What has to be itemized in a bid before I can compare it?
A bid becomes comparable the moment it names six specific things, so here is the checklist you can hold against any bid from anyone, today.
What has to be on a bid before I compare it?
Every comparable bid names six things:
- materials by brand and product line
- whether tear-off and disposal are included
- whether a permit is included and who pulls it
- the start date and the finish date
- what is explicitly excluded
- a payment schedule tied to work stages
Why do materials need a brand and product line?
Two bids naming only shingles are not comparable, because the word covers a cheap line and an expensive one. A brand plus a product line turns the material into a fact you can look up yourself, and it gives you something to point at if a different product arrives on delivery day.
How do I make every bid answer the same page?
Contractors who take part estimate from your photos and a written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices. Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.
Why do tear-off and disposal have to be stated?
Often the gap between two bids hides in those two lines, because removing the old material and hauling it away are separate costs that a bid can silently leave with you. Ask whether each is included and who does it, then read both bids for the same answer.
Does the bid have to say who pulls the permit?
Yes, and the bid should say both whether the permit is included in the price and which party files for it, because those are two different questions. A bid that answers neither has moved an unknown amount of work and waiting onto you.
Related guide: Contractor licences, state by state
Do start and finish dates belong in a bid?
Yes, both dates, because a price without dates is not a schedule and two bids with the same number can mean two very different months. Written dates also give the payment schedule something to attach to, which is the next line to check.
Why does a bid need a list of exclusions?
Every bid excludes something, and the honest ones write it down: rotten decking, a panel upgrade, landscaping put back, permit fees. An exclusion list is not a warning sign. A bid listing no exclusions at all is the one you question first.
Should the payment schedule be tied to stages?
Yes, tie every payment to a finished stage rather than to a date on a calendar, because a stage is something you can stand in front of and look at. Materials delivered, tear-off complete, dry-in complete, final: four moments anyone can verify.
What can I check on a bid in ten minutes?
Take the six lines above, write them down the side of a page, and tick each one off against the bid in front of you. Any line you cannot tick is a question to send back today, in writing, before you compare anything.
Start a bid card
Describe the job once and contractors who take part bid on that same written scope; ask each bidder to answer the six lines above in their proposal. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.
InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We are still building our contractor network, so a job may not get bids yet. Your request page shows whether any bids have come in.
Last checked: 22 September 2026