Shim & Mallet Advocate

Community Faq for first-time hirers

Answers to the doubts a sceptical first-time hirer brings to a quote: deposits, written contracts, registration, permits, and whether one builder or several trades is the better choice.

The questions a sceptical hirer asks first

Should a quote ask for money up front?
A quote describes a job and a price, so it should not depend on a payment being made first. Money belongs in the contract, once the scope, the price and the payment dates are written down together. A builder who asks for money before any of that exists is asking you to trust a document that is not yet there. Ask for the schedule in writing before you pay anything.
How large can a deposit be?
The City of Boston's consumer guidance says a deposit should not exceed one-third of the price. The first payment is the one you can least easily get back, so the amount should be written into the contract with the reason it is due. A deposit that is large for the job, or that is paid before materials are ordered, is worth asking about. Keep the receipt for every payment.
Does a small job still need a written contract?
The City of Boston's guidance says a written contract is required at $1,000 or more. Below that figure, a one-page scope signed by both sides still shows what was agreed, and it costs nothing to write. Small jobs are where a single line gets forgotten, such as the disposal of old material or the cleanup at the end. Write those lines in as well.
Does the contractor have to be registered?
Massachusetts generally requires a Home Improvement Contractor registration for work worth more than $1,000 on a one-to-four family home where the owner lives. You can verify that at the City of Boston's home improvement and contracting tips, which also covers written contracts and deposits.
Who pulls the permits?
Permits depend on the town and on the work, so the answer belongs in the quote itself. Ask which permits the job needs, who applies for them, and whether the fee is included in the price. A builder who says none are needed should be able to say why in writing. A permit that is missing after the work is done can cause trouble later.
Is one big contractor better than separate trades?
The answer depends on who will coordinate the work, and it is the question this page settles further down. A single contractor carries the order of the trades and the responsibility for it. Separate trades can cost less on paper, but only if you are prepared to schedule them yourself and check each scope on its own sheet.

Two kinds of work, two kinds of scope

A gardener's gloved hands setting a grey paving stone into a garden bed
Paving is priced by the stone, the base and the edging, so each one should be a line on the quote. The helper on the resources page asks whether the scope is written line by line.
A carpenter fitting an oak wall cabinet in a kitchen under renovation
Cabinet work turns on the boxes, the doors and the hardware, and each has its own line.

The most common doubt: why two quotes differ so much

Why is one quote far below the others?

Usually because it covers less. A low figure often leaves out demolition, the removal of old material, the base or the permit. Lay the quotes side by side on the same lines, and the gap will show where the difference lies. If the gap sits in one line, ask about that line alone before you decide anything else.

Is the lower quote a bargain or a missing scope?

Ask, and do not assume either way. A bid is a bargain only when the same work is included in both. If the lower bid names fewer lines, it is a smaller job rather than a cheaper one, and the rest of the cost usually arrives later as a change. Write the missing lines into the lower bid and see what it becomes.

What should I do when the gap stays large?

Ask each builder to explain the lines that differ, in writing, and keep the cheaper quote only if the explanation matches the job you described. If the gap still makes no sense, get a third quote on the same scope before choosing. Three quotes on one written scope are usually enough to show which price is realistic. Do not let the most confident salesperson set the price for you.

One big contractor or separate trades?

Choose one general contractor when the job crosses trades, such as a kitchen that needs plumbing, electrical work and tile in a fixed order. One person then carries the sequence of the work and the responsibility for it, and a delay in one trade does not leave you arranging the others. Hire separate trades only when you can coordinate them yourself and each trade's scope is written on its own sheet. Separate contracts also split the warranty question, so ask who will return to fix a problem that spans two trades. The cheaper option on paper is often the one that costs you the most time.

If a quote is already on the table, the helper on the resources page asks about it question by question. It is a short run of questions, and it stores nothing.

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