Concrete Contractor Quote Checklist

Start with the base and drainage

Do not start with the final price. Start with ask what excavation and base prep are included, then confirm specify thickness and reinforcement approach and define finish and edge details.

Site checks before choosing a finish

• Ask what excavation and base prep are included.
• Specify thickness and reinforcement approach.
• Define finish and edge details.
• Clarify control-joint layout.
• Include demolition, hauling and cleanup.

What changes concrete or paving scope

• Excavation and base preparation.
• Concrete/paver thickness and reinforcement.
• Drainage and slope.
• Site access for equipment and materials.
• Demolition, disposal and finishing.

Lower Mainland drainage and weather factors

In the Lower Mainland, drainage and base preparation matter as much as the finish. Water needs a deliberate path away from buildings, and soft or disturbed soil can change excavation, base depth and reinforcement decisions. For this specific decision, pay attention to ask what excavation and base prep are included, specify thickness and reinforcement approach.

When the site needs specialist input

A contractor or designer should take a closer look when drainage is being redirected, a retaining condition is involved, settlement is significant, or the work affects a building entrance, garage slab or structural element. If the quote changes because of define finish and edge details, ask the contractor to explain the added scope before authorizing it.

Questions before the pour or installation

• How will the base be prepared?
• Where will surface water drain?
• What thickness/reinforcement is proposed?
• How are control joints or edges handled?
• What curing or use restrictions should I expect?

Compare preparation, thickness and finish

Compare proposals only after the scope lines up. Pay particular attention to ask what excavation and base prep are included, specify thickness and reinforcement approach and any exclusions; a lower total can simply mean part of the work has been left out. Use the BC Quote comparison guide for a line-by-line check.

What a useful written quote should make clear

A useful quote for concrete contractor quote checklist should make the project measurable rather than merely naming the service. The written scope should identify excavation and subgrade, compacted granular base, and slope and drainage, then state what is included if site conditions change.

Pay close attention to control-joint layout and curing plan and concrete thickness and strength. Those details are where two proposals that look similar at the top line can turn out to cover very different work.

Ask how the contractor will handle soft or disturbed soil. If that condition is discovered after work begins, the quote should already explain whether it is included, priced as a unit rate, or handled through a written change order.

• Joints, finish and curing
• Existing settlement or drainage failures
• Base depth and compaction

Before hiring, also review WorkSafeBC and hiring a contractor and the BC homeowner contract-rules guide where the project involves a substantial written agreement.