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Grok+17 agentsContractor Quote Decoder: Allowances & Change Orders
Decode a renovation quote to find the allowances that aren't prices and the exclusions that become change orders.
$5
Contractor Quote Decoder: Allowances & Change Orders
Example session with this skill installed
Kitchen remodel quote, $48,500. Includes demo, cabinets (allowance $9,000), countertops (allowance $3,500), tile backsplash (allowance $600), plumbing and electrical 'as needed', painting. Excludes permits, appliances, flooring, and 'any structural work discovered.' Payment: 50% on signing, 40% at cabinet install, 10% on completion. I want mid-range shaker cabinets and quartz counters in a 180 sq ft kitchen. Decode this.
- Read your context and instructions
- Compiled the contractor quote decoder
- Generated the document
Contractor Quote Decode: kitchen remodel — $48,500
1. The verdict
Expect $56,000 to $63,000, not $48,500. The cabinet and countertop allowances are below mid-range shaker and quartz for a 180 sq ft kitchen, four required items are excluded, and the payment schedule has you 50% paid before any work exists. Ask for the allowance corrections and a milestone schedule before signing; the scope itself looks competent.
2. Section decode
| Section | What it says | What it means / what's missing | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinets | Allowance $9,000 | Mid-range shaker for ~20 linear ft typically runs $12,000–$16,000 | 🔴 |
| Countertops | Allowance $3,500 | Quartz for ~45 sq ft installed is typically $4,500–$6,500 | 🟡 |
| Backsplash | Allowance $600 | Plausible for basic tile; upgrades push it over | 🟢 |
| Plumbing/electrical | "As needed" | Undefined scope; every extra outlet is a change order | 🟡 |
| Exclusions | Permits, appliances, flooring, structural | Four separate bills to come | 🔴 |
| Payment | 50 / 40 / 10 | Half the money before demo; 90% before punch list | 🔴 |
3. The allowance audit
Cabinets: $9,000 vs $12,000–$16,000 realistic → overage $3,000–$7,000. Countertops: $3,500 vs $4,500–$6,500 → overage $1,000–$3,000. Backsplash: $600 vs $600–$1,200 → $0–$600.
Overage subtotal: $4,000–$10,600.
4. The silent-items list
Permits ($400–$1,500) · flooring for 180 sq ft ($1,800–$4,000 installed) · appliance hookups if new appliances change locations · disposal fees if not in "demo" · sink and faucet (not listed under plumbing or countertops).
5. Payment schedule read
At signing you've paid $24,250 for nothing built. At cabinet install (typically 60% through) you've paid $43,650, about 90%. Exposure: if the contractor stalls after cabinets, you're holding 10% leverage for 40% of the work. Request: 10% deposit, 25% at demo complete, 25% at rough-in passed, 25% at cabinets and counters installed, 15% on completion and punch list.
6. Making bids comparable
Send every bidder: cabinet spec (line, door style, box construction, linear feet) · countertop material, sq ft, edge · exact inclusions list (permits, disposal, flooring, sink, faucet, appliance hookup) · a fixed plumbing/electrical scope · the same milestone payment schedule.
This is a plain-language reading, not legal/financial advice — laws vary by jurisdiction; confirm anything load-bearing with a qualified professional.
contractor-quote-decoder-allowances-chan.pdf
PDF · document
Example file from a real run - the skill writes it into your workspace.
Connects securely to your tools. The creator never sees your data.
What you get
About this skill
The problem
A renovation quote looks like a price. It is usually a price plus allowances set too low, plus exclusions that surface as change orders, plus a payment schedule that has you paying ahead of the work. The final bill is 20 to 40 percent higher and nobody lied.
What it does
- Decodes the quote section by section: scope, materials, allowances, exclusions, schedule, payment terms.
- Audits every allowance against realistic cost at your stated finish grade and subtotals the likely overage.
- Lists the silent items the finished job needs that the document doesn't mention.
- Reads the payment schedule for where you're exposed and proposes a milestone-tied restructure.
- Produces the question set that makes competing bids comparable.
Why this beats prompting it yourself
A general prompt says whether the total seems reasonable. This skill computes the real expected range, names every future change order in advance, and gives you the questions that force bidders to price the same job.
Use cases
- Comparing three kitchen-remodel bids that don't line up.
- Checking a bathroom quote before signing a contract.
- Understanding why a 'fixed price' job went over.
- Restructuring a payment schedule before the deposit.
Known limitations
Not legal advice, and not a substitute for a licensed estimator. Allowance benchmarks are order-of-magnitude and regional. A one-page quote for a large job is itself a finding; the skill decodes what's provided and names the missing sections.
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