BAY AREA / PLANNING GUIDE
Compare the work behind the number.
A kitchen or bathroom estimate is easier to assess when the scope, materials and responsibilities line up. Use this worksheet to find the differences before choosing between totals.
01 / Give every estimate the same starting point.
Use the same room photos, dimensions, requested changes and product list. Record the date or revision of each estimate. If your scope changes, ask each company to update its response to the same revision.
CSLB recommends obtaining at least three written bids and comparing identical plans, specifications and scope. Price alone does not establish whether the offers cover the same work.
CSLB: finding the right contractorSource checked October 21, 2026. The worksheet below is an original planning aid, not a contract.
02 / Put the differences side by side.
Copy each answer from the written estimate. Mark included, excluded or unknown; add who is responsible and the page or line that supports the answer. Leave an unresolved amount unknown instead of treating it as zero.
Blank CSV template for a spreadsheet. Nothing is entered or uploaded on this page. On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways.
| Compare | Estimate A | Estimate B | Estimate C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope and drawing revision | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Protection, removal and disposal | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Surface preparation and repairs | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Product models, quantities and finishes | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Who buys, receives and checks materials | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Installation and related connections | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Exclusions and owner-supplied items | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Allowances or provisional items | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Approvals and specialist responsibilities | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Schedule assumptions and dependencies | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Cleanup and completion checklist | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| How changes and unknown conditions are handled | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
03 / Turn gaps into written questions.
A product is included, but is installation?
A vanity line may describe the cabinet only. Ask separately about delivery, assembly, fitting, countertop, sink and related connections. Record the actual answer; do not assume those items are included.
A selection is still provisional.
If an estimate uses an allowance or provisional sum, ask exactly what it covers, what quantity or product it assumes and how the final selection changes the total. Compare the same specification before comparing amounts.
The start date depends on something.
Ask which selections, deliveries, access arrangements and approvals must be resolved before dates can be agreed. Record dependencies separately from a confirmed schedule.
“Please confirm whether this item includes supply, installation and disposal, who is responsible for each, and where any exclusion or provisional amount is recorded. Please send the revised scope and total together.”
Compare totals after the differences are documented. Keep unresolved items visible. This guide does not determine project feasibility, required permits, contractor qualifications or a start date.
Bring a clearer scope to the conversation.
Choose your room to prepare an inquiry. The contact page creates an email for you to review and send yourself; it does not send your details automatically.