A low number on a Texas contractor bid is not always a bargain. Sometimes it is missing a permit, a license number, measured quantities, or the insurance math that decides whether a hail claim is even worth filing. Use this checklist against every written quote before you sign.
Educational homeowner guidance, not legal advice. Licensing, permit, and insurance rules vary by trade and city. Confirm details with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), your local building department, and your insurer before you treat any sales claim as settled.
Start with how to read the bid
This checklist catches Texas-specific traps. The companion guide shows what a complete bid looks like line by line — permits, measured quantities, and the five questions that expose a thin quote fast.
Interactive checklist
Check every red flag that appears on the bid in front of you. The counter updates as you go. One or two flags means ask hard questions. Several flags means get another quote with a matching written scope before you pay a deposit.
Why these flags are Texas-specific
National “contractor red flag” lists usually stop at “get three bids” and “check reviews.” In Texas, the expensive mistakes sit in different places: percentage wind/hail deductibles, ACV roofs, TDLR licensing by trade, city permit culture, and post-hail storm chasing. The checklist above is tuned to those patterns — not a generic scam brochure.
If the job is insurance-related, run your real out-of-pocket number before you argue about shingle brands. If the job is a worn system, decide repair vs replace with the age and quote in front of you — not the salesperson’s urgency.
Insurance bid? Know the deductible first
Texas wind/hail deductibles are often a percentage of dwelling coverage. Depreciation can wipe out a claim before the deductible even applies. Run the calculator, then re-read the bid.
Sanity-check the number with Texas cost guides
A clean bid can still be high or low for the local market. Use the cost guides to see statewide ranges before you negotiate:
- Roof replacement cost in Texas
- AC replacement cost in Texas
- Foundation repair cost in Texas
- Water heater replacement cost
Repair quote on an aging system?
If the red flags are light but the repair is expensive relative to equipment age, run the repair-or-replace tool before you approve the work order.
Free: the Texas contractor bid checklist
Three printable pages: what a fair bid has to spell out, the red flags, and a worksheet for deciding whether a hail claim is worth filing. Download the PDF — no email needed.
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What to do after you score the bid
- 0–2 flags: Ask the clarifying questions in writing, then compare against a second complete bid.
- 3–5 flags: Do not pay a large deposit. Request a revised scope that matches your other quotes line by line.
- 6+ flags: Walk. A second contractor with a boring, detailed bid almost always costs less than fixing a thin one mid-job.
For the full method — how to force matching scopes and which five questions expose the cheap bid’s missing pieces — use How to Read a Contractor’s Bid. For more decision aids, see the tools hub.