FAQ / Estimates & Bids

What our estimate and bid process looks like

Most people have been burned by a vague number scribbled on the back of something. Here is exactly how we price a job, what our bid actually contains, and what happens when something changes.

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Our approach

One number tells you nothing

A lump-sum bid hides where your money goes. It also makes it impossible to tell what changed when the final invoice does not match. We write itemized bids so you can see every phase, compare us honestly against another contractor, and cut or add scope without starting over.

Freeestimates, always

Itemizedline by line

In writingbefore work starts

Step by step

From first call to signed agreement

Six stages. You can stop at any of them, and there is no cost until you decide to build.

The walkthrough

We come to your home, look at the actual space, measure, and ask what you are trying to accomplish. Bring us plans if you have them, or just the idea.

The itemized estimate

You get a written, line-by-line estimate. Labor and materials broken out by phase, allowances for anything not yet selected, and a clear list of what is not included.

You ask questions

Go through it with us. Move a line, change a material, cut a phase. This is the point where the project gets shaped around your budget, not after work has started.

Written agreement

Once the scope and number are right, it goes in writing: what we are building, what it costs, roughly how long, and how payment works.

Change orders, if any

If you add something or we find something behind a wall, it gets written up and priced before it happens. You approve it, then we build it.

Final walkthrough

We walk the finished work with you, list anything that needs attention, handle it, and the 1-year workmanship warranty starts.

Sample bid

What a Corbridge bid actually looks like

This is the real structure of our bids, using a bathroom remodel as an example. Amounts are left blank on purpose, because a number here would be meaningless for your home. What matters is that you can see every line.

Bathroom Remodel: Sample Format

Example format only · not a quote

Corbridge Construction · Utah Lic. #14294523-5501

Scope of work

Demolition and haul-offRemove existing tub, vanity, flooring, and drywall to studs

$ ______

Plumbing rough-inRelocate drain, new supply lines, new valve

$ ______

ElectricalNew circuit, fan, vanity lighting, GFCI outlets

$ ______

Framing and blockingBench framing, blocking for grab bars and fixtures

$ ______

Waterproofing and tileShower pan, waterproof membrane, wall and floor tile, grout

$ ______

Drywall, texture and paintPatch, tape, texture to match, two coats

$ ______

Finish carpentryDoor, casing, baseboard, and trim

$ ______

Fixture installationSet toilet, vanity, faucets, shower door, and accessories

$ ______

Permit and inspectionsPulled and coordinated by us

$ ______

Final cleanup and haul-off

$ ______

Allowances: things you have not picked yet

TileBudgeted per square foot. Pick under it and you pay less.

$ ______

Vanity and top

$ ______

Plumbing fixtures and trim

$ ______

Lighting and mirror

$ ______

Not included

Repairs to anything hidden until demolition, such as rot, failed plumbing, or old wiring. We stop, show you, and price it before continuing.
Moving load-bearing walls or windows, unless listed above.
Anything not written in the scope. If it is not on the bid, it is not in the price.

Terms

Estimated scheduleA realistic window, given to you before we start

__ weeks

Payment scheduleSet per project, written into the agreement, tied to progress

see terms

Workmanship warranty

1 year

Why the amounts are blank. A number from someone else’s bathroom would only mislead you. Two bathrooms the same size can differ enormously depending on whether the drain moves, what is behind the walls, and what tile you fall in love with. We price yours after we have seen it.

The agreement

Then we put it in writing, for both of us

The word contract makes people brace a little, and we understand why. But a good one is not a trap with fine print. It is just the two of us writing down what we already agreed to, so nobody has to rely on memory three weeks in. It protects you from us, and it protects us from a misunderstanding. That is the whole job of it.

It is your estimate, signed

No surprise document appears at the end. The agreement is the bid you already read, with the schedule and payment terms added. If it is not in the scope you approved, it is not in the contract.

What we are promising you

The work described, at the price quoted, done to code, by our own crew, cleaned up after, and backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty. Plus proof that we are licensed and insured before a tool comes out of the truck.

What we are asking of you

Access to the space when we are scheduled, decisions on selections by the dates we agree, and payment at the milestones written down. That is genuinely it.

How changes work

Anything that comes up gets written as a change order and priced before we build it. You say yes or no. Nothing lands on your final invoice that you have not already seen and agreed to.

Read it, ask about anything in it, and take it to someone else if you want a second opinion. We would far rather answer questions now than have you signing something you are not sure about. And if you decide not to go ahead, that is completely fine. There is no cost and no hard feelings.

Comparing bids

How to read any contractor’s bid, including ours

If you are getting several bids, these are the six questions that make them actually comparable. Print this. Ask us the same ones.

1
Is the scope identical?
A cheaper bid is often a smaller bid. Line the scopes up side by side before you compare the totals, because the gap is usually work that someone left out.
2
What are the allowances?
A low bid with low allowances will climb the moment you pick real tile. Check what each contractor budgeted for the things you have not chosen.
3
What is excluded?
A bid with no exclusions list is not a complete bid. Everyone has them. The honest ones write them down.
4
Who does the work?
Ask how much is self-performed and how much is subcontracted out, and who manages the trades. It changes the schedule and the finish.
5
Is it licensed and insured?
Ask for the license number and a certificate of insurance. Ours is Utah #14294523-5501, and we will hand it over before you ask twice.
6
How do changes get handled?
Find out whether changes are written and priced up front or added to the invoice at the end. This is where most disputes start.

Bring the other bids to our walkthrough if you like. We will go through them line by line with you, and we are not shy about where ours is higher or lower and why.

From the blog

Estimate and bid questions

Does an estimate cost anything?

No. Estimates are free and there is no obligation. We would rather walk your project and lose the job than pressure you into it.

How long until I get my estimate?

Usually within a few days of the walkthrough for straightforward work. Larger remodels and custom builds take longer because there is more to price properly.

Why do you not quote over the phone?

Because a phone number is a guess, and guesses are how homeowners get surprised later. Fifteen minutes at your house gets you a number you can actually rely on.

What is an allowance?

A budgeted amount for something you have not chosen yet, like tile or fixtures. If your final pick costs less, you pay less. If it costs more, you pay the difference, and you will know before it is ordered.

What happens if the scope changes mid-project?

We write a change order describing the work and the cost, and we do not start it until you approve. Nothing gets added to your bill that you did not agree to.

Do you require a deposit?

Terms are set per project, because a one-day repair and a four-month remodel should not be paid for the same way. Whatever the size, the payment schedule goes into your written agreement before work starts, it is tied to progress on the job, and you are never asked to pay for work that has not been done.

Pick your project and see how we do it

Remodels and additions, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, finish work, a brand-new home, siding, windows, decks, or commercial. One local crew and one standard, across Cache Valley.