Hiring or DIYing? One better bid can pay for the kit
The Home Project Bid & Budget Kit
- 12 fill-in worksheets, 34 print pages
- 2 filled-in examples (a hypothetical roof job, three bids)
- Excel / Google Sheets tracker: bids, takeoff, payments, change orders, budget
- Contract and payment checks drawn from FTC home improvement guidance
30-day money-back guarantee. Every dollar back if it doesn't help.
Price the job with this site's calculators, make three contractors bid on the same line items, and keep the deposit, permits, change orders and final walkthrough on paper. One better bid can pay for the kit.
Replaces three bids you cannot compare because each one prices a different job, the deposit you were about to hand over without a payment schedule, and the change orders nobody wrote down.
How one better bid can pay for it
For example, this site's roof replacement calculator puts a typical 1,800 sq ft architectural-shingle tear-off at $8,100 to $19,800 nationally. That is a $11,700 spread for the same job. If lining three bids up on the same line items catches one padded or missing item worth $300, the $27 kit has paid for itself about 11 times over.
A worked example from this site's own numbers, not a promise. Your bids, market and results will differ.
- Before bids: a written scope from the calculator, so every bid prices the same job.
- Choosing: license, insurance and red-flag checks, then three bids side by side.
- Signing: the FTC's contract checklist and a deposit that is never the full amount.
- Finishing: change orders in writing and a punch list before the final payment.
Look inside
Real pages from the PDF downloaded after checkout, including both filled-in examples.
What's in it
See all 12 worksheet titles
- Project At A Glance
- Scope & Estimate Worksheet
- DIY vs Hire Decision Sheet
- Materials Takeoff Sheet
- Contractor Screening & Red Flags
- Contractor Bid Comparison Sheet
- Contract Checklist: Before You Sign
- Project Timeline & Permit Tracker
- Payment Schedule & Log
- Change-Order Log
- Punch List
- Budget & Kit Payback Tracker
Also included
- 2 filled-in example worksheets. Scope & Estimate Worksheet and Contractor Bid Comparison Sheet, filled in for a hypothetical roof replacement with three bids, so a finished page is visible before you start one.
- 1 bonus printable. Quick Reference: Before You Sign: Cut it out and keep it with the bids
- 1 companion spreadsheet. An editable workbook: a three-bid comparison with the lowest bid and spread per line, a materials takeoff with order quantities and line costs, a payment log with the remaining balance, a change-order log with a running total, and a budget vs actual sheet. Tabs: Bid comparison, Materials takeoff, Payments, Change orders, Budget.
- 1 start-here page. The four sheets to fill in before the first contractor visits, and which sheet to reach for at each stage of the job.
Plus the online buyer guide
If some of the job is DIY: this site's starter tool picks in three budget tiers (drill, impact driver, saws, measuring and safety gear), with banded totals and a Check price link for each tool, kept current on this site.
Who it's for
- A homeowner about to collect bids on a roof, remodel, HVAC system or any job over a few thousand dollars
- Anyone holding three quotes that do not line up and cannot tell which one is fair
- A DIYer deciding whether a job is worth doing yourself once tools, materials and risk are counted
- Someone mid-project who wants payments, permits and change orders written down before the final bill
Who made this
Built by the HouseProjectCalc team from the same cost model this site's 71 project calculators run on, plus the FTC's consumer guidance on hiring a contractor. Researched, not professional advice, and laid out as a workbook to fill in rather than an article to read once.
30-day money-back guarantee
Use the whole kit. If it doesn't help, fill in the refund form within 30 days and you get every dollar back. No questions asked. Refund form.
Questions
How can a $27 kit pay for itself?
For example, this site's roof calculator puts a typical 1,800 sq ft asphalt tear-off at $8,100 to $19,800 nationally. Bids on the same job spread widely, so catching one padded or missing line item worth a few hundred dollars covers the kit several times over. That is a worked example, not a promise; results vary with your bids and your market.
Does this replace the free calculators?
No. The calculators give you a range in seconds. The kit is where that range becomes a written scope, three comparable bids, a signed contract you checked, a payment schedule and a punch list.
Is this legal or professional advice?
No. It is researched planning and record-keeping built on this site's cost data and FTC consumer guidance. Permit rules, licensing and deposit limits vary by state and city, so check with your local building department and your state or local consumer protection office.
What format are the files?
One PDF with every worksheet, each worksheet as its own printable in a ZIP, and an Excel workbook that also opens in Google Sheets. Print as many copies as you need, for this project and the next.
Which projects does it work for?
Any of them: roofing, HVAC, kitchens, baths, decks, fences, windows, siding and the rest. The sheets are organized around bids, contracts and payments, which work the same way for every trade.
What if it does not help?
Use the whole kit for 30 days. If it does not help, the refund form on the contact page gets every dollar back, no questions asked. Refund form.
The Home Project Bid & Budget Kit
12 worksheets · 34 pages · examples, workbook and online buyer guide