How to Prepare for Your First Meeting With a Contractor (5 Things to Bring)

A contractor can only price what you put in front of them. Arrive at the first meeting with a vague idea and you'll get a vague number back. Arrive with specifics and the bid starts to reflect what the job will actually cost.

Here are the five things to have ready.

1. Your budget

State your budget at the first meeting, alongside your wish list, and ask directly whether the two fit: "This is what we want. This is the most we can spend. How realistic is that?"

The question works at any scale, whether the number is $50,000 or $5 million. It tells the contractor how realistic your expectations are and what level of finish you have in mind, and it signals that you're serious. If the project is too small for them, you'll both know right away.

Many homeowners keep the number to themselves, worried the bid will simply rise to meet it. In practice, sharing it gets you to a real answer sooner.

2. A written scope of work

Put the project in writing before you meet anyone, and give every contractor the same document. Bids can only be compared if each contractor priced the same job.

In conversation, plans drift: "we're thinking this, or maybe that." A list of possibilities can't be priced accurately. Organize the scope into three parts:

• What must happen
• What would be nice to have, priced separately if needed
• Your top priorities

Then keep it consistent from one meeting to the next. (Before you get to bids at all, there are four questions worth asking a contractor first.)

3. Photos of the finishes you want

Gather images of the materials and looks you want, from Pinterest, Instagram or magazines. Finishes drive cost, and a photo shows the level you're expecting faster than any description.

The differences are significant. Marble walls and countertops cost more than quartz with ceramic tile. Handmade tile takes more labor to install than ceramic. Tiling a bathroom's walls, not just its floor, adds both material and installation.

With a clear picture of the result, a contractor can check it against your budget and price what you actually want instead of a guess.

4. Any changes to the layout

When you're renovating your existing home, tell the contractor whether the layout is staying the same.

Gutting a bathroom and replacing everything in place is one job. Moving a wall, relocating the toilet or adding a second sink is a different job, with more revision work and a different price. Flag every change so the bid accounts for it.

5. Plans and material selections

New construction raises more questions. Has the contractor seen the site? Will it need grading? What condition is the property in?

Bring every drawing you have. Beyond the architectural plans, that includes the interior design documents: millwork, tile, and plumbing and lighting schedules. Without them, a contractor can't see the full scope, and any number is premature.

It also helps to know what architectural plans typically leave out. A standard set shows the floor plan, with walls, windows and doors seen from above. It usually doesn't specify exterior materials, which are among the biggest swings in price:

• Cedar shake or vinyl siding
• Slate or asphalt roofing
• Copper or metal gutters
• A bluestone or paver patio

The more of these decisions you make before the first meeting, the more accurate the bids.

The common thread

Preparing for this meeting isn't about guarding against the contractor. It's about giving them what they need to price the job you want. The more they can see, the closer their number lands to what you'll actually spend.

If you're not sure yet what your scope or layout should be, that's the work we do first, before the architect and the contractor are hired: working out what you want and turning it into a plan everyone can price.