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• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here
• Join the wait list for The Designers Edge

What you will learn from this episode:

• Why contractor bids vary even when they walk the same project with the same scope
• How to run a contractor walkthrough that actually reduces bid variance
• The step-by-step process to compare bids line-by-line — and how to ask tough questions without sounding confrontational

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Today, we’re talking about something that happens on every renovation project I manage:

Contractor bids that don’t match.

Same project. Same drawings. Same walkthrough.
And yet — the numbers come back wildly different.

Sometimes it’s ten thousand dollars. Sometimes it’s fifty thousand.
And if you’ve ever stood in front of a client trying to explain why one contractor is double the other… yeah. You know the feeling.

So today, I’m walking you through why contractor bids vary (even when you’ve done everything “right”), how to run a contractor walkthrough that actually reduces variance, the step-by-step process to compare bids line-by-line, and how to ask tough questions without sounding confrontational. Because yes, you can push back professionally.

Why Do Contractor Bids Vary So Much in the First Place?

Here’s the assumption most clients (and honestly, a lot of designers) hold: higher bid equals better quality, lower bid equals cutting corners.

And look, sometimes that’s true.

But most of the time? The biggest driver of bid variance isn’t quality. It’s interpretation.

Let me explain.

When you send a project out to bid, here’s what happens on the contractor’s end. They sit down with your drawings, your spec sheet, and maybe some notes. And wherever your documents leave something ambiguous, wherever there’s a gap, they fill it in with an assumption.

Some contractors assume demo includes hauling. Others price it separately.

Some add a line item for unforeseen conditions. Others don’t.

Some assume you’re managing the project. Others assume they are.

Every gap in your scope of work becomes a variable. And when you multiply those variables across an entire project? You can end up with bids that are tens of thousands of dollars apart, on what’s technically the same job.

Here’s the honest truth: a bid is only as accurate as the scope of work behind it. That’s it. That’s the whole thesis.

If your scope of work is tight, if it’s written clearly, if it addresses gray areas, if it specifies what’s included and what’s not, your bids will come in much closer together. They won’t be identical, because contractors have different overhead, markup, and crews. But they’ll be in the same universe.

And when they’re not in the same universe? That’s your red flag. That’s the project telling you something wasn’t clearly defined enough.

The Contractor Walkthrough: Why It’s Non-Negotiable

Before we talk about what to do when bids come back differently, let’s talk about what happens before the bids come back.

Because this step is one of the most important things you can do, and one I think a lot of designers skip or underinvest in:

The contractor walkthrough.

For me? Non-negotiable. Even for out-of-town projects.

Why? Because a contractor cannot accurately price something they haven’t seen.

Yes, they can look at your drawings. Yes, they’ll make assumptions. But drawings don’t show them that the ceiling is wavy and might need additional work. They don’t show that there’s an HVAC chase in the wall where plumbing needs to go. They don’t show that the existing tile looks cracked, and the substrate might be compromised.

Those are things you can only find out by being in the space.

How I Run My Contractor Walkthroughs

Over the years, I’ve found a few things make a real difference.

First, I’m transparent upfront. I tell contractors in advance that they’ll be one of two or three bidding. Why? Professional courtesy, for one. They can say no thanks if they’re slammed. But it also sets the tone that this is a comparative process, not a done deal.

Second, I stagger the contractors but bring all the trades at once. On my recent project, I had one electrician, one plumber, one painter, and one flooring guy. And I staggered the two contractors.

That way, everyone meets each other, asks questions collectively, and catches things they might miss individually. The conversations that happen in those rooms? Invaluable. I learn so much, not just about that project, but about how things are evaluated, what to look for next time, and how different trades think.

Third, I come prepared. I send the scope of work and drawings beforehand, but I also bring hard copies, because someone always forgets. And I share budget numbers I’ve already worked up, my client’s hopes and dreams, and overall project goals.

Why? Because the more context contractors have, the more accurate their numbers will be.

I genuinely believe you cannot give a contractor too much information. The more granular, the more specific, the more explicit you are about conditions, sequencing, and expectations, the less anyone has to guess. And assumptions? They turn into problems.

Fourth, I don’t include my client in the walkthrough. I’ve had clients want to be there. And I explain: this is a working session. Contractors need to feel comfortable asking any question, not curating what they think they should ask in front of you.

Once I frame it that way? Every client, even the reluctant ones, says, “Okay, I get it. Keep me posted.”

But Here’s the Thing

Even with all of that. Even with a three-hour walkthrough. Even with both contractors in the same house, with the same subs, with a detailed scope of work and budget numbers already worked out, you can still get different bids.

Because we’re human.

On this recent project? One contractor flagged a condition I hadn’t caught. The other contractor also hadn’t caught it.

That’s not a failure of process. That’s just the reality of looking at something for the first time.

The goal of the walkthrough isn’t perfection. The goal is to reduce variables and give everyone the best possible foundation. What happens with the bids after that? That’s a separate process.

What to Do When Bids Come Back Different

Okay. You’ve done everything right. You held the walkthrough. You shared everything. Your scope of work is detailed. And the bids still came back significantly different.

