Choosing a remodeling contractor in Woodstock usually comes down to three quotes with a wide spread, and no obvious way to tell which one is honest.
The spread almost never comes from profit. It comes from what each quote assumed, and those assumptions are rarely written down.
Ask what happens if something is found
On any older house something will be. Rot behind trim, a joist that has been wet for years, a wall that is not square. The question is not whether it happens but what the contractor does when it does.
A good answer is: we stop, photograph it, tell you what it changes, and you decide. A bad answer is silence now and a change order later.
Ask who is actually doing the work
Some quotes come from a salesperson who will never be on site. Whoever writes the estimate should be the one who turns up, or at least be there when the crew is — otherwise everything discussed at the estimate has to survive a handover.
Ask what is not included
This is the question that explains the spread. Preparation, protection, clean-up, disposal, and making good afterwards are the items that quietly disappear from a low bid.
What a low number usually means
That someone priced less work, not that they will do the same work cheaper. And the difference turns up as a change order at the point where you have no leverage left.
We write estimates itemised so you can compare them against anyone else. Free estimates covers what to expect. Finished work is on our Facebook page.
