A handyman's estimate often arrives as a single figure and a promise to start soon. That figure matters, but it is not what decides how the job goes. The parts that decide it are the ones written in smaller type, or the ones nobody wrote down at all.
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Check how the labor is priced
Ask whether the estimate is a fixed price for the whole job or an hourly rate with an estimated number of hours. An hourly rate can be fair, but it needs a stated cap, the point after which the crew stops and calls you before continuing. Without a cap, the length of the job is decided by the contractor.
Find who buys the materials and how they are billed
Materials may be included in the price, passed through at cost with receipts, or marked up. Ask which applies, whether you will receive copies of the receipts, and whether removal and disposal of old material is part of the price. A missing disposal line is one of the most common surprises at the end of a job.
Read the callback rule
There are two warranties to find. The manufacturer's warranty covers the part. The workmanship warranty covers the installation and belongs to the business that did the work. Ask for the workmanship term in months, in writing, and ask who comes back if the fix does not hold and how quickly they respond. A verbal promise to come back is not the same as a written callback rule.
Check the payment schedule and the change rule
Be cautious about a large deposit before any work begins. A common and reasonable shape is a modest deposit, a payment at a clearly named milestone, and the balance after you have inspected the finished work. Also check how extra work gets approved. The contract should say that no added work proceeds until you have approved it in writing, with the new cost stated.
Confirm insurance and license, and get them on paper
Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and, where the trade requires a license in your area, the license number. Check that the certificate names the business, not only the person who comes to the door. Keep copies in the same binder as the care notes.
Compare three estimates on the same scope sheet
Write the job down once, in plain terms: which room, what is removed, what is installed, and what must be left in place. Send the same sheet to each company. Put the three written estimates side by side and mark every line that differs. The gaps tell you exactly what to ask next.
If the amount is large, a consumer protection office or an attorney can read the final contract for you. This article is a checklist for what to ask and what to compare, not legal advice. How We Write explains how these checklists are built and what they leave out.