Identify what happens before construction
Plans, structural engineering, energy documentation, zoning review, permit responses, and consultant work should have clear ownership.
Utility assumptions deserve their own comparison
Water, sewer or septic, gas, electric, meters, trenching, capacity upgrades, and connection fees can dominate differences.
Separate known price from allowances
Ask which government fees, site conditions, utility upgrades, and selections are firm versus allowances or owner-paid items.
Use the decision as the starting baseline
When you choose a contractor, preserve the accepted scope, price, allowances, and payment milestones. CheckMyBids is the pre-hire side of the workflow; CheckMyRemodel is where the awarded project continues when changes and payments start.
Compare your own bids.
Use a free CheckMyBids tool or start a Bid Snapshot before you sign.
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