[new peeps]

Villages07, I think all of the above is excellent advice. We did a lot of the above suggestions in our last project. The bids we received had a $25,000. variance from highest to lowest bid. Each contractor has a different idea on what the cost of materials and scope of the project would be. In the end, the contractor that had the best reputation, completed work that we could look at and was also open to us being able to talk to the owners of the houses that had the work done got the contract. It was not the cheapest quote. The final bid was negotiated on what it included and the price paid for that part of the contract. It is very important that in the final agreed bid price that the contract is rewritten to make sure those items are included in writing on the contract. This will keep both the contractor and yourself in check. Keep in mind any additional work agreed after the work is started will probably be additional dollars. For this reason make sure you have thought about everything you are after in the addition. Good luck on your project.