Should I Show My Contractor the Insurance Estimate?

Why would a contractor want to see the insurance estimate?

The estimate lists the parts of your house, the measurements and the materials in line items. A contractor who reads it can write a bid that describes the same job in the same terms. It also gives the contractor something to point to when explaining where a bid differs from it.

If the words on the estimate are unfamiliar, our explainer on what "scope of loss" means covers the terms.

What are the reasons to show it?

Showing the estimate gives every contractor the same written list of work to price, so the differences between bids are easier to see. You do not have to describe the job again to each contractor, and a contractor can point to a line on the estimate when explaining a line in the bid.

Each contractor reads the same pages, so no bid depends on how you described the estimate from memory.

What are the reasons to wait?

You can ask for a bid before you share the estimate. A bid written before the contractor sees the estimate shows that contractor's own list of work and price. Waiting also gives you time to read the whole document yourself and to decide who sees your policy number and claim number, if your copy shows them.

Here is what waiting can do for you:

• Privacy. Your copy can show your name, address, policy number and claim number. You may want to decide who sees those.
• Time to read it yourself. You can read the whole document first, and write down any word you do not understand.

A middle path is to describe the same work to every contractor and ask for a written bid. Then share the estimate and ask each contractor to explain any difference between the two in writing.

Whichever way you go, write down which pages each contractor saw and on what date, so you know what each bid was based on.

What should I check before I share it?

Read the estimate yourself first, then decide which pages a contractor needs to write a bid. The pages that list the parts of the house, the measurements and the materials are what a contractor needs to price the job. Pages with personal details or payment lines are your decision. Keep a complete copy for yourself.

Work through this list:

• Pages with personal details. If your copy shows your policy number or claim number, decide whether the contractor needs them to write a bid.
• Pages with payment lines. If your copy has lines for payments or your deductible, those are about your claim and not about the work. Decide whether to share them.
• Your insurer's rules. Ask your insurer, in writing, whether your policy or claim says anything about sharing the estimate, and keep the answer.

If a contractor asks for your claim number or policy number, ask why it is needed to write a bid, and ask for the answer in writing.

What if a contractor says it cannot bid without it, or asks to speak with my insurer?

You can ask the contractor why, in writing, and you can ask other contractors for bids. Ask every contractor whether any document you are asked to sign gives them permission to speak with your insurer on your behalf, and what exactly they could discuss or change. If a document does, ask your insurer about that part before you sign.

Reading the estimate and speaking with your insurer are two different requests, so ask about each one separately.

Read every page of any agreement before you sign it, and ask for a copy to read at home.

How do I compare the bids once contractors have seen the estimate?

Ask each contractor to answer in writing, line by line, in the same format. Then put the bids in one table and compare side by side. Look at the materials named, the warranty, the schedule and who does the work, as well as the total.

Questions to put to every contractor:

• Which lines of the estimate does your bid follow, and which does it leave out or change?
• Which lines in your bid are not on the estimate, and what does each one cover?
• Can you put every answer in writing, with a date?

Our guides on getting multiple bids on a roof insurance claim and on a side-by-side roof bid worksheet show how to line the bids up.

Where does Otter Quotes fit?

You provide a copy of your insurance estimate, and Otter Quotes creates a written scope of work for your project and sends it to multiple contractors. Once you submit your project for bids, contractors price that scope of work, which is built from your estimate.

Contractors compete online with bids on the same work, and you compare the bids side by side, next to reviews and licensing information. You sign online, with no salesperson in your home. There is no cost for homeowners who provide a copy of their insurance estimate. Contractors pay Otter Quotes a fee on the accepted bid. We do not work with your insurance company, we do not negotiate claims, we do not offer free inspections, and we do not sell upgrades. Call 844-875-3412 with questions.