For most renovation projects, you should get at least three quotes. That’s not an arbitrary number — it’s the minimum you need to establish a realistic sense of market pricing, identify outliers, and make a genuinely informed decision.

“Three quotes is the floor, not the ceiling. On a large or complex project, I’d want four or five. One quote gives you a number. Two gives you something to compare. Three gives you enough to see whether prices are clustering — and to spot the outlier on either end that deserves a closer look.”

— David Kimani, residential construction consultant and former project manager with over 15 years managing renovations across the Greater Toronto Area

Why Three Is the Minimum

One quote gives you a number with no context. You have no way of knowing whether it’s fair, inflated, or suspiciously low.

Two quotes gives you a comparison, but not enough data. If the quotes are far apart, you still don’t know which one is more representative of the market.

Three quotes is where patterns emerge. If two quotes are clustered in a similar range and one is dramatically lower, that tells you something. If all three are within 10–15% of each other, you have a confident sense of what the project should cost.

When You Might Get More

Larger projects justify more quotes. A $5,000 deck replacement is less consequential than a $150,000 addition — invest more time in the quoting process accordingly.

Highly specialized work may warrant more effort to find the right contractor, regardless of price.

When quotes are very far apart, a fourth opinion can help you understand why — and whether the discrepancy is in scope, quality, or something else.

Make Sure You’re Comparing the Same Thing

Three quotes only help you if they’re based on the same scope of work. Before comparing prices, confirm that each contractor is quoting on identical specifications — the same materials, the same inclusions, the same exclusions. A low quote that excludes permits, disposal, and finishing work is not a better deal. It’s an incomplete quote.

For more on evaluating quotes, see: Questions to Ask When Getting a Renovation Quote from a Contractor and What Should a Contractor Quote Include?

Don’t Always Choose the Lowest Quote

The lowest quote is not automatically the best value — and is often the opposite. A significantly lower quote typically means something has been excluded, quality of materials has been reduced, or the contractor is planning to recover margin through change orders once work is underway.

Evaluate each quote on: total price, what’s included, what’s excluded, the contractor’s references and track record, their timeline, and their payment terms.

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