A single quote invites haggling. A page of line items invites delay. Homeowners often sit on a bid not because the price is wrong but because they can't tell what they're choosing between, and they don't want to make an expensive mistake.
Presenting two or three clear options, side by side, with a one-tap way to accept, makes the decision feel smaller and safer.
Offer good, better and best
Build two or three versions of the job: a solid baseline, a recommended middle option, and a premium version. Most homeowners like having a choice, and seeing a range makes the middle option feel considered rather than expensive.
Make each option its own card
Each card has the price, timeline, start date, warranty and scope, with what's included as tags (permits, cleanup, materials). Add photos of similar work you've done. Keep the scope summary in plain language, and save the full line-item breakdown for the contract.
Let them compare side by side
Turn on the Compare button so homeowners can see their shortlisted options next to each other on their phone: price against warranty, timeline against scope. See Choose the buttons your client sees.
Make yes one tap
Use Accept bid as the shortlist button, with Ask a question for anything unclear. Either way you get it by email, with any note they added, and it shows on your dashboard to mark as contacted. A homeowner who can say yes from the couch, the evening you send it, often does.
Send it to both decision makers
Add a spouse or co-owner as a second recipient. Each gets their own link, so you hear from both without waiting for them to discuss it first.
Step by step
- 1Start a deck from the Contractors and home services template, named for the job.
- 2Add two or three options with price, timeline, start date, warranty and scope.
- 3Add photos of similar finished work.
- 4Turn on Compare, and choose Accept bid as the shortlist button.
- 5Send to every homeowner who decides, and set a reminder.
Mistakes to avoid
- One take-it-or-leave-it number. It turns the conversation into a negotiation.
- Jargon-heavy scope. Describe what the homeowner will get, not how you'll build it.
- No start date. "When can you start?" is often the deciding question. Answer it on the card.
Questions people ask
How should a contractor present a bid?
As two or three clear options (good, better, best) with price, timeline, start date, warranty and scope in plain language, plus photos of similar work and an easy way to accept.
What is good, better, best pricing?
Offering a baseline, a recommended and a premium version of the same job, so the homeowner chooses between options rather than deciding yes or no on a single price.
Can homeowners accept a bid from their phone?
Yes. With rufl they open a link, compare the options, and tap Accept bid. You get the request by email right away.