Red-flag teardowns
See what a contractor estimate actually hides
Each teardown walks a real-world style estimate line by line: the exact wording, why it matters, and the question to send back. Composite, anonymized examples — no customer documents.
Roofing · $14,800
Roofing estimate teardown: $14,800 for a 28-square tear-off
A line-by-line teardown of a real-world style roofing estimate: what the missing decking allowance, vague underlayment spec, and 50% deposit actually mean.
2 red flags found — read the teardown
Bathroom remodel · $27,500
Bathroom remodel teardown: $27,500 with $9,000 of undefined allowances
A line-by-line teardown of a $27,500 bathroom remodel quote: unlabeled allowances, no waterproofing spec, and a change-order clause with no dollar approval threshold.
2 red flags found — read the teardown
Deck build · $18,600 / $23,100 / $28,000
Deck proposal teardown: three bids, $9,400 apart, for different decks
A side-by-side teardown of three deck bids ranging from $18,600 to $28,000 — and why the cheapest one wasn't actually cheaper.
2 red flags found — read the teardown
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