BC, Alberta and Ontario
What should a renovation quote include before you sign?
A quote you can compare and hold to names the parties, says what is in and what is out, prices the allowances, sets the payment stages and the change process, and puts the warranty and the dates in writing. A missing line is a question to ask before you sign.
The free steps
1. The parties
The registered business name (or the registered business name behind a trade name), the address, and the name of the person signing. The same name should appear on the invoice and the receipt.
2. The scope, in enough detail to compare
What is being done, where, with what. Two quotes with different totals often price different work; a scope line by line is what makes them comparable.
3. Exclusions and allowances
What is not included (permits, disposal, finishing, fixtures), and the allowance for each selection you have not made yet. An allowance is a placeholder, and the final price moves with your choice.
4. Payment stages
Each payment, what triggers it, and what it pays for. The deposit as a percentage of the total, and when the next payment is due. Your province's consumer-protection page says what the rules are.
Official source: Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs (Government of Ontario; checked 2026-07-15).
5. The change process
How a change is priced and approved, in writing, before the work changes. The most common dispute starts with a change nobody wrote down.
6. Warranty wording and dates
What is warranted, for how long, by whom, and the start and end dates for the work. A warranty from a business that cannot be found in the registry is a question to ask.
7. Read the quote for what it leaves out
A quote you can compare names the parties, the scope of work, what is excluded, allowances, payment stages, the change process and warranty wording. Note anything missing as a question to ask before you sign; a missing line is a question, not a finding.
Questions people ask
Is a one-line quote a bad sign?
It is a quote you cannot compare or hold to, which is a question to ask, not a conclusion. Ask for the scope, the exclusions and the payment stages in writing; a contractor who writes them down is giving you something you can rely on.
Does Jay read the quote?
Yes, in the Full Check: the quote and the insurance certificate are read against the registry record, and the gaps become questions to ask. The free quote-completeness scan on the site lists what is missing in your browser.
Or ask Jay
Jay does these steps for you and writes up what the records show, with the source and date for each finding. The $39 Full Check (no tax added) also reads your quote and insurance papers, and a person reviews every Full Check before it goes out. The $19 Quick Check is opening soon.
Order a Full CheckSee a sample Full Check
Three quotes. One Jay check. Then the deposit.
Information, not a verdict. A record that is not found is not evidence of wrongdoing, and nothing here is legal, insurance or safety advice.
Published 2026-10-20; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.