Before you get three quotes

Three quotes for the same spec are usually the same guess, priced three ways. Mike, on one of our decks, on what a good builder does, and the one question that sorts them.

• 1Why three identical quotes aren’t a real comparison
• 2Mike’s test: a good builder explains the pros and cons, and pushes back
• 3Watch for “you probably don’t need a permit,” and ask who stands behind the project
• 4Ask “which” on every line of every quote