How to compare NYC facade contractor quotes

Normalize the scope before comparing totals

Give each bidder the same written description, drawings or marked photographs, access assumptions, and requested alternates. Ask for a written estimate that identifies the legal contractor, work locations, materials, quantities, permit responsibility, schedule, price, and exclusions.

If one quote covers the entire facade and another covers only visibly loose areas, the totals are not competing prices for the same result. Build a comparison sheet with one row per scope item and one column per bidder.

Compare quantities, limits, and concealed conditions

Look for measurable boundaries:

• square feet of repointing or coating removal;
• number and location of stones, lintels, sills, steps, coping units, or cracks;
• elevations and stories included;
• depth or extent of removal where appropriate;
• whether adjacent returns, areaways, parapets, cornices, or stoops are excluded;
• how concealed deterioration will be documented and priced.

Allowances can be honest when conditions are concealed, but the quote should state the unit, assumed quantity, and approval process. As needed without a measurement or decision rule makes bids difficult to compare.

Compare materials, preparation, and finish

Two bids can use the same work label while proposing very different methods. For masonry and stone, compare substrate preparation, mortar or repair mix selection, color and aggregate, joint profile, mockup, cleaning method, curing, and protection from weather. For brownstone, use the focused patching, resurfacing, replacement, and rebuilding comparison to identify which method and quantities each bidder actually assumed.

For coatings or waterproofing, ask what condition was diagnosed, how incompatible existing layers will be addressed, what testing supports the proposed system, and which surfaces remain vapor permeable. A product name is not a diagnosis.

The companion guide lists the elements of a complete facade scope.

Compare permits, access, and protection

DCWP’s current consumer guidance says home improvement contractors must provide written permit disclosure before contract, including the permits required, who will obtain them, steps, estimated fees, and how status can be verified. Make this assignment explicit in every comparison.

Also identify:

• scaffold, lift, suspended scaffold, or rope-access assumptions;
• sidewalk shed or public protection when applicable;
• engineering, architectural, testing, and special-inspection responsibilities;
• LPC application responsibility for designated properties;
• adjoining-property access and protection;
• debris, dust, noise, working-hour, and site-security controls.

Compare schedule, payment, and closeout

The New York Attorney General recommends written contracts, specific timelines, payment schedules, and keeping final payment until work and required inspections are complete. Compare payment milestones to observable progress rather than calendar dates alone.

Review:

• mobilization and deposit;
• milestone definitions;
• retainage or final payment;
• change-order approval;
• weather and access delays;
• cleanup and punch list;
• warranties and manufacturer documents;
• permits, inspections, sign-offs, photographs, and closeout records.

Do not rely on a verbal promise to add missing scope later. Changes belong in a signed written change order.

Check the entity behind each bid

After normalizing the work, compare the businesses. Match the contract name to the current DCWP record where applicable, the state entity record, insurance documents, permit history, and address-specific projects.

A larger permit count does not automatically mean better work; it can reflect company size, project type, or the amount of research available. Use evidence to confirm relevance: has the bidder appeared on work involving the same material, building type, access constraints, or approval path?

Follow the full contractor-vetting sequence before treating a comparable quote as a final decision.