Most Poly B quotes in this market are a single number on a single line. That is not comparable to anything, and judging on the total alone rewards whichever contractor left the most out.
This page is the checklist for turning a number into something that can actually be judged.
What a quote has to contain
- Pipe material, fitting system and manufacturer, named
- Every fixture being reconnected, listed individually rather than summarised
- Whether the permit and the inspection are included
- The restoration level, named exactly: holes only, board and tape, or finished and painted
- Whether paint is included, and whether that means spot touch-up or full walls
- Whether outdoor hose bibs, irrigation lines and any secondary suite are in scope
- Whether the water heater, softener and treatment equipment are reconnected
- How the old pipe is handled, removed where accessible and abandoned where not
- Working days, and whether the house stays habitable throughout
- What happens to the price if something unexpected turns up inside a wall
- Cleanup and debris removal
- A fixed written total, not an hourly rate with an estimate attached
How to compare two quotes that are not comparable
Do not start from the totals. Build one list of line items, the twelve above, and fill in each quote against it. Gaps become visible immediately, and the gaps are the difference.
Then take the gaps back to each contractor as questions. How they answer is itself information. Someone who fills in the missing lines without resistance is describing a job they have thought about. Someone who will not put the restoration level in writing is quoting something other than what is being compared.
| Looks like | Often actually is | How to test it |
|---|---|---|
| Thousands lower | Rough-in only, restoration excluded | Ask what the wall looks like on the last day |
| Thousands higher | Full finish and paint included | Ask for restoration as its own line |
| Same price, fewer days | Fewer fixtures counted | Compare the fixture lists side by side |
| Hourly rather than fixed | Risk moved onto the homeowner | Ask for a fixed total against a written scope |
| No permit line | Permit not being pulled | Ask directly, in writing |
Questions that change the number
- Is the basement finished, and how much of it
- How many bathrooms, and are any of them stacked
- One storey or two, and where the mechanical room sits
- Are any ceilings textured or stippled
- Is the house occupied during the work
- Is there a secondary suite, irrigation, or a garage line on the same system
- Is this a condo or townhouse, where a board and a building schedule are involved
Red flags
- A total with no itemisation, presented as the whole quote
- Reluctance to put the restoration level in writing
- No permit, framed as saving money. It surfaces at sale and at a claim
- Pressure to decide today, or a price that expires in hours
- A large deposit requested before any materials are ordered
- No named pipe or fitting system
- A verbal assurance that the invoice will say whatever an insurer needs. It should say what was actually done, and nothing else
The frame that protects a homeowner here is boring and effective: a fixed written price against a written scope. Everything on this page is a way of getting there.