How to compare masonry quotes when they are thousands apart

Why the numbers differ

Masonry has a visible half and a hidden half. The visible half is the stone, the pavers, the pattern and the finish. Everyone quotes it the same way. The hidden half is the base under a patio, the barrier and flashing behind a wall, the footing under a fireplace and the cold-weather protection around all of it. That half is where quotes drift apart, and you cannot inspect it afterward.

A low quote is not always a bad one. A high quote is not always a good one. The useful question is what each number includes. Treat the three quotes like three recipes. If one leaves out the flour, it will cost less.

Basis: Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes, Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute

Start with the written scope

Ask each contractor for the scope in writing, with the same headings. If one of them quotes a single lump sum and another lists materials and steps, you cannot compare them. Ask the lump-sum bidder to break it down.

A usable scope names the area in square feet, the materials by product, the demolition and haul-away, the excavation depth, the base or backing, the finish and the cleanup. If a line you expect is missing, ask whether it is included or not needed.

Basis: Brick Industry Association, NOAA NCEI

Line up the hidden layers

For each type of job there are a few hidden items worth putting side by side in a table.

• Patios and walks: compacted base depth, how many lifts, fabric under the base, drain pipe where the soil is wet, finished slope, edge restraint. The industry spec is 4 inches over well-drained soil and 2 to 4 inches more over wet soil in a cold climate.
• Stone veneer: barrier layers, lath, flashing and weep screed at the base, clearances above soil and paving, substrate checks.
• Fireplaces and fire pits: footing depth and who decides it, firebox lining, hearth and clearance details, and whether drawings or permits are needed.
• Cleaning and sealing: how the stain is diagnosed, which cleaner, whether the water source is addressed, and whether the sealer is breathable.

When two quotes name a 4 inch base and the third names 8, do not assume the third is padding. In wet ground in a cold climate, a base in the 6 to 8 inch range can be right.

Basis: New York State Senate, New York State Senate

Check the calendar and the cold-weather line

Ask each contractor for a start window and a finish window. The calendar matters because mortar needs material temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and in Syracuse the median window at the closest published threshold (a minimum of 36 degrees) runs May 8 to October 5. A quote for an October or November start should include heated water, covers or enclosures. A quote that does not has probably left out a cost.

New York law requires a home improvement contract to state the approximate dates when work will begin and be substantially completed. Use that to ask about weather.

Basis: New York State Senate

Ask what happens when the plan changes

Soil is a surprise waiting to happen. Soft spots show up once the excavation is open. Ask each contractor how changes are handled: is there a unit price for extra base or drain pipe, and who signs off? The contractor who tells you in advance is easier to work with later.

Basis: New York State Senate, Town of Camillus Code Enforcement Office

Payments and the contract

Patios and similar work are named in New York's home improvement law, which defines home improvement to include construction or improvement of terraces, patios and driveways, among other things. That law sets out what a contract must contain.

Among those terms, a contract with progress payments must include a schedule showing the amount of each payment as a sum in dollars and cents. A large up-front deposit with no schedule is a reason to ask more questions.

The contract must also tell you that you can cancel up to midnight on the third business day after signing, and that the contractor must deposit payments received before completion as section 71-a(4) of the Lien Law directs. If a quote arrives with a contract that mentions none of this, ask about it.

This is general information about the statute, not legal advice. For a contract question, ask the contractor and consider an attorney or the state consumer protection office.

Permits, paperwork and who does what

Ask who will handle drawings and permit applications and who pays for them. In some towns, the permit process asks for proof of workers compensation coverage for the contractor doing the work. For example, the Town of Camillus residential permit checklist asks for proof of New York State workers compensation coverage for the contractor. Ask each contractor to provide what your town requires.

A worked comparison, in words

Imagine three quotes for the same back-yard patio. The first names a 4 inch base, one lift, no drain and an October start. The second names a 6 inch base in two lifts, fabric, a perimeter drain and a May start. The third gives one lump sum and no detail. The second costs the most, and it also describes the most.

You would still ask the second contractor why the drain is there, and you might learn your yard sits on wet ground. You would ask the first why the base is thin and whether the October start includes protection. You would ask the third for the detail and decline to compare until it arrives. After those conversations, the three numbers mean something.

Red flags worth noticing

• A price that is good only if you sign today.
• A request for a large deposit with no payment schedule.
• No written scope, or a scope that names the surface and nothing under it.
• An unwillingness to say the base depth, the drain plan or the cold-weather plan.
• A start date in deep winter for work that needs thawed ground.
• Extra charges for base stone or drainage that were never named in the scope.

What is left once the scopes match

After you align scopes, differences that remain are about how much risk each contractor builds in. The cheapest quote is not necessarily the riskiest, and the dearest is not necessarily the safest. Use the comparison to ask better questions, such as: why is your base thinner than the other bid? Why do you not include a drain? Why is your start date in November?

The answers are as important as the numbers. A contractor who explains the choice without defensiveness is telling you how the job will go.

Questions that open a good conversation

Instead of asking which quote is best, ask each contractor to explain the biggest risk on your particular job and how the plan handles it. A veneer wall might have a risky base detail, a patio might sit on wet ground and a fireplace might need a deep footing. The answer shows whether they have looked at your site or are pricing from a photo.

A short checklist

1. Get all three quotes in writing with the same headings.
2. Put the hidden layers side by side.
3. Check the start window against the 40 degree season.
4. Ask what changes if the ground or weather surprises you.
5. Check the payment schedule and the contract terms.
6. Ask about permits and who handles them.
7. Choose on scope and answers, then price.

If you want help describing the project so the quotes are comparable from the start, tell us what you are planning and ask for a price.