The Contractor Pricing Gap: Why Remodeling Quotes Vary So Wildly These Days

Imagine you’re ready to renovate your kitchen. You get quotes from a few different contractors, only to find that they’re significantly different. Believe it or not, this is pretty normal. While prices are assuredly up given labor cost increases and the ongoing tariff costs being passed on to consumers, shopping around for contractors has always been important to find the right price. And you should almost expect quotes to vary, even for the same project.“As a homeowner, it's up to you to truly understand the bids and get as much specific detail as possible in order to protect yourself from surprises down the road. This is much more important than price alone,” says Andrew Gardner, founder of Leap Properties in Houston.By knowing why quotes differ and how to compare them fairly, you’ll find it easier to choose the right contractor for your unique situation. What causes quotes to varyThere are many different factors that go into a quote.“Everything from the cost of the specific materials, the timeline of the project, how many people will be working on it, and how popular or established the contractor is will all impact a quote,” explains Andre Kazimierski, co-owner and president at ...