The Magic of Sweeten’s Bid Leveling Call
When you receive estimates from multiple contractors, they may differ in their terminology, organization, and basic assumptions. We can help you make sense of your estimates, so you can hire the best contractor for your project.
Why you’ll love this call:
- You’ll get to to talk one-on-one with a renovation expert who will make sense of the hiring process
- It’s a unique opportunity to learn inside information about the different contractors’ strengths and working styles
- You’ll get answers to any questions about Sweeten, and about best practices in the renovation process
- You’ll get a sense of the personal support available through Sweeten
- It’s completely free
Frequently Asked Questions
We encourage you to schedule site visits with 3 general contractors. Each of them will bid on your project, and you’ll then have the information you need to hire with confidence.
Since general contractors don’t follow a standard format for writing estimates, each bid requires some analysis and translation. Don’t make decisions based solely on the bottom-line numbers—it’s critical to examine what each contractor is offering in their estimate. You may find significant differences!
This process can feel overwhelming—especially if you don’t have experience analyzing construction bids. This is why Sweeten is happy to help by offering a free bid-leveling call.
This free call is an opportunity to dive into the bids, to clarify what each one offers. Just as important, it’s an opportunity to get the inside scoop on each contractor, based on our experience working with them.
We also encourage you to ask broader questions during the call, and to seek advice about the next steps. We’re happy to discuss details including contractor negotiation etiquette, payment schedules, change orders, and scheduling.
In short, no. A very low bid might reflect a great value—or it might reflect a mistake or an underestimation of your project’s scope. If you receive three bids that are similar, and one that is much lower, the low one deserves extra scrutiny.
There are also factors to consider beyond the bid—like the contractors’ communication styles, and how you feel about their proposed solutions and creative ideas.
It empowers you to compare contractors in terms of cost and service level, along with intangible qualities like rapport and communication style. You’ll be able to make the most informed decision about which firm to hire.
It's the standard construction industry practice of soliciting bids—or “estimates”—from multiple contractors for the same project. The industry standard for major renovations is 3 bids.