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Email template to request quotes from several contractors

You have a home project that's bigger than a handyman job, like a bathroom remodel, a new deck, a fence, or a kitchen refresh, and you want prices from more than one contractor. The trick to getting quotes you can actually compare is to describe the job identically to everyone. When each contractor hears a slightly different version, you end up with three numbers for three different projects. Sending one written description to three or four contractors fixes that, and it also tells you something before any price arrives: the ones who reply promptly and ask good questions are usually the ones who run their jobs the same way.

Before you send

  • A clear description of the work in plain terms: what exists now, what you want at the end, and rough dimensions. "Replace a 10 by 12 foot deck, same footprint, composite boards instead of wood" is enough to start.
  • Photos of the area from a couple of angles. Contractors can rule themselves in or out from photos before spending an hour on a site visit.
  • Your rough timeline: when you'd like work to start and whether there's a hard deadline (a move, a party, a season).
  • A short list of three or four contractors. Local reviews, a neighbor's recommendation, and your state's contractor license lookup are the three best sources.
  • Decide whether you'll share your budget. Saying "I'm hoping to stay under $X" can get you a design that fits; it can also get you a quote that lands exactly at X.
Subject Quote request: [short project name, e.g. rear deck replacement] in [city or neighborhood] 
Hi [contractor or company name],

I'm looking for a quote on [project, e.g. replacing the rear deck] at my home in [city or neighborhood], and I'd like to see if it's a job you'd take on.

The details:

- What's there now: [current condition, e.g. a 10 by 12 foot pressure-treated deck, about 20 years old, attached to the house]
- What I want: [the finished result, e.g. same footprint rebuilt with composite decking, new railings, and stairs to the yard]
- Timing: [when you'd like to start, and any deadline]

I've attached a few photos. If you'd need to see it in person to quote, I'm available [days and times] for a visit.

Could you send a written quote that lists labor, materials, and any permit costs separately, and gives a rough schedule? I'm getting a few quotes and plan to decide by [date].

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your phone number]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • Expect a reply within two or three business days, often asking to schedule a visit. A contractor who takes two weeks to answer an email will take longer to answer when your kitchen is torn apart.
  • Quotes will vary a lot, sometimes by half. The lowest one is not automatically the best; look at what each one includes, especially demolition, haul-away, and permits, which get left out to make a number look smaller.
  • If one quote is far higher than the rest, ask what they saw that the others didn't. Sometimes it's padding; sometimes it's a rotten joist nobody else noticed.
  • Before you sign with anyone, ask for their license number and proof of insurance in writing (there's a template for that), and check the license on your state's lookup site.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Get me quotes from contractors for a home project 
Hi StandIn,

I'd like you to collect quotes from a few contractors for a project at my home.

The project: [what exists now, what you want, and rough dimensions].
My address: [street address or at least the city and zip].
Timing: [when you'd like to start and any deadline].
Contractors I already have in mind: [names and contact details, or none].
Budget to share, if any: [amount, or say not to share it].
Availability for site visits: [days and times].

Please write to three or four well-reviewed, licensed contractors in my area, describe the job the same way to each, coordinate any site visits with me, and bring back the quotes laid out side by side with what each one includes and leaves out.

Thanks,
[Your name]

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