Quote Teardowns

A total tells you nothing. A line can. Each issue takes one illustrative quote for a common U.S. home job and marks the one line to ask about, with the arithmetic, the public numbers behind it and a message you can send the contractor.

The quotes are written for teaching and are not any real contractor's quote. The public numbers are real and linked: BLS wages by metro area, the Texas DOT loading rule, the International Residential Code, the EPA lead rule and the FTC Cooling-Off Rule. Where no public number exists, the page says so and tells you what to ask instead.

• 01$19,872 for a 24-square roof in Austin. Which line do I ask about?Roof replacement, Austin, TX
• 02$14,850 for a 4-ton AC in Phoenix. Who decided it was 4 tons?HVAC replacement, Phoenix, AZ
• 03$3,480 to replace a water heater in Hayward, CA. Which add-ons are required?Water heater replacement, Hayward, CA
• 04$16,560 for 12 windows in Chicago. Do I have 12, and what kind of install?Window replacement, Chicago, IL
• 05$9,800 to paint a 1952 house in Philadelphia. How many coats, and is it lead-safe?Exterior painting, Philadelphia, PA
• 06$28,400 for a bathroom in Seattle, with $4,650 in allowances. What happens when I pick more?Bathroom remodel, Seattle, WA
• 0720% overhead and profit on top of $65 an hour in Austin. Is it counted twice?Deck rebuild, Austin, TX
• 08$12,400 in siding, but only if I sign tonight. What does the law say?Siding, in-home sale, Any state

How to read an issue

Every issue has the same parts: the quote, the one line to ask about, the arithmetic, what to ask, and what the arithmetic does not establish. Wages are what workers are paid, not what contractors bill. Only Texas has a published loading rule used here; elsewhere the wage is shown plain and excludes the contractor's insurance, taxes and markup.

The Japanese edition of this series, 見積書の解剖, runs on the Japanese site.