total estimated cost" on jobs over $25,000 (ORC 4722.02) |
| Allowances | Fixtures, tile or cabinets priced as an allowance, not chosen | A low allowance makes a bid look cheaper; set them equal across bids |
| Permit | Who pulls it, and whether the fee is in the price | The contractor, in its own name; see owner-builder vs contractor |
| Deposit | Within your state's limit | California $1,000 or 10%, whichever is less (B&P § 7159.5); Massachusetts and Pennsylvania one-third |
| Payment schedule | Later payments tied to work done and inspections passed | — |
| Dates | Estimated start and completion | Required in Vermont (§ 5509) and Ohio (4722.02) |
| Changes | How a change order is priced and approved | Vermont: "A description of how and when amendments to the contract may be approved and documented" |
| Licence | The number, on the bid | Required on the contract in Pennsylvania (§ 517.7) |
| Insurance | A certificate, with the limits | Ohio requires a certificate showing at least $250,000 of liability cover over $25,000 (ORC 4722.02) |
Massachusetts publishes its own list of required home improvement contract terms (Mass.gov), and Pennsylvania's are in its Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act. If your state has one, use it as the rows.
How far apart bids should be
The Texas Attorney General's advice is that "Most of the legitimate bids will fall into a fairly close range"; the NAIC adds that a bid "much lower than any of the others doesn't mean it's the best deal". The permit file shows what "close" means for different jobs:
| City | Job | Firms filing it | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms' usual job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Grove, CA | HVAC | 339 | $16,000 | $11,775–$16,906 |
| Cary, NC | HVAC | 372 | $9,891 | $7,900–$11,693 |
| Wheaton, IL | Roofing | 295 | $15,432 | $13,250–$19,850 |
| Elk Grove, CA | Roofing | 200 | $18,350 | $14,849–$24,500 |
| Cary, NC | Remodel | 626 | $40,000 | $20,000–$65,439 |
| Naperville, IL | Remodel | 467 | $46,300 | $25,000–$77,000 |
| Greensboro, NC | Addition | 167 | $66,975 | $44,000–$110,000 |
Replacement jobs sit in tight bands: Elk Grove HVAC firms' usual jobs fall within a few thousand dollars of each other. Three HVAC bids that are $8,000 apart are probably not pricing the same job, and the scope rows will show why. Remodels and additions spread several times wider, so there the scope sheet does most of the work.
After price: compare the record
Two bids can match on every line and still come from very different firms. The permit file adds the line no quote carries: how often the firm's permits reach a final inspection. Among Cary HVAC firms with ten or more permits, the finished share runs from 51.6% at the 10th percentile to 95.4% at the 90th. Open each bidder on your city's compare page, for example Cary HVAC contractors, and add two rows to the sheet: permits for this kind of job, and the share finished.
Check it in five minutes
- Copy the table above into a sheet and fill one column per bid.
- Mark every blank and send each bidder its list of questions.
- Put each total next to the band for your job and city, or on your city's cost page, for example Cary remodel.
- Check each licence on the state board; our verification guide links every state's lookup.
- Add the finished share from our compare page. Our how many quotes guide covers how many bids to ask for.
Compare Cary HVAC contractors before you ask for bids →
What this does not tell you
Filed values are what contractors told the city, not their contract prices, and some file labour only. The band describes firms' usual jobs, not your house. The legal anchors are from the states named; your state may require different contract terms or none. A finished share measures whether permits were closed, not whether the work was good.
How we know this
Filed values, firm counts and finished shares come from the City of Elk Grove, Town of Cary, City of Wheaton, City of Naperville and City of Greensboro permit files, three-year windows ending September 2026. The band is the 25th to 75th percentile of firms' own median filed values among firms with three or more permits of that type; the finished-share percentiles are over firms with ten or more permits. Contract rules are quoted from 26 V.S.A. § 5509 and ORC 4722.02 (read 22 October 2026), B&P § 7159.5, Mass.gov and the Pennsylvania HICPA (read 20 October 2026); the bidding advice from CSLB, the Texas Attorney General and the NAIC (read 21 October 2026).
Numbers come from Town of Cary building permit applications (issued permits only); City of Elk Grove TRAKiT building permits on single-family, duplex, mobile-home and ADU homes; City of Greensboro building and trade permits; City of Naperville building permits (the current permit system plus the city's older records); City of Wheaton permits on homes (the city's permit application and inspection exports), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I compare contractor bids the right way?
Make every bidder price the same written scope, then lay the bids side by side on the same lines: price type, what is included, permit, deposit, schedule, licence and insurance. Only then compare totals, against the local range: in Cary, North Carolina the middle half of remodel firms usually file jobs between $20,000 and $65,439.
- What should be included in a contractor's quote?
At least what your state requires in the contract. Vermont, on jobs over $10,000: the price type, estimated start and completion dates, a description of the work and materials, and how changes are approved (26 V.S.A. § 5509). Ohio, over $25,000: name, address, phone and taxpayer ID, dates, total estimated cost and an insurance certificate (ORC 4722.02). A quote missing these is not ready to compare.
- Should I take the lowest bid?
Not automatically, says California's licence board (CSLB). The Texas Attorney General says most legitimate bids 'will fall into a fairly close range' and warns about the low-ball bidder. Ask the lowest bidder what it left out; the usual answer is a line the others included.
- How can I ensure the best price from a contractor?
Give every bidder identical drawings and a written scope, ask for a line-item breakdown, and check each total against the local filed range before you negotiate. A bid far outside the middle half of firms in your city, on either side, is the one to question. Then pick on record as well as price: the finished share of firms' permits ranges widely.
- How far apart should contractor bids be?
For standard jobs, close. Elk Grove, California HVAC firms usually file jobs between $11,775 and $16,906; Wheaton, Illinois roofing firms between $13,250 and $19,850. For remodels and additions the range is much wider, so differences in scope explain more of the gap.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How many contractor quotes should you get? Three, and how to tell if they're in range
- Why is my permit still open? What it means and how to close it
- Wheaton, IL contractor license lookup: city registration, state licenses and the permit record
- Austin contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- How do I find the right licensed contractor? — CSLB (accessed 2026-10-21)
- How to Avoid Home Improvement Scams — Texas Attorney General (accessed 2026-10-21)
- How Can I Avoid Getting Scammed by a Contractor? — NAIC (2024-09-30; accessed 2026-10-21)
- 26 V.S.A. § 5509, Contract requirements (Vermont residential contractors) (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Ohio Revised Code 4722.02 Service contract (accessed 2026-10-22)
- California Business and Professions Code § 7159.5 (2025 edition, via Justia) (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Required contract terms in a home improvement contract — Mass.gov (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act — Pennsylvania Attorney General (accessed 2026-10-20)