How many quotes should you get? (and how to compare them)
Three is the standard answer and it is roughly right. The part nobody explains is how to make three quotes actually comparable, which is where most homeowners lose the thread.
Ask anyone and you will hear the same number. Get three quotes. It is decent advice and it has survived for a reason: one quote gives you no reference point, two gives you a coin flip, three gives you a shape. Natural Resources Canada says the same thing in its own guidance on replacing heating equipment, in plainer words. Get firm written quotes from several companies.
But the number is the easy part, and it is not where homeowners go wrong. Three quotes for three subtly different jobs is worse than useless, because it feels like diligence while telling you nothing. That is the real failure mode, and it is far more common than getting too few quotes.
The fix is one page of writing, done before you call anybody.
Three is right for most jobs. Here is when it is not.
The three-quote rule is a default, not a law, and treating it as a law costs you time on small jobs and costs you money on big ones.
| Situation | How many | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Standard replacement: furnace, roof, windows | Three | Enough spread to spot an outlier without scheduling eating a month |
| Small repair under about $1,000 | One or two | Coordination costs more than the spread you would find |
| Large or structural renovation | Three, plus a written scope | The scope document matters more than the third quote does |
| Emergency: no heat, active leak | One, then review afterwards | Stop the damage first, have the work assessed after |
| Specialty trade with few local operators | However many genuinely exist | Two real local quotes beat three where one drove in from two hours away |
Past three you are collecting variance, not signal. You are also spending goodwill. Contractors in a given trade and area tend to know each other, and being known as the homeowner who gathers six quotes and hires nobody is a quiet way to get deprioritised next season.
The one page that makes quotes comparable
Before you contact anyone, write a single page describing the job, and send the identical page to every contractor. This is the whole trick. Without it, each contractor scopes the job the way they would prefer to do it, and you end up comparing three different projects that happen to be about the same house.
It does not need to be technical. It needs to be specific. If you do not know something, say so and ask them to state their assumption in the quote, which is itself informative: the contractor who writes down their assumptions is the one who will not surprise you later.
| State this | Example |
|---|---|
| The work in plain language | Replace asphalt shingle roof, full tear-off, roughly 1,800 sq ft |
| Quantities where you know them | 12 windows: 3 casement, 9 double-hung |
| The standard you expect | Ice and water shield at the eaves, new drip edge, new flashings |
| Allowances in dollars | $2,500 fixture allowance, $60 per sq ft tile allowance |
| Who supplies what | Homeowner supplies the vanity, contractor supplies everything else |
| Access and site constraints | Shared driveway, no work before 8am, dog on site |
| Timing | Must be complete before 15 October |
You are not trying to design the job for them. You are trying to make sure all three are pricing the same thing, so that when the numbers come back different, the difference means something.
How to read three quotes side by side
Do not compare totals. Totals are the least informative number on the page, because they conceal what is and is not in them.
- 1Line the three quotes up in three columnsOne row per line item, one column per contractor. A page of paper beats a mental tally.
- 2Fill in every cellEvery blank is a question. The blanks are where the price difference actually lives, nearly every time.
- 3Ask what is excluded, in writingA good contractor answers in specifics, because they have been burned by the ambiguity too. A vague answer is your answer.
- 4Check the allowances in dollarsThe word allowance means nothing on its own. A number means something you can hold them to.
- 5Then decide on paperwork and referencesWhen two quotes are within 10 percent, those are the only things left that predict how the project actually goes.
| Compare this | Not this |
|---|---|
| Line-by-line inclusions | The bottom-line total |
| What is explicitly excluded, in writing | What you assume is included |
| Allowance amounts in dollars | The word allowance |
| Payment schedule tied to milestones | A deposit percentage on its own |
| Workmanship warranty term and exclusions | The manufacturer's warranty on the material |
| Start and completion dates in writing | Should be about two weeks |
| Who pulls the permit, and in whose name | Permits will be handled |
Ask each contractor, in writing: what is excluded from this quote?
