You are reading a home repair quote from a phone in another time zone, and the first thing it does is look finished. Look again. Most quotes carry a small line near the total that says how long the price holds, and that line decides whether the number on the page is the number you end up paying.
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Find the dates first
Open each quote and look for three things: the date it was written, the date it expires, and any line that says prices may change. Write all three on the front page of the folder. If a quote has no expiration at all, ask the sender to add one in writing. A phone call that says it should hold is not a hold.
Read what can move
Materials and labor are the usual moving parts. Find out whether materials are a fixed line or listed as 'to be confirmed at purchase,' and whether labor is a flat figure or an hourly rate. A quote that leaves materials open is a different document from one that fixes them, even when the totals match on the first page.
Then find the escalation line, if there is one. It should name who must approve an increase, how much notice you get, and whether you can decline the increase and keep the original scope. If the line only says the price may be adjusted, ask what triggers an adjustment and who will contact you first.
Match the re-quote rule to the start date
Ask one question before you book: if we sign after the hold date, or if the start slips past the window, what happens? Some contractors re-quote from the beginning. Others keep the original price for a set number of days after the schedule moves. You want that answer in writing, next to the dates.
Ask whether a deposit is due at signing, and whether any part of it comes back if the start moves. Keep the deposit question separate from the price question. A fair price with a large early payment can still leave you exposed.
Compare two quotes on the same date
If you have two quotes, put their expiration dates side by side. The one that looks cheapest may simply have the least room left before it changes. Compare the scope lines rather than the totals, and check that both list the same materials, the same removal of old work, and the same clean-up.
What to do tonight
Find the issue date and the expiration date on every quote you have. Send each contractor one short message asking them to confirm the valid-through date, the escalation rule, and the re-quote rule if the start moves. Save the replies with the quotes. Our How We Write page explains how these guides are built, and the Sources page shows where the public information here comes from.
What to leave with the doctor
If the work is tied to a health need, ask the doctor's office for a short note describing the need in plain words, such as the kind of walking or reaching difficulty and when it began. Do not ask the office to choose a product or a brand. The note lets the contractor quote the right scope and keeps the work tied to the need, so the scope does not drift after the job starts.