Copy-and-paste emails for every stage of a renovation. Fill in the parts in [brackets], then copy it or open it straight in your email app. Getting things in writing is the cheapest protection you have.
Request a quote
Send the same email to every contractor, so you get quotes you can compare line by line.
Subject:Quote request: [project] at [street or neighborhood]
Hi [name],
Thanks for your time. I'm getting quotes for [project — e.g. a kitchen remodel] at [address or neighborhood], and I'm asking every contractor for the same things so I can compare fairly:
1. An itemized price — labor and materials by area or trade, not just one total.
2. Allowances listed as dollar amounts (e.g. tile at $X per sq ft), so I know what I'm choosing within.
3. What's excluded — especially permits, drywall repair and paint, debris haul-off, and anything electrical or plumbing.
4. Your license number, and proof of insurance and workers' comp.
5. A rough schedule: when you could start and how long it would take.
6. Your payment schedule and the warranty you give on your work.
[Optional: My scope and any drawings are attached.]
Could you send it by [date]? Happy to answer questions or set up a walkthrough.
Thanks,
[your name]
[phone]
Follow up on a quote
When a quote is vague, missing items, or hard to compare with the others.
Subject:Questions on your quote for [project]
Hi [name],
Thanks for the quote. Before I can compare it with the others, could you clarify a few things in writing?
1. Is [item] included? It isn't listed.
2. [Item] reads as "[wording from the quote]" — what exactly does that cover?
3. Which items are allowances, and what's the dollar amount for each?
4. Are permits and permit fees included?
5. Is this a fixed price, or could it change? If so, what would change it?
6. What's your license number?
A reply to this email is perfect — no need to redo the whole quote.
Thanks,
[your name]
Before you sign
You've picked a contractor. Ask for these changes before signing — it's normal, and much harder to fix later.
Subject:A few changes before I sign — [project]
Hi [name],
I'd like to move forward with you. Before I sign, I'd like to ask for a few changes to the contract:
1. Deposit: could we set it at [amount]? (Many states limit deposits on home improvement work. In California, it's no more than 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less.)
2. Payments tied to finished work: could each payment be due when a stage is complete, with [amount or %] held until the punch list is done?
3. Your license number written on the contract.
4. A start date and an estimated completion date.
5. [Wood species / finish / model numbers] named in writing, so the price is tied to what I'm actually getting.
6. Change orders: any change agreed in writing, with the price, before the work is done.
7. Your warranty in writing.
Happy to talk any of this through.
Thanks,
[your name]
Change order
Work has started and something needs to change — or the contractor says it will cost more. Get it in writing before the work happens.
Subject:Change order request — [what's changing]
Hi [name],
Following up on our conversation about [what's changing]. Before any work on this starts, could you send a written change order with:
1. Exactly what's being added, removed, or changed.
2. The price — labor and materials — and how it changes the contract total.
3. Any change to the schedule.
4. Why it's needed, if it's because of something found on site.
I'll approve it in writing before the work goes ahead.
Thanks,
[your name]
Decline a bid
Short and polite. Contractors appreciate hearing back, and you may want to call them again.
Subject:Your quote for [project]
Hi [name],
Thank you for the time you spent on the quote for [project]. I've decided to go with another contractor this time, but I appreciated your work and may reach out for future projects.
Best,
[your name]
Got a quote back? Have it checked.
An independent construction expert with no financial connection to your contractor reviews it and tells you what's fair, what's missing, and what to push back on. Delivered in 3 business days.