Home / $99 Bid Review
$99 Contractor Bid Review in Massachusetts
A second opinionon your bid,before you sign.
Stephen Selby checks out the contractor you’re about to hire and reads their proposal line by line. It’s a one-time review, and it costs $99.
What you get for $99
What the $99 review covers
It’s for homeowners who already have a contractor lined up and want a second set of eyes on the proposal.
- The contractor’s licensing, insurance and financial standing
- Their project history and the quality of the proposal
- The scope of work, line by line
- Whether they can handle a renovation your size
- Anything in the proposal that should change
After you send the request
How the review works
Send the request form below and we’ll email you the $99 invoice. Then:
- Your proposal
You send the contractor’s proposal or contract, their name and license number, and anything else they’ve given you.
- The review
Stephen checks the contractor and reads the proposal line by line.
- The follow-up
Stephen goes through what he found with you.
Contractor bid review
- Read by
- Stephen A. Selby, MA Construction Supervisor License CS-089723
- You send
- The proposal or contract, and the contractor’s name and license number
- You get
- A review of the contractor and the proposal
What Stephen looks for in a proposal
He reads it for what’s included and what’s missing, who pulls the permits, when the money is due and whether the dates are real.
- AllowanceCircled: ask the contractor about it
- Good if signed todayCrossed out: ask for it to be changed
- get real datesIn the margin: Stephen’s note
Proposal
Second-floor addition, two bedrooms, one bath
Scope
- Framing and roof tie-in
- Included
- Windows and trim
- Included
- Plumbing and electrical
- Included
- Finishes
- Allowancewhich finish level?
- Not included
- what’s left out?
Terms
- Deposit
- 50% due at signinga deposit right away?
- Permits
- Pulled by the ownerthe builder pulls them
- Start and finish
- To be setget real dates
- References
- On requestfive, names and numbers
- License no.
- ask for it
- This price
- Good if signed todayno rush to sign
Seven red flags when hiring a contractor
Any one of these is a reason to slow down and ask more questions.
- They can’t or won’t give you at least five references, with names and phone numbers.
- They haven’t been a licensed contractor for at least five years.
- They won’t give you their license number.
- They’re very late to an appointment, or don’t show up, without a phone call.
- They ask you for a deposit right away.
- They press you to sign a contract on the spot.
- They get uncomfortable when you say you’ll run a background check on them and their subcontractors.
How do I pay and send my proposal?
Send the request form on this page. We’ll email you an invoice for $99.
What should I do while Stephen has it?
Hold off on signing or paying a deposit until you hear back. If the contractor is pushing you to sign right now, that’s a red flag in itself.
What if my signing date is close?
Include the date when you send the proposal, and call (774) 296-4034 to let us know it’s coming.
Which licenses should the contractor hold?
For most existing one to four family homes the owner lives in, Massachusetts requires a licensed Construction Supervisor (or a registered design professional) to oversee the work, and the contractor to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor. You can check a supervisor license on the state’s License Verification Site and a registration on the MA Contractor Hub.
Our house was built before 1978. What should the bid show?
Renovation, repair or painting work in a Massachusetts home built before 1978 has to be done by a contractor the state Department of Labor Standards licenses as a Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor. If the bid doesn’t name that license, ask for it. That covers a lot of houses around here. In Newton, the median house was built in 1940.
One-time review, $99
Have Stephen review your bid
Stephen reads every bid. He holds Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License CS-089723.
Planning your own addition or renovation? Start a project