What now?

This is where it gets interesting, because now you’re not dealing with a preparation issue. You’re likely dealing with someone who missed something, someone who saw something others didn’t, or someone who made a different assumption.

And figuring out what is your job.

Here’s how I do it:

First, I read every bid in full before I compare anything. I don’t go straight to the numbers. I read each bid cover to cover. I get familiar with how they’ve organized their information, what’s there, what’s missing. You’ll notice things in the reading that you’d miss going straight to comparison mode.

Second, I build a comparison document. I lay out the major line items from my scope of work and fill in how each contractor priced each one. Where line items are missing from a bid, I note it. Where line items vary dramatically, I note it. Those are where I start my conversations.

Third, I identify the questions I need answered. I don’t just look at the bottom-line number. I look for where one contractor is three times higher on a single line item. Where one contractor included something the other didn’t. Where the scope of work says X but the bid says Y. I mark those. Those are my conversation starters.

And then I go back to my contractors. Not with “Why is your bid so high?” but with “I’m doing a line-by-line comparison, and I have some questions about a few items.”

For example, I might say: “Hi, Contractor Bob. I noticed you priced subfloor prep at X, and the other contractor didn’t include this line item at all. Can you walk me through what you saw and why you included it?”

That’s a real conversation. That’s how you get useful information. And that’s why I tell my contractors upfront that someone else is bidding, so I don’t feel weird asking follow-up questions.

Let’s Talk About the Fear of Asking Questions

I hear this from designers all the time. “I don’t want to offend them.” “I don’t want to seem like I don’t know what I’m doing.” “What if they walk away from the job?”

I get it. Construction can feel like someone else’s territory. And yes, contractors, sometimes intentionally and sometimes just because of communication style, can reinforce that feeling.

But here’s what I want you to understand: Asking questions about a bid is not the same as questioning someone’s expertise. It’s not an attack. It’s not an accusation. It’s part of your professional responsibility to your client. Full stop.

Your client hired you in part because they don’t know how to navigate this process. They don’t know what questions to ask. They don’t know why one bid is fifty thousand dollars more than the other. They’re trusting you to figure that out.

And if you walk into a client meeting with two wildly different bids and say, “Gee, I’m not sure. They just came back different”? That’s a failure of your role. Not because you’re supposed to know everything. But because you’re supposed to do the work of finding out.

How to Ask Questions Confidently, Not Confrontationally

Here’s what helps.

Make it about the scope of work, not the number. I would never lead with “Your bid is higher than everyone else’s.” That puts them on the defensive. I lead with “I’m doing a line-by-line comparison, and I have some questions about a few items.” One invites dialogue. The other shuts it down.

Ask open-ended questions that invite explanation. “Can you walk me through your thinking on this line item?” sounds very different from “Why is this so expensive?” One sounds like curiosity. The other sounds like an accusation.

Acknowledge their expertise in the question. For example: “I noticed you included subfloor leveling, and the other bids didn’t. You must have seen something during the walkthrough. I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you saw and how you’d approach it.” That framing says I value what you know. I just need to understand it.

And remember, your job isn’t to adjudicate who’s right. Your job is to gather enough information to make a recommendation to your client. That’s it. You’re not the judge. You’re the person who did the homework.

What Happened on My Project

After I did a line-by-line evaluation, I found that one contractor was assuming full project management.

Now, this was a contractor I’d never worked with before, but had wanted to work with. Highly recommended. But he didn’t understand my role.

When I explained it? He said, “Oh my gosh, yeah, that’s totally not reflected in my number.” He revised it down.

The other contractor? I’d worked with him before. He knew my role. His number already reflected that.

Were their numbers the same at the end? Nope. And they shouldn’t be. Those are two different businesses at different stages in their careers.

But I had two comparable bids to present to my client, so they could make an informed decision.

Had I not gone through those contracts line-by-line and reached out with questions, not confrontations? I wouldn’t have understood why the numbers varied. And I wouldn’t have given both contractors a fair shot at getting the project.

Final Thoughts: The Three-Part Process

Here’s what closes the gap between wildly different bids and apples-to-apples comparison:

• Build a tight scope of work. That’s the foundation everything else is built on.

• Hold the contractor walkthrough. Context, conditions, and collective problem-solving matter.

• Review the bids line-by-line. Compare. Question. Clarify.

That’s how you bring your client a recommendation grounded in what you actually found, not just forwarded numbers with a shrug. And that’s the value you bring to every project.

So please, hold the walkthrough. Carve out the time to give contractors everything you have and then some. Get itemized bids. Compare line-by-line. Ask the questions. And bring your client a recommendation that’s grounded in clarity, not guesswork.

Your knowledge grows every time you bid out a project. Which makes the next one easier.

You’ve got this.

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Like this Episode?

Be sure to check out Episode #252: What Contractors Know That Designers Don’t

Be sure to check out Episode #215: Why Designers Struggle with Trades—and How to Fix It

Be sure to check out Episode #111: How I’ve Managed Imposter Syndrome Throughout My Career