The lowest quote is usually the shortest quote
Consumer Protection Ontario lists unrealistically low bids among its red flags, and the mechanism is dull rather than sinister. The cheap quote is usually cheap because it is missing lines: the permit, disposal, tear-off, workers compensation coverage, or allowances set so low that every real-world choice becomes a change order.
There is also a rule in Ontario that makes the written estimate worth having on its own. The final price cannot exceed the written estimate by more than 10 percent unless you have agreed to additional work at an agreed price. A verbal number gives you none of that protection.
When one quote comes in far below the others, the useful question is never why is this one so cheap. It is what is in the other two that is missing from this one.
Five things not to do
Most of the damage in a quoting process is self-inflicted, and it is usually done in the name of being a savvy negotiator.
| Do not | Because |
|---|---|
| Show contractor B what contractor A quoted | You get a number shaded to win the job, not an honest bid |
| Ask for a discount for paying cash | You have just traded away your receipt, warranty and recourse |
| Decide on price when the spread is under about 10 percent | At that distance you are choosing a company, not a price |
| Let a quote sit until it expires | Material pricing moves, and requoting spends goodwill |
| Skip the reference calls because the quote looked polished | The quote is a sales document. The references are the product |
How long the process should take
In season, a reputable contractor is typically booked two to six weeks out, and a quote takes a few days to prepare after the site visit. Getting all three back inside a week or two is normal. Plan for it rather than being surprised by it, because the alternative is deciding under time pressure, which is exactly the condition every bad decision needs.
- 1Day 0: send the same scope page to three contractorsEmail it. Ask each of them to confirm they are quoting that document.
- 2Days 1 to 5: site visitsStructural, roofing and mechanical work all require someone physically looking at it.
- 3Days 3 to 10: quotes come backA few days of preparation after the visit is normal and is a good sign.
- 4Days 10 to 14: compare and decideLine items, exclusions, allowances, warranty. Then references.
- 5Then 2 to 6 weeks to startIn season, the good ones are booked. That wait is a feature, not a problem.
A firm price produced on the spot at your kitchen table, for a major job, without measuring anything, is a sales tactic rather than an estimate. A heat pump quote in particular should rest on a heat loss and heat gain calculation, CSA F280. If nobody measured the house, nobody sized the equipment.
Full disclosure: we send you one contractor, not three
This is our guide, so you should know how we make money and where our interests line up with yours, and where they do not.
We match each homeowner with one vetted contractor, and that contractor pays us for the introduction. We do not sell your details to four companies who then race each other to your phone. That is the standard model in this industry and it is the reason most people dread filling in a form like this one.
One referral is not the same as one quote. Nothing stops you getting two more on your own, and if the rest of this page says you should, do it. What we remove is the part where you have no idea whether the company turning up is licensed, insured, covered for workers compensation and still trading. We check that before anyone gets your number.
If you want a second quote, get it from a company you find yourself and hold both to the same scope page. In a city where we have signed only one contractor in your trade, we will tell you that rather than pretend otherwise.
One referral is not one quote. Nothing stops you getting two more, and if this guide says you should, do it.
We are paid when a contractor receives the introduction, not when you sign. That means we have every reason to send you someone competent and no reason at all to push you into a deal. It also means we are not neutral about you using us. Now you know, and you can weigh the rest of this page accordingly.
The short version
Write one page describing the job. Send the identical page to three contractors. Compare line items and exclusions, not totals. Then pick on paperwork, responsiveness and references, because when the numbers are close those are the only things left that predict how the project will actually go.
The three-quote rule is not about finding the cheapest price. It is about developing enough context to recognise a bad one.
Or start with one pro instead of three.
We check licence, insurance, workers compensation clearance and trading history before a contractor can contact anyone through us. Tell us about the job and we'll match you with one vetted local pro.
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Sources
General information, not legal advice. Consumer protection and estimate rules vary by province and change over time. Confirm what applies in your province before relying on it.