"Sometimes they're just banking on homeowners assuming higher cost equals better quality."
Yeah, I've seen this happen too. When we got our roof redone, one guy quoted way higher and kept talking about "exclusive shingles"... turned out they were literally the same brand everyone else offered, just a fancy brochure. Glad you trusted your gut!
Haha, classic upsell move... did they also throw in the "limited-time offer" line? Curious if anyone else has seen bids jump just because of vague stuff like "premium installation techniques" or whatever.
"Curious if anyone else has seen bids jump just because of vague stuff like 'premium installation techniques' or whatever."
Yeah, I've seen that plenty. Had a homeowner show me a competitor's bid once that was nearly double mine, and the only real difference was some fancy wording about "advanced sealing methods" and "exclusive weatherproofing tech." Truth is, most reputable contractors already use solid techniques—no need to pay extra for buzzwords. Always better to ask directly what exactly they're doing differently... usually, it's nothing special.
Had a similar thing happen recently—bid came in way higher than expected, all because they mentioned something like "precision layering techniques." Asked the guy what that meant exactly... turns out it's just standard overlapping shingles. Marketing at its finest, lol.
Had something similar happen when we got our driveway redone—one quote mentioned "advanced compaction methods," and it turned out to be just the regular roller compactor every contractor uses. Sometimes it seems like adding a fancy term or two is enough justification to bump up the price. But on the flip side, detailed bids can be helpful for comparing specifics. I usually ask for clarification upfront—keeps everyone honest and sets expectations clearly from the start.
