u/Peggy0246

Got three estimates for a deck this summer. One guy had $18k listed for labor alone before materials. I ran the numbers at my desk and couldn't figure out how they got there. Another was half that, and the third split the difference but added a note about possible rot under the existing posts that wasn't in the original scope. I already ripped out the old one last fall so I know the ground is level and there's decent access. Still, the middle price keeps creeping up every time I ask for a clarification. For anyone who bids this kind of work, what usually moves a quote that far from the first number they give? And if the low bid shows up with two guys and a pickup, how often does that end up costing more once they're on site? I'm trying to decide whether to lock one in before the weather turns or just keep stacking the lumber in the garage until next year.

i got three quotes for a bathroom remodel and the spread was way bigger than i expected. the highest was almost twice the lowest

the middle quote looked reasonable at first. then the contractor started adding things i never asked for and explaining why i “really should” upgrade certain fixtures. i was sitting there doing the markup math in my head while he talked. told him i'd think about it.

that was two weeks ago. he's called three times since

the lowest quote came from a guy who seemed perfectly nice, but he showed up in a sedan with a tape measure and asked if i had a ladder. not exactly confidence-inspiring for a bathroom remodel.

now i'm stuck between hiring someone and just doing more of it myself. i've done enough work around the house to know i can handle parts of it, but i've also started plenty of projects where halfway through i remembered why paying someone made sense.

i'd like to hear from the contractor side of this

what makes you look at a homeowner and decide the job probably isn't worth the headache? is it constant price shopping, unrealistic expectations, changing the scope, something else?

and if you're a homeowner, what was the thing that finally made you choose a contractor instead of walking away from the project?