Quote comparison worksheet

What’s inside the PDF

• Three-contractor side-by-side grid with twenty pre-labelled rows
• Per-square-foot, per-linear-foot, and flat-rate fields broken out separately
• Payment-schedule comparison rows (deposit, milestones, holdback)
• Warranty + return-visit policy comparison row
• Notes section for spec differences that don't fit a row

How to use it

• Fill one column per contractor as quotes arrive — don't wait until all three are in
• Translate any 'project total' quote into the per-unit rows before you compare
• If a contractor's number for a row is blank, it usually means it's not included — ask
• Compare the rows in this order: footings, framing, decking, railing, demolition

Why this template exists

Three contractor quotes for the same deck will look so different from each other on first read that they're effectively unintelligible. One quotes per square foot, one quotes a project total, one quotes by line item with materials and labour broken out. The point of this worksheet is to translate all three into the same shape so you can compare apples to apples. The twenty rows match the categories the engine on this site uses — framing, decking, railing by linear foot, stairs by step, demolition by square foot, permit, warranty terms, payment schedule. Once all three quotes are in the same shape, the differences become legible: contractor A's number is higher than B's because A is using larger footings; B's is lower than C's because B isn't including demolition. That's the conversation you want to have before signing — not after.